History
🌿 1. Timothy 1:12
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."
On the Path of Faith
The missionary couple Andreas & Carmela Schmid started to develop the Oncalvary Ministry and it took over a decade until OnCalvary became what it is today. Their mission work began 2008 in Honduras. Their first mission work was to develop camps for street kids, implement work camps, and church planting.
After five years mission work experiences in Honduras they followed their call and moved to Manila in the Philippines with their one year old son, Jim. After a time of preparation, they moved to the mountain area of Bataan, where they could venture their first mission trips to the indigenous Aeta people.
Just a few months later joined the Filipina Paz San Juan the team and she became the leader for the children ministry. Together they ventured for five years continuing mission trips to different Aeta communities. They could spread the Good News, baptize, plant home circles, develop a church, and give to the needy a helping hand.
In March 2015, the Swiss couple Cris & Sarina Bertoli joined the team and they established together the Swiss Association "Mission Good News."
After 5 years of living and mission work in Bataan experienced, Andreas, Carmela and Jim, again the urge to go on and plant a new church and it was drawing them to India. It was their plan to work together with a chummily Indian family who runs in Kerala a children's home. They were seeking to work in India as tent-makers (missionaries). So, they trusted the leadership of their Aeta church in Abucay to the local Pastor Alfred Reyes and Pastor Mario and their teamwork became a blessing.
Yet, God did not allow Andreas, Carmela and Jim to move to India, but led them surprisingly to Baguio City where they stood again only with their luggage. The blessing of the Lord was upon them and so they could settle in April 2018 in Baguio City.
The association management decided on August 2019 to set the new non-profit organization OnCalvary. The felxible mission work OnCalvary is growing continuously and we are excited to see how it is going to develop.
And in Baguio City on 2019 the family Schmid plant a church it called OnCalvary Fellowship – Baguio City, and started with just 3 peoples attended it but later on it grows slowly. We thank God for His guidance always.
It was during the pandemic on October 10, 2021, Andreas passed away caused by the covid-19. It was a shocked and heart breaking to all, to the Aeta community, to the church, to the OnCalvary Ministry and especially to Carmela and Jim. Carmela did not know what to do at first but by prayers and strength from our Lord Jesus Christ and with the support of her family, Andreas family, relatives, friends, church, brethren and the Bertoli Family, Carmela and Jim slowly moved on, it’s so paining without Andreas but Carmela need to take over all the responsibility that Andreas left.
December 2021, Carmela decided to leave Baguio City and moved to Bulacan which is near to her family, as part of moving on, and she talked the OnCalvary Fellowship about it and they understand and respect the decision. At first, Carmela and the church member of the OnCalvary Fellowship Baguio, due to the distance made an online Sunday services and bible study. But slowly, the church member asked her permission to go to another church because they miss the face-to-face fellowship and services, Carmela allowed the but till this day, the love and respect with one another still there, every time Carmela and Jim visited Baguio City, they gathered and meet together.
Carmela with Jim, continues the church and outreach at Bataan, three to four times a year they need to visit, have fellowship with them and gave helping hand spiritual and material support. But now, Carmela, Jim and Paz now together with the new church she planted together with Pastora Mhy Garcia the Christ Beloved Mission Church-OnCalvary (CBMCO).