The American missionaries in the Philippines have often acted like presiding bishops. They have sought to control the local churches and to rule the native preachers. The support of the Filipino preachers often is sent through the American missionaries. Some of the preachers told me they were forced to endorse their checks without ever seeing the face of the check.

Robert Buchanan, one of the presiding bishops at Bagio, and I were in school together at Florida College back in the early 1950's. Of course, he would not want the Filipinos to know that he attended that "Anti college." Brother Salvador Cancino recently wrote me about the pressure tactics being used by Buchanan against Brother Celso Soberrano. They have stopped Brother Soberrano's support. Brother Cancino stated what happened like this: "His support was cut off by the missionaries. Buchanan got also his bicycle."

It is no wonder to me that the American liberal missionaries have alienated themselves from the -native brethren. Brethren who believe in congregational independence and autonomy cannot acquiesce to the highhanded pressure tactics of the superintending American missionaries. - Cecil Willis

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XV: 6, p. 13
December 10, 1970