Our Beloved Father and Mother
Rev. Severino Fernandez LaRoya
Born: January 09, 1907 | Passed away: July 1996
Rev. Magdalene Agbas LaRoya
Born: November 22, 1928 | Passed away: November 17, 2022
Severino LaRoya, also known as Silvino Laroya, was born in Binalonan, Pangasinan, Philippines and came to the USA at the tender age of 17. He thought money grew on trees and wanted to witness it with his own eyes. His family in the Philippines owned approximately two miles of land, but he did not want to go home. He was ashamed that he had to work to earn a living and he wanted to become successful.
When his younger brother Elpidio got married here in America, he told his older brother, “it’s even more shameful that you don’t have a wife or children to bear your name.” From that point on, he began to look for a wife. He dated several women of different cultures but eventually decided to give up. He realized he wanted to date a Filipina, someone who could understand his own culture.
As an amateur musician, he once walked near a church, heard music, and decided to go inside. He had grown up without a religion but thought there might be a girl in the church who might catch his eye. After enjoying the music and listening to the pastor’s message, the pastor greeted him and asked if he liked the church. He answered, “I’m looking for a Filipina wife, but there’s none here.” The pastor said, “We have churches in the Philippines and I could write to someone there so you can be pen pals.”
Our mother, Magdalene LaRoya, was born to Eulogio Agbas and Rosalia Zamboanga. She was the third of twelve children.
Previously Aglipayan (Philippine Independent Church), then Catholic, she came to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior through the FourSquare Ministries visiting Tan-agan, San Andres, Romblon, Philippines in her twenties, and her life was never the same.
She became a Bible student in the Philippines at a FourSquare Bible College, evangelizing to all her family and literally anyone who had ears to hear (or not).
It wasn’t long before she received a letter from Severino LaRoya, a Filipino man living in the USA. After corresponding as pen pals for two years, she married our father, Severino F. LaRoya, on January 14, 1956.
In February 1970, both parents became ordained ministers and served the Church and Body of Christ. They were part of the board of local ministries in San Diego until they branched into their own independent ministries, keeping in mind the Bible College training of FourSquare.
Together, Revs. Severino LaRoya and Magdalene LaRoya embarked on ministry in the USA and planted a duplicate ministry in the Philippines in 1974. Twenty-six churches were established at the height of their ministry in Romblon and Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.
Good News to All Nations, Inc. was established as an independent church in the USA in February 1970, and quickly established an approved 501c3 IRS status, as a not for profit religious church organization. In February 1974, Good News to All Nations, Inc. was also established as an independent church in San Andres, Romblon, Philippines. The ministry expanded to Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.
After Rev. Severino LaRoya passed away at age 89, Rev. Magdalene LaRoya continued to diligently support the missions ministry with the help of her children, who also supported Good News to All Nations financially and joined the Board of Directors.
In 2003, Rev. Magdalene LaRoya anointed her daughter, Rev. Ruth LaRoya Prado, as an ordained minister; she continued to serve as Missions Director for the remaining years of her mother’s life.
After Magdalene LaRoya passed away, the board elected Ruth LaRoya Prado to become the founder-successor of the ministry in both the USA and the Philippines.
Good News to All Nations, Inc. — honoring a legacy of faith, service, and community that spans generations and continents.