Tell us about yourself.
I am Primitivo Pagayon Jr. I am originally from the Philippines. I moved here in 1996, following my wife. When we married, we had this principle that we needed to be together. I was already a missionary in Malaysia and a pastor in the Philippines. I followed her here a few weeks after our wedding. I attended a church in Harlingen but noticed no church at that time that ministered specifically to Filipino immigrants. The Lord put in my heart to start Bible studies in the Harlingen-Weslaco-Donna area, mostly for teachers and nurses, because I was a teacher in a public school and my wife was a nurse. That’s how the Jubilee Christian Fellowship started. I’m the Founding Pastor of Jubilee Christian Fellowship since 1998, to the present. I was only 25 or 26. But praise the Lord; God has been so faithful to us, our church. After ten years, we purchased our property and built our facility. To God be the glory!
I’m also a father of two boys. My oldest son, Steven, is 23 and pursuing computer engineering at UT-RGV. Tim is in San Marcos at Texas State in the pre-Med program. He is 20. Steven and Timothy are very supportive of our ministry. I told them, You don’t have to be like me, a pastor, but allow God to use you. Stephen plays our keyboard and piano at church. Tim used to play the drums. My wife is very supportive. She is a nurse, but because her cancer (metastatic) came back in 2012, we decided for her to stop working. The doctor and our friends in the Philippines gave her six months to live, but it’s been 11 years now, Praise God. The Lord is faithful. Almost every year, my wife and I go to the Philippines not only for vacation but to do missions work, minister to local churches, and equip local pastors.
I am a community leader in the Filipino community. I was a founding board member and served as an executive board member of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce Rio Grande Valley. I finished my 4-year term as president of our local Filipino association in Harlingen. I am serving as a member of the executive council.
Are you doing ministry in the Philippines?
In 2020, two other Filipino pastors in the valley and I founded a missions ministry, The Glokal Project, a non-profit organization that partners with small village churches in the Philippines, specifically reaching the children through feeding ministry, helping churches become visible and relevant in their communities. Last year, we partnered with 22 churches. This year we are partnering with 17 churches serving and feeding hundreds of children weekly. Many children have been baptized and now attend Sunday services with their parents. I preached via Zoom to a house church in the Philippines almost every month on their Sunday service. The congregation was established as a result of a Zoom meeting initiated by one of our church members in 2021. I had an opportunity to preach in person during their first Christmas celebration last December 25, 2022. I also preached their first Easter service and Mother’s Day celebration this year. Even though we’re thousands of miles away, it is a blessing that we can minister and start a church in the Philippines.
Did you mean “Global” not “Glokal” project?
No, “G l o c a l” is what we spell to highlight the Filipino context. It’s a combination of “global” and “lokal” (a Filipino word for “local”).
Tell us about your connection to Stark College & Seminary.
Stark and I have a long history together. My undergraduate degree is in business administration, and I was teaching, but I didn’t have a formal education in theology and Bible. My exposure was more in ministry and missions. When I started a church after several years, I sensed that I needed to equip myself with a more formal education. I started looking for a seminary locally but could not find one. Long-distance or online degrees or programs at that time were not as common. A Seminary in California asked if I was willing to relocate, and I said no, not at this time. That’s when a Filipino pastor introduced me to SCS. He said, “I’m attending and taking classes. I go there once a week on Thursday. Why don’t you try?” That’s when the Lord put in my heart. So I went to Stark, and it was love at first sight because I got to meet people that made me and my wife feel welcome. I was part of Stark as a student in 2012 when I started my Master of Divinity degree. It took me a while (5 or 6 years) because I am a pastor, and I was also taking care of my wife at that time; and I would drop off our two boys at school then pick them up. I only took two classes at a time or a maximum of three courses. Then praise the Lord, after I finished my MDiv, I was given the opportunity to serve as core faculty. I’m one of the original core faculty and the first Asian faculty member. Then eventually, I worked full-time for four years here at Stark. I’m trying to inspire and encourage other Filipinos, especially pastors like me that have the opportunity to study.
How has Stark helped you in ministry?
Most, if not all, professors at Stark are practitioner-scholars. They are full-time pastors, and at the same time, they’re also adjunct faculty, so they know what’s happening in the church and can relate to me as a student. There were times when I had to take my wife to MD Anderson so there were times when I was late with my assignments. They were very gracious and understanding. Their experience and their heart for ministry and education help me appreciate theology and the higher education of pastors. We also had the opportunity to serve our students, staff, and faculty during chapel. In chapel we served and at the same time, we developed friendships with other students. Stark helped me be a better pastor and student of the Bible, and made me a better person in relationships with my peers, classmates, pastors, and the staff. I would say a seminary should not just train students to become better ministers but also relational wise, that they can become better in their relationships with their brothers, sisters, people they serve, and those in the community.
What do you love about Stark?
Stark is an educational community and faith community that helped me become better in what I do as a minister, as a person, and at the same time, a professional. I love the closeness we established – the community, spirit, connection, brotherhood, the family-oriented atmosphere where you get to experience, develop, and share with others. It is my hope and expectation that will continue once a student finishes the program.
