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Lamera Elpidio Laruya (1911–1992)

By Dwight Mark M. Tornalejo, and Remwil R. Tornalejo

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Dwight Mark M. Tornalejo was a fourth year medical technology student at the time of writing.

 

Remwil R. Tornalejo is an associate professor in the Historical-Theological department of the International Institute of Advanced Studies Seminary (AIIAS). Tornalejo has a B.A. in theology from Mountain View College, Valencia, Philippines, and M.P.S., M.Div., and M.Th. degrees from AIIAS. He had served as a pastor, Literature Ministry Seminary dean and instructor at the South Philippine Union Conference. He had served as chair of the theology department of the South Philippine Adventist College. Tornalejo completed his D.Theol. from Theological Union (ATESEA). He is married to Marilou Manatad. They have four children.

First Published: January 13, 2021

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Elpidio Laruya Lamera was a Seventh-day Adventist literature evangelist, pastor, administrator, and visionary leader in the Philippines.

Early Life

Elpidio Laruya Lamera was born on April 27, 1911, in Duenas, Iloilo, Philippines, to Clemente Lamera (b. 1880) and Antonina Laruya.1 He Duenas Elementary School for seven years before transferring to Iloilo Provincial High School from which he graduated in 1932.2 Lamera’s four siblings were Facunda, Teresa, Lucilla, and Esperidion.3

Education and Marriage

After Lamera was baptized in 1938, he attended West Visayan Academy for one year to earn Bible credits.4 He was not able to finish his college degree due to the demands of work, but he continued to earn Bible credits when he attended the Seminary Extension at Philippine Union College (now Adventist University of the Philippine) for a year.5

Lamera married to Adoracion L. Labasan, a Seventh-day Adventist, on October 26, 1936.6 Adoracion was born March 28, 1911, in Duenas, Iloilo. At the time of their marriage, Lamera was not yet baptized. It was through the influence of his wife that he accepted the Adventist message. It took two years for him to accept the Adventist faith. He was baptized in 1938 by Fausto Jornada, a pioneer local pastor, at West Visayan Academy (now Adventist Academy, Iloilo) which was then located on the Island of Guimaras.7 Their marriage was blessed with a son and two adopted daughters. The eldest was Samuel L. Lamera, born on June 24,1941. Samuel also became a denominational worker serving in different capacities in several mission fields in Mindanao including the Southern Mindanao Mission, the Northeastern Mindanao Mission, Southern Mindanao Academy, and the Davao Mission.8 Their first adopted daughter, Lita L. Lamera, was born on October 10, 1955. Their second adopted daughter, Leilah L. Lamera, was born on March 8, 1958.9

Ministry

Before Lamera entered the denominational service, he worked as a storekeeper at Iloilo Dredger from 1933 until 1935. He then worked for the municipal treasurer’s office of Duenas as a tax collector from July 1935 to September 1936. After he was baptized into the Adventist Church, Lamera joined the colporteur work in the West Visayan Mission, (WVM, now West Visayan Conference) from October 1938 to June 1941.10 From May 1942 until 1945, Lamera worked as a missionary in the WVM. He served as a pastor and evangelist from 1946 to 1949. In August 20, 1949, during the last day of the biennial session of the Philippine Union Mission, Lamera, along with fourteen other workers, was ordained into the ministry by a team of workers led by E. M. Adams, president of the Philippine Union Mission.11 From 1950 until 1952, Lamera served as the Sabbath School and Home Missionary department secretary.12 In 1953, he was called to move to the island of Mindanao to serve as Sabbath School and Home Missionary department secretary of Northern Mindanao Mission (now North Central Mindanao Conference).13 He stayed in Mindanao until the end of 1955 and was called to move to the East Visayan Mission (now East Visayan Conference) in Cebu City, serving in the same department from 1956 until 1959.14 In 1960, Lamera was again called to go back to Mindanao to serve as president of Western Mindanao Mission, (WMM, now Western Mindanao Conference) in Ozamis city.15 He served as president of WMM for two years until 1962. He was then called to the presidency of the Southern Mindanao Mission (SMM) at Cotabato from 1962 until December 1967.16

