“When I was in high school, everything in my life started to fall apart,” said Shown, whose father left the family and whose mother moved to Manila to find work. “I was living with my stepfather in Baguio City. He was nice enough, but he gave me too much freedom, and I ended up doing all the things I shouldn’t, like drinking and partying. I was only sixteen when I dropped out of school.”
That same year, late one night in October, Shown was drunk and wandering around the city alone. “I heard music, and I thought it was Oktoberfest, so I went over, stood at the back of the crowd, and lit up a cigarette.”
He started to get strange looks from people in the crowd. “Then I saw my cousin, Pastor Ralph, on the stage,” said Shown, “and I knew this wasn’t Oktoberfest.”
Instead, it was an evangelistic concert called October Praise. Shown hadn’t seen his cousin for at least two years. “After the concert, Ralph came straight from the stage to meet me. I wasn’t expecting him to recognize me, but he came with a few other performers, and they hugged me, and welcomed me, and asked me how I was doing. That was the first time in my life that I experienced acceptance like that. I was overwhelmed by their love.”
Afterward, Ralph introduced Shown to Pastor Sam Arcaño and his wife, Evelyn, and their daughters, who were also involved with October Praise. “They invited me back to their home,” said Shown, “and offered me a place to stay for the night.”
Shown and his cousin both stayed at the Arcaño’s house. “That night, my cousin Ralph shared the Gospel with me, and it was like God was speaking to me. I knew that everything that I was doing at that time in my life was wrong. Nobody told me that, but I knew it.”
Later that night, Shown prayed and surrendered his life to Jesus.
Within days, Shown joined Pastor Sam’s church and, at the same time, moved into his home. “I asked if I could rent a room,” Shown said chuckling, “but Mommy Evelyn said, no, and they adopted me instead.”
According to Shown, the Arcaño family taught him everything he knows about family and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. “Pastor Sam discipled me, and his wife and daughters taught me about cooking, cleaning, and music.”
Eventually, Shown finished high school and went on to study automotive servicing. “But Pastor Sam kept encouraging me to study the Bible, and the more I studied, the more I wanted to learn.”
Before long, Shown was exploring the idea of going to Bible college, but he was intimidated by how expensive it was. However, friends of the Arcaño family decided to sponsor Shown for the first year, and then a church in Manila also began to support him financially.
“While I was at Bible college, Pastor Sam told me about his vision for ministry in his home province of Palawan,” Shown explained. “He started to tell me that I should prepare to go there and serve. But I didn’t want to go.”
Shown considered himself a city boy, and Palawan was so remote. “I love 7-Eleven and McDonald’s,” Shown said laughing. “I love public transport, the internet, and everything in a city. Palawan seemed too far away from all that.”
In his mind, Shown thought, I’ll stay at Bible college for five years, and Pastor Sam will forget about the Palawan idea. So Shown studied for five years, but Pastor Sam didn’t forget. “When I graduated, Pastor Sam said, ‘Okay, now you need to go to Palawan. Pastor Jonathan needs help with the young people.’”
Shown looked for a better excuse. He decided to offer his services at the church in Manila, as a way to show his gratitude for their generous help. “I told Pastor Sam that I made a two-year commitment to the church in Manila, and he accepted that.”
However, COVID interrupted Shown’s plans, and he quickly found himself back in Baguio with Pastor Sam, who was still talking about Palawan. “This time, Sam invited me to go with him,” Shown recalled, “so I finally agreed, even though I was still half-hearted.”
They stayed for a year in Palawan, in an area called Brookes Point, where the pandemic restrictions were lighter and there was more freedom to do ministry face-to-face. During that time, Shown’s heart began to change toward the place.
As Shown submitted to God’s authority, doors started to open. “As we talked to some of the pastors, and people working in the schools, it was decided that I should lead their youth ministry!”
An interdenominational network of churches in Brookes Point invited Shown to coordinate youth and campus ministry in the area and to host a monthly worship gathering for young people.
Initially, five local churches extended the invitation to Shown. But it didn’t take long for several more churches to join in. Today, eleven churches are collaborating, along with strong support from local government and several schools.
In the beginning, Pastor Sam proposed that Shown stay in Palawan for three years, but it’s been more than that already. “After a year here, I realized that everything I had prayed for, everything I really wanted in life, I experienced it here in Palawan,” Shown reflected. “I fell in love with the place, and I fell in love with the people. They accepted me as their own.”
According to Bob Davis, Multiply’s Regional Team Leader for East Asia, who has visited Shown in Brookes Point, it’s his passion for young people that is making a difference in his ministry. “Shown has an amazing gift to bring young people together. He’s not flashy, but he’s just so faithful. I saw how much the young people looked up to him. They love him because he loves them.”
“They can be irritating,” said Shown smiling, “but I was just like that, I did those same things. I needed people in my life like my cousin and Pastor Sam, and now I needed to be the same for these youth. They need the same love and acceptance.”
As time went on, the students showed more and more interest in the Gospel. “They’re hungry for God,” he said, “and they’re coming to faith in Jesus through our Bible studies, prayer meetings, music camps, and worship events. They’re inviting each other, and they’re sharing their faith with each other in the schools. They’ve become very bold.”
According to Shown, about a third of the students are Muslims. Others are Animists from different tribal groups, and many are Catholics. But they are all young people in need of love, acceptance, and meaningful relationships.
The events that Shown organizes are held in schools, which he says is somewhat restrictive. “The long-term goal for Palawan is to build a campsite where we can host these events, so we can help these young people develop their character and prepare them spiritually for college and their careers.”
As much success as the youth ministry in Brookes Point has experienced, there are still pockets of resistance and opposition. “For me, the saddest part is the disunity among some of the church leaders,” said Shown. “It’s heartbreaking. Some of the pastors and their wives are suspicious that we’re trying to add them to our denomination. But we haven’t done that at all in the past three years—all we want is their partnership.”
God has reminded Shown again and again to stay focused on love. “For me, to love God is to love his people,” he said simply. “I have experienced rejection and judgment from people here. But I need to respond in love. I keep remembering that God brought me here, and he wants to do something special in this place. This is where I belong.”
Recently, Shown was approached by the son of the mayor in Brookes Point. As a gesture of welcome and acceptance, the young man gave Shown a plot of land where he could build a house. “Yeah, it’s kind of amazing,” Shown reflected, “because when I came here, I didn’t own anything in Palawan, but now I have something. God has given me a place here.”
GO
Shown recently hosted an ACTION team in Brookes Point, where the visitors connected with local students through prayer, training, and worship together. Would you consider joining this mission training program to learn and serve on a cross-cultural adventure? .
