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Grave of Moises G. Jereos.

Photo courtesy of Romper90069. Source: Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117441761/moises-jerry_g-jereos

Jereos, Moises Gonzales (1915–2011)

By Danilo R. Endriga

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Danilo Endriga, B.A. in history, philosophy, and theology (Adventist University of the Philippines), is the district pastor of Manila District II, at Central Luzon Conference, in North Philippines. He is actively engaged in church planting projects in the urban poor of Tondo, Manila. Before serving in Manila, he was a district pastor and area chairman of Quezon City I. Endriga enjoys advocating and integrating the vital element of discipleship in church management and church planting. He is married to Meldy Ann Villoso with three children.

First Published: January 29, 2020

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Moises Gonzales Jereos was an Adventist accountant and church administrator from the Philippines.

Early Life

Moises Gonzales “Jerry” Jereos was born was on December 9, 1915, in La Paz, IIoilo, Philippines. He was the youngest boy, and twelfth of thirteen siblings, in his family. Jereos’s father, Jose Jereos, died when he was seven years old and his mother, Maria Ignacia Gonzales Jereos, single-handedly assumed responsibility as head of the family. One of his brothers became a minister and a sister worked in the denomination as a Bible worker. Jereos was baptized at the age of nineteen and spent his secondary education at Iloilo High School (1930-1934).1

Education and Marriage

A week after his baptism, Jereos attended a camp meeting where he met a missionary who was recruiting students to attend Philippine Union College (now Adventist University of the Philippines). Drawn by the respect shown students of Philippine Union College by Adventist church members, he decided to enroll. With only thirteen pesos in his wallet–barely enough for a boat fare to Manila–Jereos’s journey to college and degree completion required reliance on God’s provision. Throughout his college years, he was employed as a student worker. He also augmented his earnings by cutting hair. Jereos was active on campus, singing in the PUC Male Chorus and serving as the business manager for the student publication, The College Voice. He completed an Associate Degree in Accountancy in 1938.2

After graduation, while employed by the Manila Sanitarium and Hospital, Jereos met Maria Capule, a beautiful and charming nurse. They were married on March 24,1942. They had two daughters–Mercy Lynn Jereos Seralde, a pediatrician who married Victor Seralde, and Romelda Jereos Anderson, a registered nurse and a senior healthcare leader who married Darryl Anderson. In 1972 they also adopted JayJay, a premature baby whom Mercy Lyn brought home from the hospital.3

Ministry

During Jereos’s long career in the Adventist church he held many positions of leadership. His first position, an accountant at Manila Sanitarium and Hospital, began on March 15, 1938.4 In April of 1939 he became the treasurer of Northern Luzon Academy,5 and in 1949 he became secretary-treasurer of the Southern Luzon Mission.6 He returned to Northern Luzon Academy to serve as business manager in 1951.7

In May of 1952, Jereos became the purchasing agent for the North Philippine Union Mission (NPUM), his first position at the union level. Less than a year later, he was promoted to assistant auditor in January of 1953.8 In the spring of 1955, Jereos was called back to Manila Sanitarium and Hospital, this time to the office of the associate business manager.9 He was invited to teach at Philippine Union College from August 1,1956 to December 19,1957.10 While teaching at the college, Jereos was instrumental in implementing a work study program that was still in place in 2011. At the beginning of 1958, he returned to the NPUM as an assistant auditor, and one year later he was promoted to auditor.11

Between 1962 and 1966, Jereos served as secretary-treasurer of first, the South Philippine Union Mission (SPUM)12 and then, beginning in 1964, the Central Philippine Union Mission (CPUM).13 In the CPUM, he was also public relations director.14 Thus, Jereos had the distinction of serving as the secretary-treasurer/auditor of all three Philippine Unions during his career.

At the beginning of 1967 Jereos returned to NPUM as the mission secretary,15 and in November of that year he was ordained to the gospel ministry.16 He was the acting chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NPUM for one year in 1971.17 On January 1, 1972 Jereos became the first Filipino president of the NPUM.18

Later Life

After his retirement from denominational work in 1974, Jereos became a real estate agent, rising to vice-president of his firm. In 1978, he moved to the United States where he did part-time work. He remained active in strengthening and building churches, schools, missions, and special projects in the Philippines through philanthropy. His philanthropy extended to worthy students as well. Of his work in retirement, Jereos said: “I've been able to do more for the Lord's work after retirement than when I was employed.”19

Just few weeks before their fortieth wedding anniversary, Maria succumbed to cancer. The night before she died, Maria expressed the wish to her daughter Romelda that Jereos should remarry. He returned to the Philippines where me met Loida whom he married on April 3, 1983. Jereos and Loida adopted two daughters, Janett and Mahalee, before immigrating to the United States in 1991. Jereos died on August 4, 2011.20

Contribution

Jereos was a gifted leader and mentor. Assertive and yet humble, he empowered subordinates through collaboration, wise counsel, sound policy, and the freedom to implement plans. Four of his mentees later became mission or conference treasurers and presidents. Jereos believed that a title indicated responsibility rather than importance.21

