Open Table MCC participated in the 2025 Global MCC Conference held at Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, from July 3-6, 2025. The General Conference Transformational weekend was attended by five representatives from the congregation, including Rev. Joseph San Jose, Lawrence Baterina, Joshua Rex Cheng, Dandy Dy-Liacco and Rhick Esteves.
Rev. Joseph, a member of the Global MCC Governing Board, attended several meetings during the event, the first in-person gatherings since 2019. As a member of the Governing Board, his flight and accommodation were covered by Global MCC. Rev. Joseph was also joined by his partner Lawrence Baterina. Lawrence financed his travel expenses personally.
Dandy Dy-Liacco also participated as the official lay delegate of Open Table MCC. He attended several sessions, including one titled “Where Are the Young People?” Additionally, Dandy delivered the benediction and send-off to close the dinner church service on the final night of the conference. All personal travel expenses outside the conference were covered by his own funds.
Another attendee of the MCC General Conference 2025 was Joshua Rex Cheng. He is the current treasurer of Open Table MCC. Joshua participated in various workshops at the conference. He was also a volunteer for the choir and closing worship service. Joshua funded his attendance with personal finances.
One more participant of the general conference is Rhick Esteves. He received a Certificate of Recognition for his volunteer service in the Governing Board Nomination Committee in 2024, leading towards the MCC election. Rhick also served for a limited set period as the nominating committee member.
The participation of the five attendees was made possible through the efforts of Don Mueller, his husband Orielle Briguella-Mueller and other Filipino friends from Los Angeles. They raised funds to cover the flights of Dandy. Don Mueller was also asked by MCC to volunteer as part of the conference’s security team and drove the delegates to the venue in Scottsdale.
The general conference was a blessed and grace-filled experience for MCC. However, it is important to note that due to the current global situation, many MCC members were unable to attend, particularly trans and nonbinary individuals. Some could not attend due to the associated risks, while others were denied U.S. visas, such as Open Table MCC’s Christopher Celeste and his partner Ralph Sarza. Chris is the communications staff of Global MCC and the recipient of the Excellence in Technology Ministry award in 2020. Meanwhile, Ralph is an internationally published film critic currently serving on the Board of Open Table MCC.
The 2025 Global MCC Conference has rekindled hope within the denomination and strengthened their resolve to serve and minister during this pivotal time. May the inspiration and unity fostered throughout the event continue to guide and empower their mission in the days ahead.
