Bishop Leonardo T. Moya, Jr.

The food service company he worked for in 1987 failed to renew their contract with the hospital they supplied food to, where Jun was assigned. After 6 months, he was jobless.  He and his workmates who were also out of job at this time, were housed in a container that had no electricity, no provision for water and no food, whatsoever. The company that hired them was unable to provide even for their basic needs while waiting for a new job assignment.  No salary, no proper home, no electricity, no water, no food.  In that condition, Jun decided not to inform his family about his real plight.  He didn’t want his loved ones to worry about him.

They called their container their barracks, as they waited for a possible new job offer from the company. Fellow Filipinos who got wind of their situation started visiting them, bringing food which they offered on the condition Jun and his mates would allow the fellow Filipinos or “kababayans” (meaning, from the same country) to conduct a Bible study there.  After going hungry for several days, the offer of sardines, eggs, rice and other canned goods was a welcome treat that Jun had no choice but to sit in and listen to the Bible study so he could have a meal right after.  He realized he was not even worried about getting caught as holding Bible studies was against the Shariah law.  Instead, Jun looked forward to the meal each time. This went on for a year, still no job, no provision and no letters from home.

The Brethren holding the Bible study were consistent in feeding Jun and his mates physically but also, spiritually.  The seeds of the gospel sown during that year slowly grew in Jun’s heart.  He acknowledged his first encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.  The early months of attending Bible study, Jun admits, he did not take seriously. Until it came to the point where he had to choose if he would like to be baptized. God was already touching his heart.  Jun decided to accept Jesus Chirst as Lord and Saviour and agreed to be water-baptized.

Soon after, Jun was offered a job referred by a friend.  God blessed him with a much higher salary than he used to earn. The new company that hired him, transferred him to Damman, Saudi Arabia.  Jun thought to himself, with a better-paying job, he would no longer need to sit through Bible study sessions for a meal.  He wanted to escape the Bible studies.

To his surprise, when Jun arrived in Riyadh, where the company housed him, there was an ongoing Bible study. Truly when God calls you, it is irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

He realized that the Villa he was housed in was an underground Church.  He believed God had a new plan for him, one he could not escape.   Whatever he attempted to do to escape the gospel or God,  he realized he couldn’t run away from God’s omnipresence and what God has purposed for his life.  We may make many plans, but it is God’s purpose that prevails. 

Jun became part of Christ’s Ambassadors Ministry (CAM) and was first assigned to pick up the brethren from their houses using the company’s closed van which he borrowed for this intention. One by one, he would bring the brethren to different designated drop-off points near the villa to avoid being seen by the neighbors and the Motawa(Religious Police) who were consistently making the rounds of the streets  – even the street where the underground church was located and where he was housed .

Jun was also tasked to clean the worship center and wash the dishes after the worship service or Bible study was done. After the task of cleaning was done, Jun would then drive home the brethren one by one to their respective houses where he also picked them up. This was his ministry for 2 years until their church pastor’s work contract was coming to an end and he was one of only 2 elders left who could lead the church.   Their underground church had a total of 70 church attendees. For the ministry to go on, someone had to lead by and through God’s Word. Soon enough, Jun found himself standing in front of their members, preaching the Word of God.  The church had been left under his leadership. There was no one but the Word of God that he could rely on.   Jun studied by himself –  listening to preaching tapes by well-known evangelists.  This was before the advent of internet, the web and Google.  Research and studies had to be either from recordings, on television, cassette tapes or books.  Given the situation in Saudi Arabia, these study tools were hard to come by.  Jun relied solely on God’s word, the Bible.

By the grace and divine guidance of God, Jun was able to continue preaching  in the underground church.

In 1992,  Jun was introduced to Nancy Villaluz, a registered Dietitian/Nutritionist who was then the Dietary Department Head of Riyadh National Hospital.  After a year of courtship, Jun married Nancy in the Philippines in 1993.  They were gifted with a son named Samuel Joshua Moya on July 1994.  

After the birth of their son, Jun returned to Riyadh alone.  His wife, Nancy stayed in Manila to care for their son.  

Back in Riyadh, Jun was informed that while he was away, there was a new attendee in church. Happy and eager to be introduced to the new church attendee, Jun was surprised to learn later on that this new attendee was absent and that he betrayed the members by informing the Religious police about the existence of the underground church.  On the same day, the Religious Police forced entry to the Villa   and arrested Jun together with another elder.  They were jailed at the Malazz maximum security prison. Thankfully, Jun’s British company intervened and made arrangements for his release from jail temporarily for 2 weeks.

During those 2 weeks, Jun visited the brethren in their villas to inform them that he was out of jail.   Sadly, they weren’t happy to see him. Instead, he was told by the brethren to refrain from visiting them for fear that Jun was still under surveillance and that they might get involved in his case.

Jun stayed alone in the villa. The other residents also left for fear that the police might return and arrest them, too.  After 2 days, the police did come, picked up Jun and put him back in jail.

