Bishop Justo remembered as ‘pillar of faith’

Key Points:

• Retired Bishop Benjamin A. Justo, who led the Baguio Area in the Philippines until 2008, died March 28 at age 84.
• Filipino United Methodists remember Justo for his humility, humor and mentorship.
• He reminded others that ministry is not about titles or recognition but about faithfulness to God, his friends and colleagues said.

Retired Bishop Benjamin A. Justo is being remembered by friends and colleagues for his humility, integrity, humor and grace with no pretensions. The Philippines Central Conference bishop died March 28 at age 84.

Filipino United Methodists shared heartwarming memories and empowering moments from his life’s witness and faith journey.

Justo was elected to the episcopacy from the Northeast Philippines Annual Conference on Dec. 16, 2000. He was assigned to serve the Baguio Episcopal Area, where he remained until his retirement in 2008.

“To me, he was more than an episcopal leader; he was a shepherd, mentor, and pillar of faith,” said Bishop Rodel M. Acdal of the Baguio Area.

“Bishop Justo’s impact extended beyond his role as a leader. He empowered many to embrace their calling. He reminded others that ministry is not about titles or recognition but about faithfulness to God.”

Acdal said one of Justo’s defining moments came during Revive 2016. “He preached about unity, emphasizing that regardless of culture, social background or financial status, all are called to work together to bring people closer to God.”

Bishop Israel M. Painit of the Davao Area fondly recalled how Justo’s linguistic skills bridged cultural gaps:

“He was a linguist, given his exposure to diverse cultures. He could speak my dialect, Bisaya, as a way of befriending people.”

Painit remembered Justo through an acronym of his first name:

• “B — Bold in faith and leadership: He stood for truth, upheld Methodist identity and advocated for social justice.
• “E — Empowering clergy and laity: He dedicated his ministry to equipping leaders through theological education and mission work.
• “N — Nurturing the Church with integrity and service: He strengthened the church’s spiritual foundation and fostered unity,” Painit said.

Bishop Carlo A. Rapanut, who leads the Desert Southwest and New Mexico conferences in the U.S., reflected on a cherished memory.

“I shared a hotel room with him on a work trip when I was his clergy executive assistant. He never wasted denominational resources. Those few days gave me a private perspective on a man who publicly lived with humility, integrity, humor, and grace. He had no pretensions and was the same in private as he was in public.”

Rapanut said the bishop took a chance on him when he appointed him as his clergy executive assistant despite his young age and limited ministry experience.

“He empowered me to live into my gifts as I supported him in the last part of his episcopacy. I learned a lot from his humble and steady leadership and will be forever grateful.”

The Rev. Connie Semy P. Mella, faculty at Union Theological Seminary and executive director of LEAD Hub Philippines and Southeast Asia for the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, noted his dedication as academic dean for the seminary.

“He ensured the seminary’s academic integrity and fought for the retrieval of UTS’ juridical personality. We will always remember him with fondness.”

The bishop received his Bachelor of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Union Theological Seminary. He also held a master of theology from Southeast Asia Graduate School of Theology. Before being elected to the episcopacy, Justo served as a local pastor for 12 years and for more than five decades held a variety of leadership roles in education and the Philippines Central Conference.

The Rev. Roland G. Annaguey, dean at Bishop Han Theological Seminary, shared his gratitude for the bishop’s role in his faith journey.

“Bishop Justo will forever remain in my thoughts, a guiding light in my journey of faith and ministry. His mentorship was not just about academic rigor but about nurturing individual purpose. His legacy lives on in the lives he ordained, the minds he shaped, and the joy he brought to every interaction.”

The Rev. Jonathan R. Ulanday, a member of the Judicial Council, shared a memory that involved the bishop’s favorite fruit.

“His favorite fruit was marang, and he ate it with gusto, even with street vendors in Davao,” Ulanday said of the large, sweet aromatic fruit that tastes like a mix of pears, pineapple and jackfruit.

“One time, in General Santos during a National Council of Churches in the Philippines event, we searched for marang and found a vendor with a cart. Bishop said, ‘Let’s eat here under this tree.’ I told him, ‘Bishop, you’re wearing a barong (a sheer embroidered formal shirt); let’s find a place with a table.’ He replied, ‘Here is fine. No one knows me here.’”

Retired Bishop Rodolfo Juan said he and Justo were both Ilocano, an Austronesian ethnolinguistic group native to the Philippines. “With our common denominator as Ilocanos and fraternal brothers, we enjoyed working together among uniformed men and women.”

He said the bishop also encouraged him to press on as an episcopal candidate in 2008, when he was elected to succeed Justo in leading the Baguio Episcopal Area.

Retired Bishop Ciriaco Francisco was also encouraged by the bishop.

“When Bishop Justo was elected in 2000, I greeted him and asked if I could embrace him. He smiled and embraced me. Later, when I told him I wanted to serve in the office of the bishop, he advised, ‘Pray about it, and when God confirms your desire, just say, I am offering myself to serve the episcopacy.’”

Samuel Earl John P. Canlas — former Philippines Central Conference secretary and now a pastor at North Caloocan Mission, working at Villa Gracia Mission — remembered the bishop’s playfulness.  

“He had a great sense of humor. He imitated the way Jimmy Swaggart prayed, to the amusement of the entire class. He captured evangelist Swaggart’s mannerisms perfectly.”

Cristina N. Manabat, president of Harris Memorial College, said Justo “served our church faithfully and passionately, with his whole heart.

“He made sessions of the Philippines Central Conference and annual conferences lighter and happier by discussing serious and challenging issues with timely and decent jokes, all while maintaining a smile on his face.

“He stood firm in what he believed in, and led our church with humility and wit. Thank you, God, for a life well-lived.”

Bishop Justo is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and two children, Karl Barth and Liza Nympha Justo-Qazi.

“My father lived a life of integrity guided by God’s Word,” Justo-Qazi said. “He practiced what he preached publicly and that’s (what) I and my brother saw in how he lived privately. We find wisdom in his words and these will remain as our guiding principles even after he’s gone.”

A funeral service is set for at 8 a.m. April 4 at Labayug United Methodist Church in Labayug, Sison, Pangasinan, Philippines.

Mangiduyos is a communicator in the Philippines.

News media contact: Julie Dwyer at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digests.