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Reyes, Maximo Bautista Delos (1952–2017)

By Max P. Cadalig

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Max P. Cadalig

First Published: January 31, 2022

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Maximo Bautista Delos Reyes was an Adventist church planter, minister, philanthropist, and leader from the Philippines.

Early Life, Education and Marriage

Maximo Bautista delos Reyes was born on May 16, 1952, at Novaliches, Quezon City, Philippines, to Felipe delos Reyes and Juana Bautista. They were devoted Roman Catholics.1 The first child of eight siblings,2 Maximo became an Adventist after studying at Philippine Union College (PUC, now the Adventist University of the Philippines) for a year where he enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in theology program. He was baptized on August 9, 1969.3

Education was very important to the Reyes family even though life was harsh. Delos Reyes had great plans in life despite being young. He pursued his elementary and high school education in Novaliches. Although a Roman Catholic by birth, in 1969 after he finished high school he went to PUC, an Adventist college in Manila, to pursue what he thought was his calling in life.4 He enrolled and was accepted in the theology program though not yet a baptized member. After one year of attending Bible classes and joining Bible studies with fellow students, he finally decided to be baptized into the Adventist Church.

In 1972, he graduated with a degree in theology from PUC. While serving as a Bible teacher at Palawan Adventist Academy (PAA), he married Nancy O. Pascua from Baguio City. Their union was blessed with three children: Justice Maecy, Jay Adam, and Joyce Dinah.5

Ministry

Delos Reyes started his denominational career after graduation. He was immediately called to work in the Central Luzon Conference (CLC)6 of the North Philippine Union Mission (NPUM). He became a ministerial intern in 1975.7 From 1978 to 1981, he served PAA as a Bible and history teacher.8 He was then called to join the workforce of Mountain Provinces Mission (MPM) as his wife was from Baguio City.9 He started as a publishing chaplain but later became a district pastor.10 As a Pilipino-speaking minister, communicating with the members of MPM who could hardly speak and understand the Pilipino language was challenging. This prompted him to learn the native language until he became very fluent in the Kankanaey11 dialect.

In MPM, Delos Reyes was known as Pastor Tayag (tall) because of his height. He was well-known to have traversed mountains and crossed rivers on foot and sometimes on horseback to visit his churches. He served his parishioners well and was instrumental in the opening of new territories and establishing churches especially in the towns of San Emilio Ilocos Sur and Luba, Abra.12

In 1989, Delos Reyes was elected communication, public affairs and religious liberty, Voice of Prophecy (VOP), and ministerial secretary of the MPM.13 Various activities rallied the mission territories during his term. The local church members and union leadership observed his leadership capabilities. In 1994, he was elected the executive secretary of the MPM.14

Finally, Delos Reyes was elected president of the MPM15 from January 2001 to February 2003.16 During his presidency, a four-story building that served as the workers’ housing and transient house, was constructed at the mission compound through a built operate transfer scheme. His presidency was cut short when he was called to serve as the executive secretary of the North Philippine Union Mission, a post he held until December 2005.17 After serving the union for a term, he returned to the MPM and pastored the Baguio Central Seventh-day Adventist Church from 2006 until his retirement in December 2011.18

Later Life

After his retirement in 2011, Delos Reyes remained active in the ministry. He went to the province of Bataan and there established a church-supporting ministry. He was also active in community work as a senior citizen for which he was recognized as one of the twelve most outstanding senior citizens in the Cordillera region in 2013.19 He continued to help churches in the MPM territories until his death on December 28, 2017.20 He died at the age of 65.

Contribution

Pastor Max Delos Reyes was a church planter, encourager, leader, and philanthropist. His dedication to the gospel ministry was shown in the churches he pioneered. He lived a life of service for his Master Jesus Christ.

Sources

Delos Reyes, M. Service Record. Southern-Asia Pacific Division Archives, Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

Executive Committee, April 1981, Action 81-18. Mountain Provinces Mission Archives, Baguio City, Philippines.

Padilla, Nars. “Padilla: Parangal rites for Baguio-Benguet 12 Most Outstanding Elderly Set.” SunStar Philippines, 2013. Accessed May 2020. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/311021/Lifestyle/Padilla-Parangal-rites-for-Baguio-Benguet-12-most-outstanding-elderly-set.

Report of the Nominating Committee on April 5, 1990, during the MPM 15th General Session in Baguio City. Mountain Provinces Mission Archives, Baguio City, Philippines.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1994-2002.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1978-1979.

Notes

  1. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record. SSD Archives.↩

  2. Information was given by his sister Lucy Delos Reyes on January 5, 2018, at Baguio City Central Church.↩

  3. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record.↩

  4. Information was given by his sister Lucy Delos Reyes on January 5, 2018, at Baguio City Central Church.↩

  5. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record.↩

  6. Ibid.↩

  7. “North Philippine Union Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1978), 185-186.↩

  8. “Palawan Adventist Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association), 1979, 391.↩

  9. Executive Committee, April 1981, Action 81-18 Mountain Provinces Mission.↩

  10. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record.↩

  11. The Kankanaey dialect with different variations is one of the major dialects in the Cordilleras.↩

  12. Information was given by his sister Lucy Delos Reyes on January 5, 2018, at Baguio City Central Church.↩

  13. Report of the Nominating Committee on April 5, 1990, during the MPM 15th General Session in Baguio City; “Mountain Provinces Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1994), 126.↩

  14. “Mountain Provinces Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1995), 132.↩

  15. “Mountain Provinces Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2002), 349.↩

  16. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record.↩

  17. Ibid.↩

  18. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record; Executive Committee, December 21, 2005, Mountain Provinces Mission.↩

  19. Nars Padilla. “Padilla: Parangal Rites for Baguio-Benguet 12 Most Outstanding Elderly Set. Sunstar Philippines, October 18, 2013, accessed, May 2020, https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/311021/Lifestyle/Padilla-Parangal-rites-for-Baguio-Benguet-12-most-outstanding-elderly-set.↩

  20. Maximo Delos Reyes. Service Record.↩

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Cadalig, Max P. "Reyes, Maximo Bautista Delos (1952–2017)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 31, 2022. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8JBI.

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Cadalig, Max P. "Reyes, Maximo Bautista Delos (1952–2017)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 31, 2022. Date of access March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8JBI.

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Cadalig, Max P. (2022, January 31). Reyes, Maximo Bautista Delos (1952–2017). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=8JBI.

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