50-years of missionary service is being celebrated in the Philippines.

Philippines (MNN) — God has accomplished much over the last 50 years and a mission agencies is getting ready to celebrate.

OC International has been ministering in the Philippines and workers are gathering to thank the Lord for some wonderful milestone. OCI’s President Greg Gripentrog says it started in 1953 as OCI’s second field of ministry. He says, “we’re going to be celebrating all the God has done over the last 50 years.

The celebration will commemorate more than just time working in a country, though. He says, “In 1980, OC was used as a catalyst to start what became known as ‘The DAWN’ movement, bringing together all of the evangelical churches in an effort to see 50,000 churches in the Philippines by the end of the year 2000.”

He says in 1980 there were 10,000 churches, “So, that would have meant 40,000 new churches. And, the thrilling thing is that by the end of the year 2,000 according to the official tally, there were 51,000 churches. We were thrilled to be part of that and we are going back to celebrate these great things God has done.”

Gripentrog says the job isn’t done in the Philippines, especially on the Island of Mindanao. He says, “There are still literally thousands of barrios there in the Philippines that still don’t have an evangelical church. And so, our team is involved actually now in a new thrust targeted on planting somewhere around 8,000 churches on the Island of Mindanao by the year 2010.”

Prayer is needed for safety for workers who are going into areas of potential danger. They also would like people to pray that financial support will increase to help as they expand their work.