About us

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At ERF Ministries, we’re deeply passionate about empowering church communities to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and help as many people as possible come to know Him as their Lord and Savior.

Our mission is focused on supporting and strengthening churches, especially in the Bongabong area of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, including those serving the Mangyan tribe—an indigenous community with a rich cultural heritage. By providing resources and fostering unity, we aim to help these churches grow in faith and continue sharing Christ’s love.

Our ultimate goal is to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by loving and serving "the least of these," just as He first loved us. In obedience to Him, we strive to share the Gospel, strengthen His kingdom, and inspire lasting change. It is our prayer that lives will be transformed, hope restored, and communities renewed through a deep and abiding relationship with Him.

• A Call to Obedience and the Birth of a Mission (1995–1996)

ERF Christian Ministries Incorporated began not as an organizational plan, but as a deeply personal call to obedience.

In 1995, Edilberto M. Fernandez experienced a profound spiritual turning point in his home at S. Ferdinand Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois. Overwhelmed by a sense of surrender and divine calling, he received what he described as his personal “cross”: the mission to bring the gospel to his immediate family and hometown in the Philippines. He felt the Lord was giving him not just permission, but a command—to go and share the good news in Mindoro.

Despite having no formal training in mission work, Edilberto obeyed. He trusted the Holy Spirit to lead him moment by moment. In February 1996, he flew to Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, and began what would become a decades-long ministry.

• The First Steps in Mindoro

His earliest evangelism efforts were humble—starting Bible studies in his family home with his children and friends. One week into his stay, during a visit to his family farm in Sitio Batuhan, he had a striking spiritual prompting to purchase a large pile of 60 bamboo poles. Without knowing exactly why, he obeyed.

Soon after, standing on a stretch of beach, he pointed to a spot and declared, “I will build a chapel there.”

Before he returned to the United States just a few weeks later in March 1996, a church was born in Sitio Batuhan, Poblacion. The following year, another church was planted in Sitio Tubigan, Labonan—the very place where he was born. These were the first fruits of a mission that grew from simple obedience and trust.

• The Desert Experience

As with many who follow Christ into ministry, Edilberto encountered what he would later call his "desert experience." In the early years, he struggled not only with the hardships of cross-cultural mission work but also with misunderstanding and tension within his own family.

His total surrender to God was met with confusion and pain at home, especially as his wife and children wrestled with the changes in his priorities. These tensions came to a head in 2001 when Edilberto fell seriously ill and was hospitalized at Oak Park Hospital. There, on January 19, during what could have been a spiritual breaking point, God intervened again—bringing healing, renewed vision, and, most importantly, reconciliation between Edilberto and his family.

This desert experience deepened his understanding of God's refining process. Just as Jesus was led into the wilderness before beginning His ministry, Edilberto recognized that God had used his trials to purify his heart and prepare him for greater things.

• Growth of the Mission and Formal Incorporation

Following the foundational work of Edilberto and Rosita Fernandez, their children formally organized and incorporated the ministry under the name ERF Christian Ministries, Inc., based in Glendale Heights, Illinois (USA). This formalization provided an official structure for fundraising, governance, and accountability, helping to sustain and expand the ministry’s outreach.

While the U.S. base offered administrative stability and support, the heart of the ministry remained firmly rooted in Mindoro, Philippines, where churches were planted and communities transformed.

• Honoring the Legacy and Continuing the Mission

Though Edilberto "Itay" and Rosita "Inay" Fernandez have passed on, their legacy of faith, obedience, and service endures. The vision they carried has not ended but continues to thrive through the dedication of their children, extended family, and faithful friends.

Their loved ones have taken up the mantle, faithfully stewarding ERF Christian Ministries Inc. and advancing the mission field in Mindoro, Philippines. This ongoing commitment ensures that the seeds planted decades ago continue to grow, bearing spiritual fruit for future generations.

The ministry remains a living testament to the Fernandez family’s unwavering trust in God’s call and a shining example of how a single act of obedience can change countless lives.

 We are a nonprofit organization based in Glendale Heights, Illinois, with humble beginnings as a family initiative inspired by our founder’s heartfelt mission to support churches in southern part of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. Anchored by our core values of Empowering Faith, Building Hope, and Uplifting Communities for Christ, what began as a small act of service has flourished into a devoted organization striving to create lasting, positive change. We are deeply grateful and profoundly inspired by the unwavering support of individuals who share our vision and believe in our mission to transform lives through faith, compassion, and purposeful action.