United Methodist Bishop Peter Torio of Baguio, Philippines, attended the Good News briefing breakfast on Saturday, May 14. Bishop Torio brought greetings to the gathered members of the Reform and Renewal Coalition from the eight annual conferences in his Episcopal area:
“It is a pleasure and joy for all of us to come here. We have eleven members of our Philippine church who are with us today.”
“When I was a student at Duke [Divinity School], when you go to the student lounge you see copies of Good News Magazine lying around.”
Torio identified the magazine as one of the publications which was “very formative in my life as a pastor and as a bishop. I am very happy that, for the first time, I can say that the best news of the day is that I am in the company of Good News.”
“In 1999, I never dreamed that this day was going to happen. I am in prayer with the whole church as we continue to be a Bible-based, mission focused and Christ-centered church. I believe that at this time it is very important for us to affirm our connectional faith and UMC Book of Discipline as we continue to engage in mission. We have been blessed because this quadrennium we have 28 new local churches that we have just recognized, eight just for this year. God has blessed the missionary efforts of the people in the area and because of this, this invitation from Good News to be with you today means so much to us. We believe that in coming here we are making a very clear statement of our faith, our mission focus as well as our centeredness on the lordship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in our lives. Greetings from the Philippines, thank you very much.”
Torio, one of three UMC bishops in the Philippines, was elected during the 2012 Session of the Philippines Central Conference. In March the three bishops released a statement affirming the denomination’s Book of Discipline, which has been met with a campaign of ecclesiastical disobedience by some U.S. clergy opposed to prohibitions on conducting same-sex unions and marriages.
Comment by DannyBoyJr on May 16, 2016 at 9:17 am
The question is, is he also for divestment like the Davao Episcopal Area bishop?