OUR SENIOR PASTORS
Raymond and Mildred Osias
came to Denmark with their first son in November 1998 to pioneer FCC. Raymond was a graduate of Civil Engineering from the Far Eastern University and Mildred was a registered Nutritionist- Dietician who graduated from the University of the Philippines. They both responded to God’s calling and finished their second degree in Theology in 1992 at Bethel Bible College. Mildred later went back to UP to pursue MBA. Raymond has been a pastor since 1987. They have been in ministry for more than 35 years and are co-authors of the book “Divinely Designed.” They have a huge heart for discipleship and missions. They have two sons, Abdiel and Andrew who stood with them during their missionary endeavors.
FCC HISTORY
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
In 1998, four missionaries, Raymond Osias, John Angeles, Eleonor Pedro and Frank, from the Philippines attended a conference in England and Wales. They personally met Pastor Wynne Lewis, who previously connected them to Pastor Jarle Tangstad of Pinsekirken Copenhagen. They then flew to Copenhagen after the Conference to see the possibility of starting a Filipino church that would focus on reaching the Filipino community in Copenhagen. Two weeks later, they started gathering few Filipinos in simple Bible Study meetings from different homes. The group continued to meet regularly and started to grow. After three months, they all went back to the Philippines. Raymond received a personal call from the Lord to pioneer a church in Copenhagen seeing the need for spiritual revival among the Filipinos. He went home to apply for a missionary visa with his family and by God’s grace and provision he and his family were able to return to Denmark on November 4, 1998. Raymond, his wife, Mildred and their son, Abdiel, re-gathered a small group of Filipinos and formally started a church meeting immediately the next Sunday after their arrival.
FCCC Copenhagen grew, by the grace of God, through one to one, life groups and constant outreach evangelism. From meeting in a small room, the Sacristy, at Drejervej 17, the group moved to the Red room to accommodate more than 50 people by 2003. By 2005, the congregation had to move to the Main Hall to accommodate more than 100 people. We are the Filipino congregation of Kirken i Kulturcenter. The then known Filipino Christian Church of Copenhagen grew until it was gathering more than 150 people every Sunday.
GROWTH
FCCC Copenhagen did not just grow in numbers but in the quality of the spiritual relationship and leadership competence of the members. In 2005, four au pairs, Melba, Arceli, Helen and Malyn, who were saved in the church and trained as leaders moved to Oslo. They wanted a church with the same passion in discipleship that brings people in a good personal relationship with Jesus. The Bible study grew and so Pastor Raymond went to visit them to formally start a church. For 3 years, the pastoral couple and other leaders went there every week by bus to establish the church. When the services, leadership and practical stuff were organized, Pastor John, his wife Irene and their children were challenged to take pastoral leadership in May 2008. From there the church grew to the present attendance of more than 300.
The same au pairs who started Oslo church moved to Madrid. In 2007, FCCC Copenhagen helped establish FCCC Madrid as well . It started with life groups and formally launched the first service in April 2010. They now have their own place of worship with about 70 regular attendees under the leadership of couple pastors, Christopher and Arceli Cabatbat.
FCC Oslo (now FIC) has also been planting churches since then. At present, through the concerted effort of all the daughter churches we now have FCC in Sandvika, Norway; Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; General Santos City and Bible studies in several places in the Philippines. Pioneering work continued in Helsinki, Finland and Athens, Greece. We also have sister churches in Zurich and Saint Gallen, Switzerland. Hence, we are now known as the Filadelfia Christian Church.
The drive to win people for God and raise up leaders has never abated. To this day, FCC Copenhagen and its daughter churches are all keen in winning the lost, empowering leaders and pioneering churches. We aim to bring people in a very intimate relationship with Jesus. May we always lift the name of Jesus higher to draw men unto Him. Forever we will … Love God, Love people.