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Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) is an indigenous, evangelical megachurch in the Philippines. It was founded in 1982 by Pastor Peter Tan-Chi and his wife Deonna (Filipino-Chinese and American, respectively). CCF has more than 60 satellite churches in the Philippines and over 40 satellites abroad, with over 70,000 weekly worshippers (prior to the Covid crisis). Even without foreign financial assistance or affiliation with other groups, CCF was able to build its own 8-story ministry center with a main auditorium that can seat up to 9,000 worshipers.
Typical of evangelical churches, Christ's Commission Fellowship believes in the Trinity, in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Scriptures, in the deity and humanity of Christ, in the deity of the Holy Spirit, in salvation by grace, and in baptism by immersion. CCF’s core values are stated as these: Love God and Others, Obey God’s Word and Authorities, Volunteer, and Engage the Family. Christ's Commission Fellowship implements a “Dgroup system” as its core strategy for the spiritual health of its members and growth of the church. Dgroups (or discipleship groups) are formed to encourage spiritual growth, and to multiply by reaching out and making disciples of others.
In worship services and meetings, Christ's Commission Fellowship utilizes various methods of preaching, including expository, topical, book studies etc. Most sermons are focused on the practical application of Scripture to life. Some recent sermon series include messages from the Psalms (Songs of Hope); MOTIVATE (biblical principles for lasting impact on family and other relationships); Joy in the Crisis (Book of Philippians); etc. The focus of CCF’s messages are on the application of biblical truth to life. Families and small groups are encouraged to discuss the key passages from the messages during the week, and seek to apply what they have learned in their lives.
Christ's Commission Fellowship does not hold to either Calvinism or Arminianism, as it prefers not to interpret Scripture through the filter of a particular theological lens. CCF leaders would say they seek to teach a balanced theological perspective based on the whole counsel of Scripture (see the statement of faith here). Critics of CCF can be found from many theological camps, from strong Calvinists or fundamentalists, to Pentecostals and charismatics. One thing that is concerning with CCF is that they allow speakers who are considered by some as proponents of the prosperity gospel to speak in their services and endorse prosperity gospel authors. On this, we wish CCF would exercise greater discernment.
Christ's Commission Fellowship’s primary focus is reaching out to those who do not yet know Christ, and helping them become committed followers of Christ. While there are many members and attenders who have come from other churches, and have even become leaders in the church, the stated intention of the church is to help people, especially non-believers, know Christ. There is nothing wrong with existing Christians choosing to attend Christ's Commission Fellowship, but it is wise for those who are considering doing so to become familiar with the mission, vision, core values, and statement of faith in advance to know if its ministry perspective and theological commitments are consistent with their own (Acts 17:11).
