a silent agent of peace between the two groups. When the news of the reconciliation in Bukidnon was known to him, he sent a fax message which arrived an hour before the historic move to restore fellowship. It was read as part of the message of Pastor Ebenezer Nacita to the more than 5000 messengers from all over the country. Having been known all over the country as an educator and preacher, Dr. Gordon Wray's short and timely message impacted the whole proceedings so deeply that Dr. Antolin Zamar suggested that the resolution to restore fellowship be done just as Pastor Nacita concluded his very emotionally charged message on forgiveness and restoration. Dr. Mariano Leones, who was the spokesman in 1965 for the expulsion, came up the stage, and made the motion for reconciliation, which was seconded by Dr. Ernesto Rivera and Rev. Amador Gapilango (who incidentally were the ones who moved and seconded the expulsion in 1965). The audience of over 5,000 delegates instantly stood up, sounded a reverberating "Amen" and clapped hands for several minutes. That was a once-in-a-lifetime associational reconciliation celebrated with sumptuous lunch at Bethel Baptist Church for all in attendance both from the ABCLVM and AFBCP churches. History of ABCLVM splits First split From 1965 to 2002, many important events had taken place within the ABCLVM. The first break-away was in 1972, when Pastor Gavino Tica came back from his studies at the Tennessee Temple Schools in the United States, and started his own Baptist Association in the Philippines. Many churches, particularly in Eastern Rizal who were members of the ABCLVM joined his BIMI. His group was the first split from the ABCLVM. The issue involved was not doctrinal because he remained a Fundamentalist. The reason for the split was a shift from his former indigenous missions policy to foreign sponsorship and subsidy. With this change in the philosophy of support, he could no longer be comfortable with the ABCLVM which insisted that Filipino ministries should be supported by the tithes and offerings of the membership of the local churches or through joint missions partnership where both partners share in the burden of the work. Second split The second group that pulled out of the ABCLVM in 1989 was the Hilltop Ministries and the Center for Biblical Studies led by former New Tribes Mission missionaries who in 1972 joined the ministries of FBCM and who