May 2008 Chugiak Crier Newsletter
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Introducing Carlo, Radie and Caleb
April 2008 – By the Rev. Carlo Axibal Rapanut
Carlo Axibal Rapanut was born and raised in the mountain city of Baguio, Philippines. He is the eldest of two sons of Jose, a government employee & pastor and Teofina, a college professor. He accepted Jesus Christ as a child through the sharing of his mother. While in high school and active in his local church youth fellowship, he felt a call to serve. This call was affirmed by his peers in the youth fellowship and leaders of the church alike as they saw his potential to lead and his heart to serve. His pastor encouraged him to test the call and he began preaching as a youth.
Carlo graduated from the University of the Philippines with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1994. Then, at the urging of his peers and pastor friends, he submitted himself for election and was subsequently voted as president of the Northwest Philippines Annual Conference United Methodist Youth Fellowship (NWPAC UMYF). He sought employment as a scriptwriter and host of a local station of a national TV network, but only to sustain his financial needs as conference president of the UMYF. His passion was really to serve God and while doing ministry for, with and among his fellow youth, Carlo ascertained his calling. He served in the youth organization for two terms ending in 1998.
After four years of serving as Conference youth president Carlo took his first step towards the ordained ministry. He was certified as a candidate to the ministry and was given an ad interim appointment to the UMC of Philex Mines in Tuba, Benguet, Philippines. He served in that church for two years, drawing from his rich experience as a youth leader to compensate for his lack of formal seminary training. In two years, he was able to lead the small mining community church to significant increases in membership, worship attendance, planned giving and ministry involvement. While serving in Philex and realizing that pastors needed managerial skills as well, Carlo took up his Masters in Management, majoring in Business Management from the University of the Philippines graduating in 2000.
Time came for Carlo to go to seminary. He chose to go to Wesley Divinity School in Cabanatuan City because of its accessibility to his home district which enabled him to accept a weekend church appointment. He did not want his district to feel a deficiency of pastors due to the influx of many clergy members to another seminary situated farther away from the Conference confines. Thus, while in seminary, Carlo was assigned as associate pastor of the Baguio City First UMC. He finished his Master of Divinity magna cum laude in 2003.
Carlo married Zoraida Bote Sanchez of Cabanatuan City in 2002. Carlo and Radie (as she is more fondly called) met in the UMYF. She too was the president of the youth fellowship of her conference, the Middle Philippines Annual Conference. They nurtured the friendship that began when they met in a National Youth Conference in the summer of 1996. During Carlo’s senior year in seminary, they decided to tie the knot.
The couple has since resided in Baguio City where Carlo continued to be assigned. The first four years as associate pastor until 2004 then as administrative pastor for two years until January 2006. As pastor of this forerunning city church, Carlo led the congregation to adopt Vision 20/20, an ambitious 15-year vision for the church from 2005-2020. The vision includes but is not limited to, among others, an aggressive plan to plant 20 churches by the year 2020 and pave the way for the establishment of a mission district in the mountainous area of the Cordillera region in the Philippines. (For more details, visit www.baguiofirstumc.org).
It was in this appointment that the Episcopal Leadership in the UMC Baguio Area noticed the gifts and graces of this young member of the clergy. In 2006, the year he was ordained Elder, the Bishop Benjamin A. Justo appointed Carlo as “Assistant to the Bishop,” a position he holds to date. In this position, Carlo’s administrative skills were tested, stretched and honed. He represents the Bishop in church and secular gatherings when the Bishop is not available. He manages affairs and meetings of the Baguio Episcopal Area Extended Cabinet consisting of 22 District Superintendents. He coordinates with clergy and lay officers and members of the eight (8) annual conferences under the Episcopal area to ensure the smooth implementation of legislated programs and ministries. Like a TV director, he provides oversight for the smooth flow of Annual Conference sessions and heads the planning of worship for those sessions. His interest in desktop publishing and computer graphics made him the Episcopal office’s point person for the job of preparing MS PowerPoint presentations for reports, designing lay-outs for posters, tarpaulin streamers and other promotional paraphernalia and maintaining the Episcopal area’s blogspot cum website (www.umcbea.multiply.com).
The choice to settle in Baguio was not without its share of sacrifices for the couple. When they got married, Radie was already a professor in the College of Computer Science at the Methodist-owned Wesleyan University-Philippines in Cabanatuan City. Initially, she was willing to take two bus rides, a five-hour commute, from Cabanatuan to Baguio every weekend. It soon became an ordeal when she became pregnant with their son, Karl Caleb. A choice had to be made, and soon. True to her conviction that she was called to be a pastor’s wife, she resigned from work to be with her family, a choice she says she does not regret. Aside from being a full-time mother and wife, Radie was able to teach part-time at the newly established Aldersgate School of Divinity, a pastor’s training school in Baguio City. She was also able to complete course work required to take the Licensure Exam for Teachers. In 2007, Radie passed the LET and is now a licensed professional teacher for the secondary level (high school) major in Mathematics.
The Rapanuts take strolls in the park or the mall, go swimming, watch a movie or just play around the house for bonding. The family loves to drive and travel and have enjoyed many wonderful moments on the road. Carlo goes jogging, biking or plays basketball to stay fit. In his spare time, he tinkers with his car and has a special interest in digital photography and imaging. He is techie and always wants to be updated with the latest gadgets. In ministry, he is passionate about preaching, working with youth and planning creative worship experiences. Radie enjoys reading pocketbooks, novels and magazines, is a fan of Harry Potter and loves to cook. Coming from a singing clan, she counts singing in the choir as one of her primary ministry involvements. Being a teacher by heart, Radie has also involved herself in the education ministry of the church, especially among youth and children. Caleb is a typical four year old – active and adventurous. He is sociable and easily makes friends. He loves to play with his toys and his favorites include Thomas the train, Tonka construction trucks and race cars. Caleb likes watching his favorite animated movies like Cars, The Incredibles, Robots and Ice Age. He also enjoys “assisting” his daddy while tinkering with the car or his mom while doing the household chores in his own little and special ways. Though the tasks normally take longer that way, it has provided good bonding moments for parents and child. Caleb has recently learned how to write his name and has lately spent much time writing and coloring. He likes a good story or two, read by his mom or dad, before he goes to bed.
Carlo, Radie and Caleb are excited about the move to Alaska and are eager to be part of the church family of the UMC of Chugiak. They believe that God is calling them to make this move as a big step of faith.
** Written by Rev. Carlo Axibal Rapanut **