Pastor Rhyjob “RJ” Cabugwas was born May 30, 1978 in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, the southern part of the Philippines. As a pastor’s son, he grew up going to church and was saved at the age of 8, in the summer of 1986 at the Word of Life Camp. Pastor Cabugwas attended the Baptist Bible Seminary and Institute in Kaytikling, Taytay, Rizal, where he was called to preach in 1997. He later went on to graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Theology in 1999.
After college, Pastor Cabugwas began interning at the formerly “First Filipino Baptist Church of Spring Valley” in 1998. It was while working here, he married Phebe Cabugwas, a missionary’s daughter and a graduate of the Doane Baptist Seminary on May 21, 2004. Together they have two sons (Reuben James, 2007 and Sean Jephunneh, 2010), and one beautiful daughter (Karisse Hope, 2013). Over the years, Pastor Cabugwas had faithfully served as an intern, until he was later called to be the senior pastor.
Today Pastor Cabugwas continues to serve faithfully as the Senior Pastor of the now First Baptist Church of Spring Valley with his loving wife and family.