International Worship Centre Roots to success 1990-2026

by Levy Abad

	International Worship Centre at 1077 St. James Street in Winnipeg

After completing my research on the timeline of evangelical Christians in Winnipeg from 1972 to 1994, I began to wonder what was next. Knowing that life goes on, I decided to look into Pentecostal churches and some of the pioneers involved. One question I got from community seniors is, “How about the International Worship Centre (IWC) of Pastor Junie Josue? This question prompted me to recall Kuya (Elder) Sonny Sobrevilla, a self-effacing Christian brother whom I met when I was still working as an executive assistant to Florfina Marcelino, the Minister of Culture, Heritage, and Tourism. Aside from being Evangelical, Kuya Sonny is also a musician. He messaged me on Facebook that he encountered the Lord Jesus in Saudi Arabia in 1986, which had a profound spiritual transformation in his life. He added that he worked in the Middle East from 1984 to 1990 as an engineer before moving to Canada.

Revisiting Tabernacle of Faith

Sonny Sobrevilla arrived in Winnipeg on March 30, 1990, with his family and later attended the Church of the Living Hope during its early years, led by Pastor Fred Sebastian (see Filipino Evangelical Christians of Winnipeg 1972-94, part 3, Pilipino Express). The church would have a steady growth in the early 90s and became well-known in the Filipino community of Winnipeg. As the church grew, it became diverse. According to Sonny, by 1995, seven to nine families, including his own, took a leap of faith and started home Bible studies at 18 Hume Street and in other homes of pioneer members, leading to the formation of the Tabernacle of Faith Church (1535 Elgin Avenue West) in 1997. It will be of Pentecostal orientation. The seven families that started the Tabernacle of Faith were the following: Sonny and Lenny Sobrevilla, Sonny and Lily Teodoro, Bobby and Marivic Sobrevilla, Mario and Leah Velicaria, Peter and Mameng Patana, Lino and Lalaine Espedido, Leo and Annabelle Santiago, Rudy and Janet Bagalay and, last but not least, Danny and Perla Raymundo. It was Mario Velicaria who suggested the name Tabernacle of Faith, named after the church Mario attended in Manila (Source: S. Sobrevilla, April 2, 2026, Messenger). Sonny shared that as a lead Lay Minister, he alternates with Mario Velicaria in overseeing the praise and worship and presiding over the service.

Sonny added that they were introduced to the visiting Pastor Ray Llarena from Chicago by Mario Velicaria. Pastor Llarena was the one who recommended Pastor Junie Josue to the Tabernacle of Faith Church. Llarena was Pastor Junie’s pastor in the Philippines. When Pastor Llarena moved to Chicago for a new assignment, it was Pastor Junie who took over the task of serving the church.

Pastor Llarena, in one of his visits to Winnipeg, found the church on Elgin Avenue West, to be used by the Tabernacle of Faith, which is now occupied by Pastor Randy Casillan’s Followers of Christ Fellowship. Sonny noted that during that time, the Elgin location was occupied by the Weston Gospel Church, pastored by Allan Duncalfe. He added that the Tabernacle of Faith was mostly administered by a laity committee led by him. Its Bible studies and Sunday services were successfully delivered through the committee’s servant leadership until the arrival of Pastor Junie Josue in 1999.

IWC and expansion

By 1997, the Tabernacle of Faith would transition and officially become the International Worship Centre (IWC) in 1999, under the ministry of Pastor Junie Josue. With a steady increase in church membership, the IWC would move to the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba, or PCCM, and remained there until 2010. The same year, the Church moved to 1077 St. James Street, its present home. IWC is probably one of the biggest Filipino Evangelical Pentecostal churches in Winnipeg, which is also making its presence in the province and throughout Canada. IWC Manitoba and Saskatchewan have several sites, such as the North of Winnipeg, St. James, Transcona, Neepawa, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, and Prince Albert. IWC is a member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada in the Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario District (https://www.iwcentre.com/our-story).

I would like to thank Kuya Sonny Sobrevilla for sharing this important information. I’m grateful for his patience with my endless barrage of questions. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.