The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) for the past eight years was led by the first lay woman General Secretary, Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes. Last November 21 to 24, 2007, the 22nd General Convention was held whereby Ms. Sharon Ros Duremdes handed down her post to the just elected Fr. Rex Reyes, the first indigenous clergy from the Episcopal Church to be NCCP General Secretary. Fr. Rex takes office in January 2008.

BUT one IMPORTANT achievement of this convention should not be missed. This was a resolution that was passed calling ALL the NCCP member churches (11 denominations) to formulate their own policy on sexual abuse and to put up a women's program where there is none. It was without much debate because it was the last resolution to have been deliberated on. (As always, women's agenda come last!)

Anyway, at the second day of the convention, the women delegates distributed copies of our statement, and deliberately lobbied to clergy and church heads to support the call. It was also brought up during the workshop on the quadrennial program direction. In a sense, the women delegates were able to convince almost all to adopt it, no negative reactions heard. (Or they were just condescending?! Maybe, but it was passed, and still to be pushed and followed up further by the women members of the new Executive Committee, so that churches will take it seriously. Ownership, that is how we call it.)

Now real work begins for women in the churches. They cannot simply leave it to the churches. We understand this since the beginning. At least, it is now articulated, that churches should show their institutional commitment and responsibility to victims and survivors of sexual abuse including those committed by male clergy and leaders.

Yes, this convention has shown that God's graces have been and are always abundant!

Francisca C. Bawayan
IAWN Provincial Link, Philippines
27 November 2007