Equipping pastors, missionaries & church leaders for faithful ministry.
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About the Ministry
Who we are, what we believe, and how we serve
Welcome
A brief introduction to Oikonomos Care Ministries
Our Mission
What God has called the ministry to do
Our Vision
The long-term goal of the ministry
What We Believe
Statement of faith & core biblical doctrines
We affirm The Lausanne Covenant, the foundational statement of the Lausanne Movement, adopted at the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization. Its fifteen sections summarize our shared biblical convictions:
- The Purpose of God. There is one eternal God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who calls people to belong to him and sends them to serve and witness.
- The Bible. The Old and New Testaments are God's inspired, truthful, authoritative written Word and the rule for faith and practice.
- Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only Savior and mediator between God and humanity. People are called to respond to him with repentance and faith.
- Evangelism. Christians proclaim that Jesus died for sins, rose from the dead, and offers forgiveness. Following him also involves discipleship, church fellowship, and service.
- Social Responsibility. Every person has dignity as God's image bearer. Christians should seek justice, oppose oppression, and serve their neighbors.
- The Church and Evangelism. Christ sends his church into the world. Evangelism is central to its mission, and its life should reflect the message it proclaims.
- Cooperation. Christians who share biblical faith should work together in worship, witness, and mission.
- Partnership Among Churches. Churches across the world share responsibility for local and global mission.
- The Urgency of Evangelism. The church should work sacrificially so that people everywhere have an opportunity to hear and understand the gospel.
- Evangelism and Culture. The gospel can take root in every culture, while Scripture must test every culture.
- Education and Leadership. Churches should nurture believers and train local pastors and leaders for humble service.
- Spiritual Conflict. Christians should resist evil and false teaching through truth, prayer, and faithfulness.
- Freedom and Persecution. Christians should defend freedom of conscience and support those persecuted for their faith.
- The Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings conviction, faith, new birth, growth, and power for the church's witness.
- Christ's Return. Jesus will return personally and visibly to complete his salvation and judgment. Until then, his people continue their mission.
Who We Are
History, purpose, and ministry philosophy
The Story Behind Oikonomos Care Ministries
I live in the United States, but the Philippines has always been close to my heart. Since graduating from Asian Theological Seminary in the late 1980s, I have wanted to train pastors who have not had the opportunity to receive formal ministry training.
In 1990, Merly and I each moved to California to join our parents. The following year, we married and made plans to serve in the Philippines. We changed our plans when Merly passed a medical board examination and had the opportunity to train as a doctor in the United States.
After Merly completed her residency training and began working as a doctor in Chicago, I planted a church to serve the city’s Filipino community. I also continued my studies, hoping to use what I learned to help pastors in the Philippines.
In 2006, I met Dr. Azriel Azarcon while he was pursuing his PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. We shared a desire to help pastors in the Philippines who had limited access to ministry training. Together, we began planning a ministry to serve them. In 2018, we established Oikonomos Care Ministries with longtime ministry partners in the Philippines serving as board members.
The leaders of Oikonomos Care Ministries bring many years of ministry experience that they can share with the people we serve.
We hope to share what we have learned with the next generation of pastors and missionaries. We want to help them serve their families, churches, and communities well—and, in time, train the next generation to do the same.
Rev. Dr. Leofin R. Blanco Jr.
Our Leadership
Founders, board, and ministry leaders
How We Serve Churches & Ministries
- Church planting
- Leadership development
- Pastor training
- Bible teaching resources
- Discipleship materials
- Translation projects
- Digital ministry
- Consultation and coaching
Who We Serve
- Pastors
- Church planters
- Missionaries
- Rural churches
- Small groups
- New believers
- Christian leaders
Our Core Values
- Biblical authority
- Christ-centered ministry
- Faithfulness
- Servant leadership
- Stewardship
- Excellence
- Partnership
- Compassion
How We Partner with Other Ministries
- We exist to strengthen, not replace, local churches.
- We freely share biblical resources whenever possible.
- We encourage cooperation among Bible-believing churches.
- We equip leaders to train others.
- We help ministries become self-sustaining and multiply.
Our Commitment
- Our commitment to biblical truth.
- Our commitment to sound doctrine.
- Our commitment to serving with integrity and humility.
