Missions has been all that the Hooge and Woosley families have ever known. Frank and Elsie Hooge were approved as missionaries to the Philippines when their son, Del, was just three years old.

Not only would Del surrender to missions when he was 12 years old, but his brother, Marvin, and sister, Dorothy, served as missionaries to Mexico and the Philippines, respectively.

Saved at the age of five, Lora Hooge surrendered to be a missionary at the age of seven. Lora tells of “one of the many missionaries that stayed in our home was the Hooge family. When they were about to return to the field for their second term, I begged my parents to allow me to go with them and was crushed when they refused. It was then and there that I began praying that somehow the Lord would allow me to go to the Philippines before I was an adult. The Lord began to deal in the hearts of both my parents (L. D. and Mava Lee Woosley) and soon they surrendered to go. By the time I was ten years old, we were in the Philippine Islands.” Lora’s brother, Robert, would later also surrender to serve as a missionary to the Philippines.

As young adults, both Del and Lora enrolled in Baptist Bible College and, while there, renewed their childhood acquaintance and fell in love, marrying in 1964. After graduation in 1965, they served their internship at Grace Baptist Church in Andrews, Texas for a year and a half. After their approval to the field of the Philippines in February 1967 and a nine-month deputation, they arrived on the field in December of that year.

Their first term was spent at Bethany Baptist Church of Makati as the interim pastor. Del also taught in the Bible College and worked in the printing, radio and TV ministries which would later have a large bearing on how he conducts ministry today.

Their second term began an eighteen-year stay in Cavite City where a ministry was developed for the Philippine Military, bringing hundreds to Christ. Cavite Bible Baptist Church has also been responsible through the years for starting seven churches that went on to reproduce several additional churches.

While in Cavite City, Lora taught their three children at home using the ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum. But what began in their home as the preferred method of education for their children, soon grew in demand as others in the church wanted to educate their children as well. From their humble beginnings, over 600 ACE schools were eventually started with Del acting as the head of the ACE ministry in the Philippines.

The Philippine Christian School of Tomorrow (PCST) was started in 1978 as the model school for all the schools that were begun. Their network of nearly 600 other Christian schools which were started saw approximately 30,000 children using the Bible as their primary textbook every day. Lora has acted as the founder and administrator of PCST where school leaders come for training. ACE schools have been started in Cambodia as well under Philippine direction.  Del and Lora assisted in the development of educational ministries in China, Taiwan, Thailand and other countries around the world. A homeschool academy was begun and as many as 1,200 homeschool families around the globe are linked back to PCST. Oftentimes, churches have sprung up because of a school that was started in a particular area.   All the educational ministries are under the Pacific Rim Educational Foundation, recognized as a 501 (c) (3) in the USA.

To maintain leadership as the number of schools continued to grow, Del has led annual Christian Educator’s Conventions which have been held in five major cities, and an annual National Student Convention hosting over 2,000 in attendance. Six days are filled with activities and student competitions in music, academics, sports, science exhibits and platform events. Each night, a rally is conducted which includes Bible preaching and a challenge for missions.  They commonly see hundreds of students surrender their lives to be used by God.

In 1985, along with Robert Woosley and Dale Peterson, the Hooges conducted a nation-wide evangelistic effort called “Gospel Alive – ‘85”. Within two weeks, hundreds of churches conducted evangelistic meetings. Over 5,700 were saved in the churches and many Filipino and international attendees were introduced to missions, unlike anything they had ever seen.

In 1990, the Hooges moved to Alabang (a southern part of Metro Manila) where they assumed the pastorate of Faith Baptist Church. As a result of various outreaches using literacy, sports and Bible Studies, Faith Baptist Church – South Metro grew to four campuses. In 1997, God began to burden Del as he was travelling across the island of Samar for those there who were bound in poverty and hopelessness because of their inability to read or write. Six years later, a new ministry BLESS (Basic Life Empowerment and Support System) launched, teaching children to read and write and, through that, coming to faith in Jesus Christ. They have seen well over 20,000 people saved through this ministry, even in tribal and Muslim areas.

BLESS, with centers now in over 50 locations and several countries, was established. Using literacy to meet the spiritual and educational needs of indigent children whose families cannot afford to send them to primary school, families have been reached. When the kids are enrolled in the program, the parents must attend Bible studies. From this, several children and family members are saved and often a new church is started. BLESS is now operating in other countries across Asia and Africa.  

With the incredible progress seen with the BLESS program, and the exceptional need brought about by the closure of public schools for two years because of Covid-19, they envisioned a public school outreach with a modified literacy program. The BLITS (Basic Literacy Intervention Training System) program was offered to interested principals of public schools. This past year, churches and ministries in many locations across the island nation have been trained and the ministry is expanding rapidly.

The operation of Faith Baptist Church – South Metro and the Christian education ministries are all operated by Filipino leadership. The church shares a four-acre campus just 15 minutes from the Manila International Airport terminals with the headquarters of the educational ministries.  They are in the process of securing these facilities which include PCST, a gymnatorium, and warehouse of the educational materials and offices.

Even as Del and Lora now spend more time stateside due to health reasons, Del continues his role as Senior Pastor at Faith Baptist Church through actively broadcasting messages and devotions for his Filipino churches and Christian schools multiple times a week. With technical help from his son, Phil, who from his home in Florida can operate three Marshall cameras located in Del’s Missouri studio, they are able to livestream to the Philippines on a regular basis.

Throughout all ministries, the Hooges have seen thousands of souls saved every year. Only heaven will reveal the breadth of how God has used the surrender of Del and Lora Hooge.