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Pimentel, Arsenio Domocmat (1927–2013)

By Lorseli Pimentel-Spicher, Maxwell Agunan, and Mary Grace Ladion-De Guzman

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Lorseli Pimentel-Spicher

Maxwell Agunan

Mary Grace Ladion-De Guzman taught at Lipa Adventist Academy for eleven years, the first established academy within the territory of South Central Luzon Conference. She is a licensed science teacher and holds a master's degree in Science Education. She is particularly interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and staff development. Her husband, Marlon De Guzman, is a senior auditor for the South Central Luzon Conference. They have two children. Guzman is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction from the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies.

First Published: November 28, 2021

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Arsenio Domocmat Pimentel was a minister, evangelist and church leader from the Philippines.

Early Life

Arsenio Domocmat Pimentel was born on January 11, 1927, in Pasay City, Philippines. He is the only child born to Timoteo Pis-o and Olegaria Domocmat from Ilocos Sur, Philippines. His family name “Pis-o” was later changed to “Pimentel” on July 26, 1968, as the court granted his request. Methodist by birth, he was later introduced to the Seventh-day Adventist faith while attending Pasay Church School. He was baptized on April 23, 1947, at the Manila Central Church by Elder J. W. Rowland.1 Towards the end of World War II, he lost his parents in 1944 (father) and 1945 (mother), leaving him an orphan. He went to live with his uncle, Canuto Domocmat in Baesa, Caloocan City.

Education and Marriage

Pimentel started his elementary education at Amarao Primary School, Ilocos Sur. Then, he attended three more schools, including Babayoan Elementary School at Ilocos Sur, Rizal Memorial Institute, and Pasay Church School. Initially, he began his high school education at Tagudin High School. When his uncle took him, he was able to attend Philippine Union College Academy. Then, he proceeded to take the Bachelor in Theology major in Religion from Philippine Union College.2 To pay for his tuition and living expenses, he worked as a janitor in Philippine Union College and as a bookbinder at the Philippine Publishing House (PPH). He received his Bachelor’s degree in Theology on March 31, 1953.3

While still a student in Philippine Union College, he met Cresencia Narciso dela Cruz of Moncada. Tarlac. On April 28, 1953, he married her. Cresencia dela Cruz received her Elementary Teaching degree from Philippine Union College as well. They had six children - Lorseli, Nerman, Arlene, Kalvin Rey, Regelin, and Mechita.

Ministry

Pimentel started his denominational service in June 1953 as a ministerial intern at Central Luzon Mission (CLM).4 He left CLM in May 1956 to answer the call of Northern Luzon Mission (NLM) to be a pastor and evangelist.5 In 1958, he became an ordained gospel minister.6 He served NLM until August 1959.

A wide evangelistic effort in Manila took place at the dawn of 1960.7 The Manila Center, under the directorship of R. C. Williams, initiated the great evangelistic effort, and Pimentel was the associate director8 from September 1959 to December 1961. The evangelistic effort drew more than 1,000 visitors and resulted in several new converts.

He served CLM as a pastor/evangelist from January 1962 to February 1963. His experiences in the field nurtured his gift as a gospel broadcaster. In March 1963, the North Philippine Union Mission (NPUM) called him to serve as the Lay Activities (today, Personal Ministries) secretary and Voice of Prophecy secretary. He was an Ilocano broadcaster for the Voice of Prophecy working with Elder Royce Williams and Pastor Carmelito Galang. He served the Voice of Prophecy department until December 1966.

From January 1967 to December 1969, he served as the Sabbath School secretary of NPUM.9  Among the activities that contributed to the development of the Sabbath School (SS) department was the Inter-Union Seminar-Workshop. Since the Sabbath School department comprised the Branch Sabbath School, Vacation Bible School, and other Child Evangelism Ministries, it was felt that the three Unions should come together annually for planning effective programs and activities.10 True enough, the next Tri-Union SS Council met in Cebu City11 on March 25-27, 1968.12 This activity drew concerns on how to evangelize to young people in and out of the church. The results of these seminar-workshops and training engagements were the implementation of teacher-training courses13 throughout the territory of NPUM.14 The goals were to improve the techniques of teaching the Sabbath School lessons while at the same time conveying a transformation of faith among the Sabbath School teachers and their listeners. Officers were chosen to lead the Greater Manila Sabbath School Association.15

To assist the needs of the South School teachers with teaching materials, Pimentel sought help from the United States of America for the church members to send their used Sabbath School materials.16 Pimentel’s leadership had a tremendous influence on the NPUM’s evangelistic work. Not only were the Sabbath School leaders trained, but also the mission workers. This was to allow the workers to gain a better understanding of how to maximize the utilization of the SS [Sabbath School] in their evangelistic efforts.17 In early 1969, NPUM celebrated to hold the “world’s biggest SS teachers’ graduation in Manila.”18 In a single graduation, about 395 Sabbath School leaders and teachers received their certifications. This event was attended by several Sabbath School leaders from the Pacific Union Conference and the Far Eastern Division. Also, awards were given to nine outstanding Sabbath School leaders.