All this, Jun experienced just after a week of being back in Riyadh from the Philippines.  He was incarcerated for 3 months not knowing what awaited him since his case was punishable by death. Fear could not be avoided because those facing death penalties in that country were just picked up by the police not being informed why and where they were going only to end up in the public market gagged, tied, probably drugged and their heads cut off on a Friday in front of many people.

Jun looked at the other inmates and couldn’t help but think that many of them were jailed for committing a crime while he was jailed because he followed the will of God.  The Gospel was what kept him sane and gave him hope. Having God’s Word in his heart renewed his strength.  He knew deep within him that God still has a plan and purpose for his life.  “By faith in His promise, He would not allow me to die”, Jun declared to himself.

Year 1994, in October after 3months of detention, Jun was brought out of jail and deported back to the Philippines.  His name was blacklisted from entering Saudi Arabia again.

The police brought Jun to the airport with cuffs on his hands and feet. With his hair shaved off in jail, plus cuffs on his hands and feet, the police brought Jun to the airport and on to the plane via the tarmac, separate from the other passengers. As he got on the plane, he could imagine the thoughts, even mumbles by the passengers, most likely thinking what crime he committed.  He had to endure cold stares and the feeling of being ostracized during the flight.

Back in the Philippines, Jun got connected with evangelistic ministries.  He knew in his heart he no longer had to look for a job in the corporate world. He got his calling.  Jun volunteered in the mission fields of The Morris Cerullo World Evangelism in the Bicol Region, Ilocos, Baguio and Pangasinan provinces. In 1995, Jun was ordained pastor by Morris Cerullo World Evangelism.

After a year, he returned to his hometown in Bulacan.  This time, Jun was able to reach out to his family and by the grace of God all his family members and their extended families accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

The God of the Harvest Church in Bulacan was where the Lord brought Jun and his family.  He was discipled and was given the opportunity to stand and speak on a Sunday Service and hold Bible study groups.

After 2 years, Jun was invited by The Yahweh Christian Life Church in his hometown and was given the opportunity as speaker on Sundays.  He held crusades in the different barangays in the towns of San Roque and San Ildefonso.

Year _____ , Jun pioneered the El Elyon Christian Ministry. It started as a tent on the backyard of the family lot in San Roque, San Rafael. Attendees were increasing and a simple bamboo structure was built to house 150 attendees. God continued to add to the church that in order to accommodate 300 members, a bigger place along the highway had to be rented.

Year _____ , a new challenge for the church to buy its own lot and build a structure to accommodate membership that has grown to 500, and counting. By God’s divine provision,  the church building was constructed along the main highway.

Year   2015                   Bustos outreach Pictures Of Bustos Outreach

Year  2016 Feb 16     Talacsan outreach Pictures Of Talacsan Outreach

Year  2018                    Cavite outreach

Year  2020                    The pandemic even saw an increase in the membership of El Elyon Christian Ministry.  It was a privilege to be recognized by the Bishops’ Conference of Bulacan (BCOB) who offered to install pastor Jun as Bishop.  By March 7 of the same year, Bishop Jun Moya was likewise installed as member of the Christian Bishops Minister Association of the Philippines (CBMAP) and now sits on the board as member.  

In April 2021, Bishop Jun, his wife, Nancy and son Joshua all got the COVID-19 virus.  While Nancy and Josh just had cough and fever, Jun got pneumonia and his oxygen level was alarmingly low at 50. They got to the hospital and was waiting for their #100 to be attended to.  But, God works in mysterious ways. An online doctor they consulted advised them to go to a smaller hospital somewhere in Plaridel.  It was in that small hospital the Jun was immediately given the medicines he needed and was accommodated at the intensive care unit (ICU). He was given oxygen through a bi-pap machine that was on full blast.  Despite the pneumonia, there was no fluid in Jun’s lungs.  On the second day of his confinement in the ICU of the small Plaridel hospital, he was transferred by ambulance to ACE Hospital in ______________.  All that considering they were waiting for his turn at #100.  Indeed, God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  The Lord provided in more than just monetary ways by sending a caregiver who could drive and pick up Jun as he was discharged from the hospital, as Jun’s brother and wife rode in a separate car. Even the discontinuing of medicines like Remdesivir, which increased Jun’s liver enzymes, was a blessing in disguise. It was a struggle for his wife and son because they had no choice but to get near Jun to care for his needs, despite the risk of becoming re-infected because no one else would, understandably so.  But, God is greater than any virus or disease.  At the end of that month, all 3 of them recovered, with Jun being the last in their household to test negative. 

Still In 2021, Bishop Jun continued to evangelize by going digital, uploading his preaching on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.

By March of 2022, Bishop Jun was deputized as member of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) in the quest to bring God’s truth and justice to the system.

Truly, God’s purposes for Bishop Jun has prevailed.   He and his family have had their share of trials and challenges.  They are not exempt from the difficulties of life here on earth.  Yet, Bishop Jun has exemplified what it means to be a true follower of Christ who picks up his cross, denies himself, trust and obeys God’s Word and waits expectantly for God’s promises to be fulfilled.