You have probably told the Lord things you would do for Him. But perhaps what is more telling are the things you have told Him you won’t do. These spaces of resistance are often the very areas God invites you into.
Throughout history, we see God use people’s resistance for His story of redemption. Jonah tried to avoid the people of Nineveh, only to find that you cannot outrun God’s plan. Moses tried to reject God’s calling to face Pharaoh, offering excuses God would not accept. And Rene Tanjusay, a local from the Philippines, told God he would be a missionary to anyone except the Bugkalot people, a tribe known for their history of headhunting.
Background of the Bugkalot
Rene Tanjusay always knew he wanted to become a missionary. “I was challenged by the [stories I heard about the] lives of the missionaries,” he said. “And I wanted to be a part of God’s work in the mountains.” Nearly 40 years ago, he started serving at FEBC Philippines as a guest broadcaster. Rene was also assigned as a trainee to the Kalanguya people in the Philippines. He was relieved to avoid his greatest fear of facing the headhunters in the mountains of the Philippines. That is, until his wife was called to the Bugkalot people.
With a population of about 20,000, the Bugkalot are an indigenous group living along the Sierra Madre mountain range in the Philippines. Most of their spirituality is rooted in animism, worshipping spirits believed to inhabit nature, such as trees and rivers. Historically, headhunting was a vital part of their rituals, with young men often required to take a head before marriage.
Rene reluctantly joined his wife on a flight to their new home with the Bugkalot people. When they landed and saw the tribe waiting for them, Rene feared for his life and wondered what God could be doing. Through the grace of God, Rene found the tribe to be open to the Gospel, saying, “These tribal people were very thirsty for the Word of God.” The Bugkalot appreciated Rene and his wife so much that they built a house for the missionary couple. Their receptivity to the Good News of Jesus paved the way for Rene and his wife to start a church.
The Headhunter’s Threat
As more Bugkalot people gave their lives to Christ and the church grew, so did resistance. One day, an elder of the church said, “My uncle doesn’t like your presence here. He wants you gone by tomorrow, or else he’ll behead you.”
“My heart was so heavy,” Rene said. “Because when the Bugkalot say something, they’ll really do it.” Rene began to plan for a flight out, but his wife insisted they weren’t leaving. They would stay and commit to the work God had called them to. Rene broke down in tears, telling his wife that he might be killed. But she said, “No, we will stay.”
Despite the threats to their lives, they ministered to the Bugkalot through the church they founded and by hiking through the Sierra Madre mountain range, giving away radios and sharing the Gospel through their radio station. Headhunters never harmed Rene’s life.
From Resistance to Redemption
Rene Tanjusay (standing) with the Bugkalot man who once threatened his life. They are now close friends.
For the past 40 years, Rene has worked alongside FEBC Philippines, eventually launching his own FEBC station in 2020. Then, in 2022, he launched another station that solely broadcasts in the Bugkalot language.
What about the headhunter who once threatened Rene’s life? He eventually came to know Christ. He often shares his testimony with other locals, saying, “If Rene had left, I wouldn’t have come to know the Lord.”
Rene’s FEBC radio program, Gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains, continues to minister to the Bugkalot in their native language. And the Bugkalot are no longer feared. They have largely abandoned their history of headhunting, with many choosing to follow the way of Jesus. To this day, Rene and his wife still visit Bugkalot communities, especially those they first served years ago.
There are now at least 35 churches across their territory, and the Gospel is quickly spreading to places previously unreached. Where Rene and many others once resisted a people group out of fear, God brought redemption and new life.
Because of your partnership and support, FEBC is able to continue sharing the Gospel with people who are desperate for hope – Thank you!
