Little did Missionary Richard Schott know what God was planning to do when He called him to surrender his life to full-time service. Together with his wife, Mary Ellen, they followed the call of God to the Islands of the Philippines.
In September 1957, God led them to start a work in the promising city of Davao, in the Island of Mindanao. He, together with his wife and daughter conducted services in a rented one door room in Bolton Street. During the course of six months, regular church services were held in that small space. Every Sunday Morning, Sunday Night and Wednesday Night, they faithfully ministered to those few who would come to listen to God’s Word. Aside from the regular services, they also conducted some Special Sundays, street meetings, Bible studies and door to door visitation. Their whole heart was dedicated to preach the whole counsel of God to the ever-needy city of Davao.
In March 2, 1958, the Bible Baptist Mission was organized into a Local, New Testament Bible Baptist Church with 16 charter members. As early as that time, the Lord’s Hand of blessing and leading were evident in the life of the young congregation. After two years at Bolton St, the building could no longer hold the fast-growing assembly, the Lord then led our missionary to move the church to an upstairs building in Anda St. Again, due to God’s blessing and the church’s rapid growth, the building in Anda could no longer hold the church - a much larger space was needed. This time, God led them to another upstairs building found along San Pedro corner Legaspi Street. This is where the church held their meetings until 1963.
