How Pastor Nick’s Unconventional Ministry is Transforming Lives in Puerto Princessa
Pastor Nick is a cheerful pastor who laughs in a way that makes him stand out from the crowd. I can liken his laughter to the kind that relieves stress. It’s very distinct. Imagine the sound of a husky voice laughing immensely. It is extremely contagious.
Although originally from another province, Pastor Nick’s ministry area is in the indigent yet stunning remote location of Puerto Princessa, Philippines. The locals are from different tribal groups, and their daily livelihoods come from farming and fishing. The majority of them previously had little interest in Christian teachings because they were raised as worshippers of nature and idols.
Pastor Nick has a heart for lost souls, especially for these people in his community, and will stop at nothing to show them the way to salvation. He has tried almost everything, and a clown magic show is one of his unorthodox strategies for drawing non-believers in. In addition to acting as what some refer to as the Clown Pastor, Nick freely teaches leaders to follow his approach. He calls it “Gospel Illustration.”
Nick shares some of the key elements in his Clown Magic Show or Gospel Illustration strategy:
- Provide a welcoming atmosphere for non-believers.
- Use an entertaining medium to get their attention. (The clown magic show in this case.)
- Help people relate the performance to the message of the Gospel.
- Ask that an evangelist present the way of salvation and guide the congregation in a prayer of acceptance.
He became more effective in sharing God’s Word when he combined what he learned from Bible League’s Church Planter Training with his Gospel Illustration. For this reason, he expresses gratitude for the training he received.
In his community, people crave joy to escape life’s hardships. Nevertheless, they fail to see that true joy is a fruit of the Spirit and only belongs to believers in Christ (Galatians 5:22). People are depressed about their circumstances, and in an attempt to find joy, their minds and spirits turn to harmful activities that are not acceptable to God.
They do things such as getting drunk, smoking, drug addiction, gambling, and cockfighting—cockfighting is a highly popular “sport” in the area. Worldly pleasures mislead their eyes, so they disregard God’s Word.
“From the moment I met Jesus, it is not only that He became my Lord and Savior, but my entire existence turned to Him. I want my community to experience the same,” Pastor Nick says emotionally.
For Pastor Nick, there’s a cure for all these issues, and he points to Proverbs 17:22 ERV, “Happiness is good medicine, but sorrow is a disease.” He explored entertainment using clowns and magic to connect with these lost souls. He had an idea and thought it would work, so he invested in his professional training and purchased his clown costumes and props.
He took his act to the streets for the first time, dressing up as a clown to perform magic tricks with an evangelist behind him. An evangelist is always present with him during performances. He believes that although a clown or a magician can attract an audience, they should not preach the Bible while donning clown makeup and costumes.
While wearing clown makeup and costume, Pastor Nick does a trick where a particular chemical turns a reddish liquid into crystal-clear water. This transformation illustrates what the Bible says in Isaiah 1:18 ERV: “I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow.”
His shows amaze and delight people. As the evangelist takes over, he or she integrates the message of salvation into the performance. In doing so, many people hear the Bible and come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In the region of Puerto Princessa, this ministry alone helps the Church to grow.
Since one of the rules of clowning is to keep your identity a secret to keep the illusion intact, Pastor Nick makes every effort to maintain his disguise, even from his friends. Also, because he is well-known as a pastor, people might not be interested if they knew beforehand that he might end up evangelizing them.
One day, Pastor Nick was performing as a clown at an event. Some of his non-believer friends were there, and they watched his clown show. However, Pastor Nick has a distinct laugh, and he sometimes can’t contain it.
His friends whispered and asked each other if the clown was Pastor Nick. They suspected it but thought it couldn’t be because Nick was a pastor. They enjoyed the show and eventually responded to the evangelist’s altar call after his performance.
Pastor Nick cheerfully went to see his friends after the event. His friends said, “Hey Nick, you should have come here sooner; the clown laughed the same way you did and sounded just like you.”
Pastor Nick laughed heartily. He knew the strategy was successful. The Gospel’s seed had been planted and everyone at the event experienced spiritual salvation.
The pastor says gratefully, “People in my community clearly crave joy and happiness, but they can only really experience it if they have Christ in their hearts. I believe drawing them to my clown show or Gospel illustration will allow them to hear about the love of Jesus.”
Thank God for Bible League’s Church Planter Training. It is equipping pastor Nick and other local leaders with the materials and training they need to share the Gospel. Many people are being reached in the area. Churches are being planted across multiple indigneous communities through evangelistic ministries like Pastor Nick’s.