During Pastor Jereos’s tenure as NPUM president the Silang property that became the new site of Philippine Union College was acquired. He was instrumental in the purchase of the Naga View College property.22 During his tenure in the Northern Luzon Mission (now Conference) the mission’s office headquarters were extensively renovated. Jereos’s leadership was also evident in the purchase of a lot for Palawan Adventist Hospital, the feasibility study for the Palawan Mission, and the purchase of the Manila Chinese Evangelistic Center.23

At the age of 91, Jereos was interviewed by the Philippine Publishing House’s Health and Home Magazine. When asked about the secret to his longevity, he attributed it to a balance of physical, mental, religious and social activities. He said, “I didn’t ask the Lord for a long life, but rather a quality life, a useful life, a life that is a blessing to others.” In 2011, Adventist University of the Philippine awarded Jereos the Lifetime Achievement Award.24

Sources

“Adventist Leadership in Philippines Now Totally Filipino.” Advent Review & Sabbath Herald, June 8, 1971.

“Adventist Work ‘Nationalized.’” Signs of the Times, August 1971.

“All Church Leadership are Filipinos.” North Pacific Union Gleaner, June 21, 1971.

Back to the Future. Edited by N. Rilloma, Manila: Philippine Publishing House, 2005.

“First NPUM Secretary.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1967.

Gayao, Laurence T. “Life Time Achievement Award: Moises Gonzales Jereos.” Adventist University of the Philippines, 2011. Posted on YouTube as “In Memory of Moises G. (Jerry) Jereos” August 16, 2011. Accessed January 2, 2019. https://youtu.be/im27jPgzc7E.

“Jereos Elected President of North Philippine Union.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1972.

“Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record. North Philippine Union Conference.

North Philippine Union Mission. Employee Service Record.

“Philippine Nationals Have Church Leadership.” Lake Union Herald, July 6, 1971.

Romulo, P. H. “The Bicol Alpha Camp.” Youth Instructor, October 3, 1950.

Seventh-day Adventists Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1950.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1959.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1963.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1964.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965,66.pdf;

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1967.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1969.pdf.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1973,74.pdf.

Notes

  1. Romelda Jereos Anderson, daughter of Moises Jereos, email message to author, August 2, 2018.↩

  2. Laurence T. Gayao, “Life Time Achievement Award: Moises Gonzales Jereos,” Adventist University of the Philippines, 2011; “In Memory of Moises G. (Jerry) Jereos,” a YouTube video published by Laurence Gayao on August 16, 2011, accessed January 2, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im27jPgzc7E↩

  3. Ibid.↩

  4. “Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record, North Philippine Union Conference.↩

  5. Ibid.↩

  6. P. H. Romulo, “The Bicol Alpha Camp,” Youth Instructor, October 3, 1950, 21; Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Northern Luzon Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1950.pdf.↩

  7. “Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record, North Philippine Union Conference; Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Northern Luzon Academy,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1952.pdf.↩

  8. “Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record, North Philippine Union Conference.↩

  9. Ibid.↩

  10. Ibid.↩

  11. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “North Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1959.pdf.↩

  12. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “South Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1963.pdf.↩

  13. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Central Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1964.pdf; Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “Central Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1965,66.pdf; “Central Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1967.pdf.↩

  14. Ibid.↩

  15. “Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record, North Philippine Union Conference; Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “North Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1968.pdf.↩

  16. “Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record, North Philippine Union Conference; “First NPUM Secretary,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, April 1967, 16; Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “North Philippine Union Mission: Ordained Ministers,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1969.pdf.↩

  17. “Moises Jereos,” Employee Service Record, North Philippine Union Conference.↩

  18. Ibid.; “Jereos Elected President of North Philippine Union,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1972, 12; “Philippine Nationals Have Church Leadership,” Lake Union Herald, July 6, 1971, 4; “All Church Leadership are Filipinos,” North Pacific Union Gleaner, June 21, 1971, 3; “Adventist Leadership in

    Philippines Now Totally Filipino,”ARH, June 8, 1971, 3; “Adventist Work ‘Nationalized,’” Signs of the Times, August 1971, 33; Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, “North Philippine Union Mission,” accessed April 17, 2019, http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1973,74.pdf.↩

  19. Gayao. “Life Time Achievement Award: Moises Gonzales Jereos.”↩

  20. Ibid.↩

  21. Ibid.↩

  22. Daniel B. Villoso, nephew of Moises Jereos, interview by author, Canan, Malasique, Pangasinan, May 10, 2018.↩

  23. Back to the Future, ed. N. Rilloma (Manila: Philippine Publishing House, 2005), 44.↩

  24. Gayao. “Life Time Achievement Award: Moises Gonzales Jereos.”↩

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Endriga, Danilo R. "Jereos, Moises Gonzales (1915–2011)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=FAUL.

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Endriga, Danilo R. "Jereos, Moises Gonzales (1915–2011)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Date of access April 24, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=FAUL.

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Endriga, Danilo R. (2020, January 29). Jereos, Moises Gonzales (1915–2011). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved April 24, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=FAUL.

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