What was your favorite class as a student?
I enjoyed church history. Even when I was a teacher in the public school, I taught World history and math. History is one of my interests and it sharpened me. It also motivated me to research different topics in church history, especially with Dr. Bullock.
Who was your favorite professor?
I enjoyed and developed relationships with all my professors. Many of them are my favorites – Dr. Lyles, Dr. Bullock, Dr. Hugghins, Dr. Parker,of course, Dr. Jackson, and Dr. Guarneri. I cannot say that I have only one because of all the relationships that we built. If I’m in his class or her class, he or she is my favorite.
What was your favorite class to teach as a professor?
I love to teach Methods in Biblical Interpretation. As a pastor, it is one subject that we need to have a good foundation. If you know how to execute and interpret the Bible accurately, then you can share God’s word to the people as intended for us to communicate, but not my own ideas or something I heard from others, but the Bible itself. When I was taking classes at Stark, I was given that tool to dig deeper into the scriptures from Methods of Biblical Interpretation. I want students to learn that skill as well.
There were some cases where students misinterpreted some passages based on preconceived understanding, experience, or exposure to what they heard from other preachers without looking into the context of the passage. There are also instances a student would tell me thank you for bringing this up because I thought that this is what it meant.
You mentioned a lot about pastors. Is Stark only for pastors?
No. Stark is for every believer, every Christian, especially who are longing to deepen or to enrich their knowledge of the Bible, church history, and also give them the opportunity to explore ministry in the church. It’s for everyone. I mention pastors because, as a pastor, I believe that we need to be trained theologically. I know pastoral ministry is a calling, but if we have a chance to be given the opportunity, I encourage pastors to pursue theological higher education. Stark is for everyone, especially church leaders.
Did you face any struggles during your academic journey/studying theology?
When it comes to me being an Asian, I did not find it really challenging because my classmates and my professors, they welcomed me as me.
But, struggles? Yes. I found it really challenging, but more on the academics. First of all, I did not have the theological foundation and it was an adjustment for me to be in a formal classroom, and at the same time, not Baptist. My professors, especially Dr. Hugghins, would always joke around about me as a Pentecostal, Assemblies of God, that he would convert me. But I know he was just joking. Although Stark has a history or affiliation with BGCT, it’s not just for Baptists. It is for Christians, for everyone who is willing to sit down and listen and participate in the conversation. After all, we are the same body of Christ. Then, of course, the adjustment of having to do research. The expectations of your professors who are, as I mentioned earlier, practitioners scholars, but scholars, so they have high standards. You have to to get to that standard. When I started, I didn’t know how to do exegesis. Dr. Lyles is very patient, and Dr. Huggins, after guiding me, teaching me, and showing me this is how it looks. I testify one of my classmates would say “Wow, Dr. Lyles used you as an example as somebody who has the best exegesis!” When I started, I didn’t know anything about exegesis. I didn’t know how to write the exegesis paper. I didn’t know how to write a research paper in theology.
Maybe I should have mentioned this earlier about what class helped me. I also teach Theological Research and Writing. It’s also a very important foundational course for our students. If they want to succeed, they must start with those courses to help them get a good start.
Most people our age think they are too old to go back to college, much more Bible college; what would you say to those in their 40s, 50s, or even 60s?
Learning is a lifelong journey. There is no age limit when it comes to learning or studying, especially for those called to ministry. So, I don’t think one is too old to go back to school, particularly Bible college. There are of course, challenges for older students because many, if not all of them, have been out of school for years or even decades. However, this is where Stark excels because our students’ average age is in the mid-40’s and we exist to equip educationally underserved believers, including those in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. I was blessed when I worked at Stark because I had a chance to know and serve students in their 70s and 80s. To me, they serve as inspiration for younger generations of Christian leaders because they manage their time wisely, balancing their personal, family, and ministerial responsibilities.
Why do you think it’s important for Asian Americans or Asians to be represented in theological education?
Asian Americans or Asians need to be represented in theological education because, generally, not many of us ministers pursue theological education despite its benefit to the church. The general sentiment among Asians, particularly Filipino Christians, is that we don’t need formal theological education to minister or serve in a local church. Although some denominations require ministers to have some form of theological education, other denominations, including non-denominational churches, do not have this requirement for their ministers to serve as pastors or church leaders. For example, many of us Filipino pastors in the valley did not have the opportunity to pursue theological education before starting our ministries or serving in our churches. Many of us have degrees in other fields of study. But I am very optimistic that with the increasing number of Asians pursuing theological education, many more will follow. I believe that when church members among Asian churches see their own pastors and church leaders pursue theological education and the difference it makes in their ministries, many will be encouraged to consider it even for personal growth.
Additionally, theological education for Asian Americans and Asians is important because there are not many theologians, Bible scholars, and professors with Asian perspectives and emphasis. Asian Americans and Asians can contribute a unique perspective based on their cultural context that would edify the church and challenge Christians to take responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission.
Professor Pagayon will teach New Testament Survey in the Fall 2023.