When Lamera was president of the Southern Mindanao Mission, his contemporary presidents in the missions of the South Philippines were T. A. Layon in the Northern Mindanao Misson and T. C. Cabaluna in the Western Mindanao Mission.17

Beginning in January 1968, Lamera was connected with Iligan Adventist Hospital at Tibanga, Iligan City where he served as chaplain and acting business manager simultaneously.18 He served the institution until his retirement in April 30, 1971.19

Later Life

Lamera retired from denominational service just days after his sixtieth birthday on April 30, 1971. He served the Church for a total of thirty-two years.20 After retirement, the Lameras lived in Cabili Village, Iligan City. Elpidio Lamera died on February 11, 1992. His wife, Adoracion, died in March 16, 2000.21

Contribution

Lamera served the Church as an administrator in many of the missions of the Philippines during the expansion years of Adventism. Among his many contributions to the Adventist work, Lamera was one of the major proponents in the acquisition of the land in General Santos City, where the current Southern Mindanao Mission office building is situated.

Sources

“Beginners Literature Evangelists Institute.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March, 1961.

Far Eastern Division Sustentation Fund Applications. Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives.

Lamera, E. L. “Mayor Officiates at Hospital Ceremony.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December, 1968.

Montalban, V. M. “Introducing a New Union” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 196.

Personal Worker’s Records. South Philippine Union Conference Archives.

Pratt, F. A. “West Visayan Mission.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, July 1940.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952-1963.

Sorensen, C. P. “Ordination Service.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December, 1949.

Notes

  1. Personal Worker’s Record, Elpidio Laruya Lamera, South Philippine Union Conference Archives, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.↩

  2. Ibid.↩

  3. Laurence Lamera, grandson of Elpidio Laruya Lamera, email to the author, July 13, 2020.↩

  4. Ibid.↩

  5. Ibid.↩

  6. Ibid.↩

  7. Ibid.↩

  8. Laurence Lamera, grandson of Elpidio Laruya Lamera, email to the author, July 13, 2020.↩

  9. Personal Worker’s Record, Elpidio Laruya Lamera.↩

  10. F. A Pratt, “West Visayan Mission,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, July 1940, 10.↩

  11. C. P. Sorensen, “Ordination Service,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December, 1949, 8. See also Far Eastern Division Sustentation Fund Application, Elpidio L. Lamera, Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives.↩

  12. “West Visayan Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952), 118-119; Personal Worker’s Record, Elpidio Laruya Lamera↩

  13. “Northern Mindanao Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1954), 122-123.↩

  14. “East Visayan Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Assoication, 1957), 103-104.↩

  15. “Western Mindanao Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1961, 116. See also The Publishing Department of South Philippine Union Mission, “Beginners Literature Evangelists Institute,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1961, 7.↩

  16. “Southern Mindanao Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1963, 121.↩

  17. V. M. Montalban, “Introducing a New Union” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1964, 14.↩

  18. E. L. Lamera, “Mayor Officiates at Hospital Ceremony,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December, 1968, 10-11.↩

  19. Personal Worker’s Record, Elpidio Laruya Lamera.↩

  20. Far Eastern Division Sustentation Fund Application, Elpidio L. Lamera, Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives.↩

  21. Ibid.↩

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Tornalejo, Dwight Mark M., Remwil R. Tornalejo. "Lamera Elpidio Laruya (1911–1992)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 13, 2021. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8CJN.

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Tornalejo, Dwight Mark M., Remwil R. Tornalejo. "Lamera Elpidio Laruya (1911–1992)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 13, 2021. Date of access April 22, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8CJN.

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Tornalejo, Dwight Mark M., Remwil R. Tornalejo (2021, January 13). Lamera Elpidio Laruya (1911–1992). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved April 22, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8CJN.

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