BACK TO THE BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH
BBBC
BACK TO THE BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH
The History Behind
BACK TO THE BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH
How it Started
Erwin Concepcion
Senior Pastor
1998
The Back to the Bible Baptist Church originally came from the original group called “The Back to the Bible”, a small Bible Study group I started when I and my wife Beth came back to Dubai from Canada on August of 1998.
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When I became a Christian in Canada, God gave me the burden to reach my lost family members and friends in Dubai and Philippines. I didn’t understand that feeling from the beginning, but irresistible feeling of proclaiming the Gospel prompted me to go back to Dubai to do the work. My wife Beth was holding a good position in Hyatt Regency in Vancouver, and at that time I was employed as interior design consultant in the largest and the most expensive European furniture store in the whole North America, overseeing the interior design projects of three big stores for three years. Although we were living in a quite comfortable life in that country, I remember my family members, loved ones and friends. No one is saved! I believe I was the first Christian in our clan. With this burden for them and my heart for the lost souls, I prayed for many months for God to give me the wisdom on what to do. And as time passed by, my burden for them gets heavier and heavier every day to the extent that I lost excitement anymore to do my routine work in the office. During those times, the only excitement I have is studying the Bible and sharing it to my family, sister and brother back home in Manila. But I want to do more; I was longing to go back to Dubai, maybe to work again there so I can reach out also my friends for Jesus.
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​After several months of prayer and discerning the will of God, my heart and mind are still pounding to go back to Dubai. Without thinking of what will happen in the future, I asked my wife if she is eager to go back with me to Dubai. And I praised the Lord that she didn’t even ask me what made me do such drastic decision as we both are doing well having stable jobs. If she had asked me this question, I didn’t have any logical reason to answer her, except my heart and mind is leading me back to Dubai. To make a story short, Beth and I decided to resign from our jobs, sold some of our personal belongings including our car, and went back to Dubai
How It Grew
On the same day we arrived, while Beth re-joined the Emirates Airline as flight attendant to supply our needs, I formed a Bible Study group with good friends; we are about six (6). It was a great joy and fulfillment when I started sharing the Gospel to these friends of mine. And we started inviting other friends to the Bible study, and in few weeks time, our number increased to about 10 – 15 persons. Since I was the only one who drives the car, it is also I who pick up attendees as far as the desert area of Jebel Ali, cook dinner for them, share the Word of God, then drop off some of them back to their accommodations, while some stay behind to sleep in our flat because I could not accommodate them all in the same car at the same time.
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I choose Thursday for our Bible study because it’s a decision day for those who are truly seeking God, it’s weekend and a “Party Night” for many. God always reminds me of the verses in Romans 12:1,2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sac-rifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. That we Christians should no longer walk and conform to the fashion of this world, as we had already been changed, and continuously being transformed to conform to the image of His Son. Basically, a sacrificial service for His glory rather than enjoying the pleasure of this world is needed to please Him.
How It Became A CHURCH
2004
Several years later, after I left the church I used to be part of, I joined a newly formed Fundamental-ist Baptist Church in Dubai. However, after a godly pastor of the church confronted a serious issue brought-in by one of the leaders of the church, he decided to leave Dubai and commissioned the work to me and another leader. We all prayed for the name of the church, many suggested to carry the name of their churches, but after several prayers and consultations with other leaders, the “Back to the Bible” name came out strongly, and in late 2004 Back to the Bible became a church. The church started with regular attendees of around thirty people. Almost majority of the members came from Baptist Christian background.
Encountering Struggles
During the first year of establishing BBBC, the church encountered several problems mainly church’s policy and leadership. I thought, it was a reminiscent of what happened to the church of Corinth where members brought about their own culture and belief, preference of leadership and even doctrinal issues. This problem eventually leads some discontented groups to leave the church. These sad events made many who stayed heartbroken.
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Another year passed, another problem came. A partner in the ministry decided to part his ways and decided to form his own church and his own system of leadership. Because I see God as sovereign in all things, I look at it as His will, to optimize the full potential of His gifts graced to each and every one of us (Romans 12:6-8).
