MACAU – Nine pastors from different Christian churches in General Santos City replaced American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez in the spotlight to sing the Philippine National Anthem in harmony before the start of WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s defense against Chris Algieri at the Cotai Arena here yesterday.
Among the pastors who went onto the ring were Bishop Antonio Torres of the Good News Faith Fellowship, Federico Gloria of the Born Again Sanctuary of Christ, praise and worship leader Rexil Neri of the Word For Everyone Movement and Bong Quintos of the River of God.
Torres, 54, often speaks during Bible Study with Pacquiao and delivers inspiring messages of faith. He met Pacquiao two years ago and has now witnessed his last three fights where the Filipino titlist beat Brandon Rios, Timothy Bradley and Algieri.
“Manny’s a down-to-earth person,” said Torres. “He has a passion for God and loves to see people change and transform into sincere Christians. In my opinion, there is no conflict between Manny’s faith and his profession which is boxing. There’s a time for everything. As a fighter, he must defend himself, defend his country. If his faith has an influence in his career, it is the determination and devotion he has.”
Torres said Pacquiao’s own transformation was prompted by a calling from God. “Manny is an instrument of the Lord,” he said. “God is giving him the dream to transform people for His glory. What Manny is experiencing today is a blessing from God who is the center of his life. Before I met Manny, I wasn’t much of a boxing fan although I’ve always prayed for his success and I’ve followed his career. Now, I’ve seen Manny accept his calling as an instrument of God to spread the Good News.”
Torres said it’s not fair that some quarters accuse the pastors for keeping Pacquiao late at night instead of resting during his training period for a fight. “We’ve always respected his privacy,” he said. “We know there are protocols to follow and we never violate any rules regarding Manny’s rest time. We are all people of God, we respect each other. The latest we’ve meditated with Manny is 8 p.m. Maybe, some people are just speculating and that’s why there are exaggerated reports. But with Manny, we learn so much as a Christian ministry from the lessons of the Bible.”
Torres said what sets Pacquiao apart from men of his stature is his humility. “Given his level of life, Manny never forgets where he came from, his humble beginnings,” he said. “For Manny, God is always at the top of his life, God is his priority. God is his source of strength. Some fighters who become champions forget about God but not Manny. One of Manny’s favorite passages from the Bible is from Matthew 6:33, ‘Seek you first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you.’ That passage shows what is Manny’s first priority – it’s God. And he wants to bring the message of the Lord to everyone.”
Pacquiao has purchased a five-hectare property in General Santos City where a two-storey church is now under construction as a Bible sanctuary for his Word For Everyone Movement. The total project cost is over P250 Million and Pacquiao has a set a deadline of December 2015 to inaugurate the main building which is for worship and an annex for Bible class and study.
A Christian pastor who flew in from Madrid to attend the fight here was Bishop Solomon Llego of Davao. He founded the International Church of Jesus Christ in Vienna and has relocated its headquarters to Madrid. Llego, 56, has now lived abroad for 34 years as a full-time Christian minister with over 200 followers. Before moving to Vienna, Llego lived in Jordan for 10 years. Like Torres, Llego said he believes that Pacquiao is an instrument of God to bring people closer to the Lord through the Good News of the Bible.