Who influenced you to become the person and mother you are today? Read the account of Grace Banzon as she tells about how her own mother impacted her life spiritually and as a mom. Grace is presently the receptionist of Asia Pacific Media Ministry.
Introduce yourself
My name is Grace Banzon. I am married to a pastor, and we have an adult daughter. I am the fifth of the six children of Eliseo & Virginia Cruz, I grew up in the church parsonage of Caloocan Bethel Temple, the church that my parents pioneered and pastored for 19 years. I studied at the University of the East and now I have been helping & supporting my husband in church ministry for the past 35 years.
Your mom, Virginia Cruz, had a reputable name among the Christian community. What was she known for?
My mother, Virginia Cruz-Roberts, was known for being one of the pioneers of the charismatic movement in the late 70’s. She had an open door to preach and teach on the power of the Holy Spirit in Catholic convents and Catholic churches, and seminaries.
She also started many Bible studies, prayer meetings and held seminars in homes, government and private offices. She was an evangelist who held many evangelistic crusades and saw many people surrender their lives to Christ. She was a mentor to many young pastors & leaders who now lead many of the significant church networks in the country today.
Her ministry took her to many different countries in Europe, Asia, as well as the United States where she started a church in San Diego, CA.
Tell us a couple stories of her miraculous encounter with God.
My mother prayed for the sister of Dr. Antonio Feliciano, her cardiologist, who was suffering from a tumor in her ovary. Medical tests confirmed that the tumor had miraculously disappeared.
She would pray for people with large goiters and the growths would disappear instantaneously.
What were the three specific things that you think she did very well in ministry?
She was one of the pioneers of the “Hotel Church Movement” where Charismatic Services were held in neutral places. People who were hesitant to go to a religious gathering like this, felt comfortable going to a hotel. They would come and as a result gave their lives to Christ.
She was a bold evangelist! She always looked for opportunities to share Christ. Whether through holding a crusade or talking to people when we were eating out, doing groceries or going bowling.
She was uniquely gifted in touching the area of family life and relationships in her teaching, preaching and counseling ministry. She had a niche in this particular area of need that opened many doors of ministry.
How did her colleagues describe her?
I would say that my mother, Sis. Virgie, as she was fondly called by friends, was known to them as a woman of faith and prayer.
Would you be able to tell us about her upbringing? Was she raised Christian? When and how did she get saved?
My mother was born to Leonardo Carolino and Dominga Acu, a Methodist family in Paete, Laguna. After finishing her secretarial course, she received the Lord as her personal Savior, on June 7, 1951.
It was on that day that she realized God’s higher purpose in life. In 1952, God opened the door for her to study at Bethel Bible Institute (BBC).
How would you describe her as a mom?
She was a very loving and caring mother to her 6 children. She might not have given us everything we wanted but she made sure that we had everything that we needed. Whenever she and my father would go on a mission’s trip to the province, she made sure that a relative or a close friend would be with us in their absence. So, when they were away, we knew that it was always because they were off doing ministry.
When we were older, she would take us with her on these trips. It was her desire that her children & grandchildren would follow and serve God in whatever way we can.
She was not only loving to us, her children, but to friends and church mates as well. They would often call her “Mommy Virgie”.
When I was young, our house was always open to missionaries, especially to pastors who came from the provinces. Pastors and their families would stay in our house, and we enjoyed chatting with them.
When she became a widow, she felt God’s call to become an evangelist. So, she turned over the church in Caloocan and we moved to Quezon City. As an evangelist, she would be invited to speak in different churches here and abroad.
Even though she was very busy in the Lord’s work, she always made time for family. She would make it a priority to spend time with us kids and the grandchildren whenever she was back in the country. She would cook her special dishes and enjoyed having all of us around the dinner table. She loved playing table tennis and could play for hours with us and her grandchildren.
How did she share her faith with you or teach you about faith?
When we were younger, we would always have a family devotion. We read the Bible together and prayed as a family. One time she suggested that we each buy our very own Bibles with the money that we received as our ‘pamasko’ during Christmas. And we did! I still have that Bible with me.
She instilled in us the importance of loving God, doing His work and showing His love for people.
There were challenges and difficulties in both our family life as well as with the ministry, but her deep trust in the Lord helped her and my father overcome them all.
She would always say to us, especially to encourage the pastors in our family, that God’s work will never lack workers. That was very true in her life. She always ministered with a team of dedicated people.
How did she live her life that made you want to become a Christian?*
She modeled her obedience and faith in God to us. It was her faith in action. In good times or bad times, I would always hear her say “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!” For me it was a sign that whatever happens, her trust was in the Lord. She was confident that God will always take care of her, her family and the ministry.
What do you think is the most important thing that your mother has passed on to you?
For my mother, prayer was very essential. She would always say “No prayer, no power. No power, no prayer”. She had a prayer garden in our old house where she would spend time praying and praising God.
She had a great love for God and His work. Before I was employed, It was my prayer that I would be able to work in a Christian ministry. God answered that prayer! My sister and I both married pastors who were mentored under my mother’s ministry. My youngest brother, Herald, also serves as a pastor in their church.
What are the things you received from your mom that you were able to pass on to your daughter?
To be God fearing. Love for God and His work and to serve Him faithfully.
Please give us some encouraging words for the moms out there who want to continue or start a legacy of faith in their family.*
Start them early. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. – Proverbs 22:6. We must let them realize what is the most important thing in this world. We must model what we teach them. Always pray for them that they will love God above all else and use the talents that God has given them to
bless others.