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The next three years, BBBC leadership confronted several issues of sins including division. It is on this transitional stage that I experience sleepless nights of burden, worries and discouragements. Inexperi-ence in addressing heavy problems in the church. I spent many times kneeling during early mornings as early as 3am. Maybe because of lack of rest and pressures. One night, during a serious meeting in the church addressing the issue of sins of adultery and fornication committed by members of the church, I was rushed to Dubai hospital due to continuous nosebleed, and was operated twice for 21 days for the same reason.
The Rainbow After The Flood
remember what the Apostle Paul had gone through in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. I thought, the righteous church has to undergo trials and purging, sometimes spiritual attack however, I believe God allows it in order for us to experience His power and grace in times of trials. Through this experience, we can claim that He indeed “will not leave us nor forsake us”. To God be the glory!
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I remember Noah after the flood, God showed him the rainbow of covenant and hope (Genesis 9:1-17). This tells us that in every faithful works for God, no matter what comes along the way, God will always protect His people and servants so His name among His people will be protected. The saying says “there is always light at the end of the tunnel” and I do believe it, so as Noah’s experience in life.
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These troubled years, made me and the leadership of the church firmer and stronger in its stand for what is right and wrong, and what is godly against ungodly. It strengthens us to trust in Jesus, to love Him more and to seek His guidance more than anything the world can offer.
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After few years of struggle, came the revival of the church and blessings poured in. God faithfully send many gifted brethren to help BBBC start a new beginning. At the beginning of 2007, faithful men and women started joining the leadership ministry of the church.
Blessings Come Along
2007
There was a time when we were praying relentlessly for a pianist and musicians to help the music minis-try of the church as we do not even have a single one who can play a piano. By God’s grace, choir was formed and with the help of a faithful sister who had no education in music neither experience leading the music ministry of the church, the music ministry was born. God blessed the church with loving people who wants to offer their voices to the Lord! Today, we keep the same principle in our choir ministry, that any member who are willing to serve the Lord in singing, regardless of whether they have gift or skill in singing, we welcome them to be part of the choir ministry because we know that God searcheth the heart!
During the past few years, we invited several guest pastors to become speakers in our anniversaries and seminars to help strengthen the church. The following pastors who came to visit and help strengthen the church are: Pastor Evan Venegas (CBAP), Pastor Jogli Tupas (AFBC), Pastor Albert Verba (Japan), Dr.. Stephen Zeinner (US), Pastor Nel Guiang (BJMBC), Dr. Phil Kamibayashiyama (Director and President, BJMBC) and Dr. Joel Arnold (Director, BJMBC).
The Church Today
2019
By the grace of our Almighty God and the love of Jesus Christ, BBBC had grown steadily both spiritually and numerically. Many additional church ministries had been created. Currently, the church has seven-teen (17) Bible study groups, and other ministries like the Music Ministry, the Kings Men (KM) Ministry for men, the Gameo Fellowship Ministry for married members, the True Womanhood (TW) for women, the Sojourners Ministry for singles, and the Lord’s Young Flock (LYF) Ministry for children. Burning Bush Publication and other ministries being formed. Seeing The Back to the Bible Baptist Church growing in its service to God today is already a great joy of realizing why God brought me back here in Dubai. Together with faithful and loving leaders and members of the church, we truly aim to serve Him in the expansion of His kingdom here on earth as He commanded us to preach the Gospel to the world. We desire to please the Lord as we serve Him with love, for He is worthy of all our sacrificial service, that we may glorify His Name through our ministry!
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The Church Vision
For few years now BBBC has been praying for God’s grace to bless us a home church in the Philippines. This is primarily because many of the brethren, who were converted to Jesus through the church, do not have a church to attend and fellowship with back in the Philippines. Many of our brethren who have non-believing family members and relatives want to lead them to Jesus, and would want to entrust them to the home church when they leave back to work abroad. However, because there is none at the moment, we only recommend them to other friend–churches with the same doctrine and practice. We believe, in God’s timing and will. He will answer our prayer to have this plan materialized sooner or later.
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Seeing The Back to the Bible Baptist Church growing in its service for God today, is already a great joy of discovering why God brought me back here in Dubai from Canada. Together with faithful and loving leaders and members of the church, we truly aim to serve Him in the expansion of His kingdom here on earth as He commanded us to preach the Gospel to all the world (Matthew 28:18-20). Our desire is to bring glory to His name in love, in service, and in reaching the lost for Jesus!
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To God be the glory!
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And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