In January 1970, Pimentel was called to serve CLM as a pastor-evangelist.19 His work in the CLM territories was a continuation of what he started in his ministries earlier in greater Manila. He left CLM to answer another call as a pastor-evangelist in the South-Central Luzon Mission (SCLM) in February 1972. He endeavored in various evangelistic efforts while also serving as the Sabbath School and Lay Activities secretary of SCLM from May 1973 to December 1973.20

His stay in SCLM ended up being a short one as he was called to be the president of NLM21 from January 1974 to April 1975. After his term was completed, Pimentel returned to SCLM be a district pastor22 which was completed in December 1976. Then, he served another five years as a district pastor23 in CLM from January 1977 to December 1981. This ended up being the culmination of his denominational service. Pastor Arsenio Pimentel had 28 years of service to the Adventist Church as a leader, pastor-evangelist, and district pastor for Central Luzon Mission, Northern Luzon Mission, South-Central Luzon Mission, and the North Philippine Union Mission.

Later Life

In 1981, Pastor Pimentel retired from the ministry and moved with his family to the United States. In 1982, he was asked by the General Conference to establish a Filipino church in Seattle, Washington state, U.S.A. That church still flourishes today. Due to some health concerns, Pastor Pimentel finally decided to move to Glendale, California, U.S.A., where he remained active in the local churches. On January 6, 2013, Pastor Arsenio Pimentel passed away at the age of 86.

Contribution

Arsenio Pimentel is well remembered for his Sabbath School training courses for Sabbath School leaders and teachers. The North Philippine Union Mission had produced the greatest number of trained Sabbath School leaders and teachers among the Adventist churches in the world. This is due to the wide promotion of the Sabbath School and the dynamic leadership of Pastor Pimentel. Moreover, his evangelistic efforts brought many souls to the feet of Jesus. He is remembered as “Pastor Pis-o” or “Pastor Pimentel.”

Sources

“A Way to Help Others.” ARH, March 14, 1967.

Abracoas, F. M. “Inter-Union Seminar-Workshop Hel in Manila.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, September 1967.

Alsaybar, B. B. “New Sabbath School Secretary.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1967.

Arrogante, F. M. “Philippine Tri-Union Sabbath School Council Meets in Cebu City.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1968.

Arrogante, F. M. “Sabbath School Council Convenes in the Philippines.” ARH, July 25, 1968.

Bedwell, H. W. “Manila Evangelistic Center.” ARH, July 14, 1960.

Gayoba, R. Y. “The World’s Biggest SS Teachers’ Graduation in Manila.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1969.

Pis-o, A. D. “Teacher-Training Course Held.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1968.

Reyno, A. R. “Northern Luzon Holds First Triennial Meet.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1975

“Sabbath School Institute Held.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1969.

“Sabbath School Teachers' Training Course Held for South-Central Luzon.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1968.

Service Record of Arsenio Domocmat Pimentel. Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) Archives, Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Sorensen, C. P. “Ordinations in the Far Eastern Division.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1958.

Williams, R. C. “Manila Center Evangelism.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1960.

Notes

  1. Service Record of Arsenio Domocmat Pimentel, SSD Archives.↩

  2. Ibid.↩

  3. Ibid.↩

  4. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1956, 98.↩

  5. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1959, 105.↩

  6. Chris P. Sorensen, “Ordinations in the Far Eastern Division,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1958, 3.↩

  7. R. C. Williams, “Manila Center Evangelism,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, October 1960, 1-2.↩

  8. H. W. Bedwell, “Manila Evangelistic Center,” ARH, July 14, 1960, 23.↩

  9. B. B. Alsaybar, “New Sabbath School Secretary,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, March 1967, 21.↩

  10. F. M. Abracoas, “Inter-Union Seminar-Workshop Hel in Manila,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, September 1967, 23.↩

  11. F. M. Arrogante, “Philippine Tri-Union Sabbath School Council Meets in Cebu City,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1968, 13.↩

  12. F. M. Arrogante, “Sabbath School Council Convenes in the Philippines,” ARH, July 25, 1968, 14.↩

  13. “Sabbath School Teachers' Training Course Held for South-Central Luzon,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, December 1968, 15.↩

  14. A. D. Pis-o, “Teacher-Training Course Held,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, November 1968, 13.↩

  15. Ibid.↩

  16. “A Way to Help Others,” ARH, March 14, 1967, 21.↩

  17. “Sabbath School Institute Held.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1969, 19.↩

  18. Rogelia Y. Gayoba, “The World’s Biggest SS Teachers’ Graduation in Manila,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1969, 14.↩

  19. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1970, 138.↩

  20. Arsenio Domocmat Pimentel. “Service Record.”↩

  21. Alfredo R. Reyno. “Northern Luzon Holds First Triennial Meet,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1975, 14.↩

  22. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1977, 185.↩

  23. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1980, 187.↩

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Pimentel-Spicher, Lorseli, Maxwell Agunan, Mary Grace Ladion-De Guzman. "Pimentel, Arsenio Domocmat (1927–2013)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. November 28, 2021. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DCMC.

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Pimentel-Spicher, Lorseli, Maxwell Agunan, Mary Grace Ladion-De Guzman. "Pimentel, Arsenio Domocmat (1927–2013)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. November 28, 2021. Date of access January 16, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DCMC.

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Pimentel-Spicher, Lorseli, Maxwell Agunan, Mary Grace Ladion-De Guzman (2021, November 28). Pimentel, Arsenio Domocmat (1927–2013). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved January 16, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=DCMC.

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