Minister Details - Tim de la Paz

Elder Tim de la Paz writes:"Nothing much needs to be said, and can be said, except that I am a poor sinner born to poor sinner parents in Manila, Philippines, in August, 1946, who, despite these irrefutable facts about himself, the Good Lord and Great Redeemer, in spite of Himself, took pity on before the foundation of the world and took it upon Himself to call me by name and to etch that worthless name in His eternal mind so that in accordance with His purposes of foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification, His wonderful Name will be, on the lips of this poor sinner, a time long testimony extending into eternity to the praise and glory of His Person.

In 1968 I met my wife, Aurora, and we were married the following year, and though our union was before man's ceremonies at the time, the hand of the Lord was upon us from the beginning, and our union was blessed with three children who all were made to grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord as best as my wife can, in a devoutly Roman Catholic country, where the person who used to carry a prayer book but turned to carrying a Bible on Sundays was often, in those times, considered a turncoat and an aberration, that is not to include my own contribution given my to and fro relationship with the God who graciously revealed His gospel at a time when I was in the grip of atheism.

In 1997, having seen us through the mountains and valleys of pilgrim journeying through a fallen world, the Lord brought us into this great and magnificent country, and in a cold January morning, in a lovely and small Virginia church, my wife and I had the glorious experience of finally being united with God's people through the waters of baptism, administered by a blue-lipped, shivering brother, and were admitted into membership with the Columbia Primitive Baptist church. From then on, the Lord caused me to grow in doctrine and knowledge under the able tutelage of His ministers, picking out, painfully (unbeknownst to my teachers then) at first, but with relief later on, such false teachings and inaccurate doctrines that I have picked up under the Arminian Baptists and their seminaries.

In the late months of 1999, the church set me at liberty to preach the gospel, and brethren churches graciously invited me over to be heard (and tutored some more).
In November of 2003, the church called me to ordination as an Elder at Columbia Primitive Baptist Church, and, beginning that same month and continuing through late 2005, I had the great privilege to serve as its pastor."

O B I T U A R Y - -November 23, 2022. Elder Tim de la Paz,  Brother Tim, fell asleep in Jesus on November 23, 2022.

After coming to the States, Tim and his wife, Aurora, lived in Kensington, Maryland. Together they united with Columbia Church by Scriptural baptism and became active disciples of Christ. He was ordained to the office of 'Elder' in November 2003 and served as Pastor until 2005. They moved to California and were accepted by letter into the Golden Gate PB church membership. Tim and Aurora enjoyed fellowship there until moving back to the Philippines. Brother Tim continued to minister among the Primitive Baptists.

Sister Aurora informed us that Tim was taken ill, and doctors learned he had 4th-stage cancer. He spent a short time in the hospital but wanted to be home. Briefly, Tim enjoyed the fellowship of his wife, communicating with friends, and writing a poem before cancer increased his pain. He returned to the hospital and, on November 23, passed away in hope.

In addition to his wife, Tim is survived by daughters Rachel, Camellia and son Aaron. Grandchildren are Raymond, Camille, Ynah, Paulo, Nathan, and Caleb.

His body was laid to rest on November 28, 2022.

Tim wrote the following poem several weeks before his death.

"When I come to the end of the road, and the sun is set for me, I want no rites in a gloom-filled room. Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me for a little but not for long, and not with your head bowed low. Remember the love that we once shared. Miss me, but let me go. For this is a journey we all must take.

And each must go alone, it's all a part of the master plan, a step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart, go to the friends we know. Laugh at all the things we used to do. Miss me, and let me go. When I am dead, my dearest, sing no sad songs for me. Plant thou no roses near my head, nor shady cypress tree.

But the green grass above me, with showers and dewdrops, wet, and if thou wilt remember, and if thou wilt forget.
I shall not see the shadows, I shall not fear the rain, I shall not hear the nightingale sing on as if in pain,
And the dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise or set
Haply I may remember, and haply I may forget."