Bishop Israel M. Painit

Bishop Painit is a resident bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area, Philippines. He was elected on November 26, 2022, during the Philippine Central conference special session held in WUP, Cabanatuan City. Before becoming a bishop, he served as a global missionary in Southeast Asia for 4 years (2018-2022) as a country director.

Early life

Bishop Painit was born in Esperanza Agusan del Sur, Philippines. He was raised from a poor family with 9 siblings and the eldest son of Ms Bebiana and Mr. Samuel Painit. He was a working student beginning from his secondary school due to poverty. The community had been experiencing insurgency-related problems while he was still young, which pushed him to strive more and find his path. He found the road to pastoral ministry in 1993.  

Education and ordination

Bishop Painit hold a bachelor’s degree from the only Methodist college in Mindanao, Southern Philippines Methodist Colleges, Inc. – the southern part of the Philippines (1999); a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Wesley Divinity School-Wesleyan University Philippines (2002); a MMPA (masters in management major in public administration) from PCU just in 2024, and will complete his thesis for another master’s degree from the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP-Davao) for his masters in Public Administration (MPA). He was ordained elder of the UMC in 2004 by the Bishop Leo A. Soriano.

Ordained Ministry

He entered in the ministry at the age of 16 years old in 1993. Being raised in a poor family had been a great factor why he entered in the ministry because of the mission support without realizing that was God’s way of calling him. He has served many churches in his 19 years of pastoral ministry mostly in complex communities where there are presence of Muslims and indigenous peoples around. Those years shaped him to be a better pastor and a community organizer doing community development programs to indigenous peoples. With that passion to serve, he was able to chair the Philippine central conference’s Board of Church and society for 4 years and actively participate in many forums, peace and justice advocacies, and trainings. Bishop Painit became a general conference delegate in 2012 and served in many leadership roles in the Philippines before becoming a district superintendent.

Superintendency & Missionary work

In 2013, he was appointed a district superintendent of the southeast district of the East Mindanao Philippines (EMPAC) by the bishop Ciriaco Francisco (4 years) and Bishop Rodolfo A. Juan (2 years) at the same time serving as a director of the Davao United Methodist mission center for 3 years. In 2018, God called him to global missionary work serving as the country director of mission in Southeast Asia under the Global Ministries where he served for four fruitful and meaningful years (2018-2022). It was in that capacity when God called him to be a bishop of the UMC in the Philippines in November 2022.

Episcopacy

Bishop Painit was elected one of the 3 bishops on November 26, 2022 by the Philippine central conference special session on the 23rd ballot and considered to be the youngest bishop in the history of the Philippine UMC (46 years old). He is assigned to the Davao Episcopal area comprising the 3 major Islands of the Philippines (Mindanao, Visayas, and part of Luzon which is Bicol). Also, he has been elected as vice-President of the PCC-College of Bishops and assigned to 3 important boards in the Philippine central conference, The PCC-Lay Organizations, Division of the Ordained Ministry and the Board of Church and Society.

Family

Bishop Painit is married to Ms Melody Fe Agayan Geralde and gifted with 3 children. The eldest child is a registered medical technologist (Jyrah Camille); Marx Merel (Grade 11- 16 years old) and Chen Zachary (grade 7- 12 years old). His passion is community organizing. Bishop Painit loves singing and creating art works. His other interests include playing basketball and billiards.

Testimonials

"A very humble person, very easy to approach"

Anonymous

"A very intelligent person, and he has the heart for the IPs here in mindanao

Anonymous

"The bishop that represents us here in mindanao, tubong mindanao, pusong mindanao"

Anonymous