CBF field personnel Brittany and Casey Ramirez relocate to Philippines to continue long-term Chinese ministry 

By Meg Rooney

With nearly 20 years of experience in Chinese ministry, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Brittany and Casey Ramirez and their two children, Juniper and Finnley, are headed to Baguio, Philippines on July 4th, 2024. Brittany and Casey will serve the overseas Chinese community in Baguio, reaching and ministering to a once predominantly unreachable population. Brittany and Casey will also partner with the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary supporting the seminary to train and equip future ministers in Asia. 

Brittany felt a call to missions from a young age, participating in numerous mission trips throughout high school and college. On one such summer mission trip, she fell in love with the people and culture of China. In college, Brittany attended and served at a CBF church in central Texas where she began teaching CBF’s missions curriculum (now Pathlight). The lessons she taught happened to highlight the ministry of CBF field personnel in China. Just a year later, Brittany joined those same field personnel, serving for two years through CBF’s Global Service Corps (GSC) program. After graduating from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, she attended George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University where she received her Master of Divinity degree. During her time at seminary, she participated in CBF’s Student.Go summer missions program, returning to China multiple times.  

Casey grew up attending church and regularly participating in his youth group. His time at church gave him the opportunity to participate in and learn about the audiovisual and technical aspects of worship services and concerts. The church also partnered with a church in Rio Bravo, Mexico and would go on missions trips every summer to host vacation bible schools, concerts and assist with construction projects. Casey began to feel a calling to missions, though he didn’t quite know what that meant or where it would lead him. Casey attended Baylor University where he received his bachelor’s degree in film and digital media and then his Master of Divinity from Baylor’s Truett Seminary. He went on to work at Baylor and Truett in the audiovisual and IT departments. While his time as a student equipped him for future ministry, it wasn’t until Casey met Brittany at Truett that his calling began to take shape. 

In October 2017, Brittany, Casey and their daughter, Juniper moved to China to serve as CBF field personnel alongside the Christian church. They developed relationships with local church leaders and provided support in developing new areas of ministry and enhancing ongoing church ministries. 

They returned to the United States for the birth of their second child, Finnley at the end of 2019. After returning to China on January 1st, 2020, the Ramirezes would stay in China for only a month before the pandemic forced them to evacuate to Malaysia. For the next two years, they sought out ways to return to China. 

“While we were in Malaysia, we were trying to get back and get paperwork in and we would get close and then a new variant would hit and kind of shut everything down again. And so it was a wild journey of just trying to continue what we felt really called to do and just not knowing why we can’t get back,” Brittany said. 

With a large overseas Chinese population, the Ramirezes found an unexpected home in Malaysia. They were able to connect with the overseas Chinese population who also treasured Chinese culture and shared the experience of living as foreigners in a place that was not their own. While it was not what they wanted at the time, the Ramirezes believe that God used this time in Malaysia to prepare their hearts for a broadened calling in the Philippines. 

“Because of our experience when we lived in China, we were able to relate very well to a lot of Chinese folks. And so it was just a whole different relational dynamic. And during that year-and-a-half, we began to realize that we might be laying the groundwork for being able to accept the fact that, yes, we could minister somewhere else. We could live somewhere else,” Casey added. 

In April 2021, the Ramirezes’ time in Malaysia came to an end and they left for Thailand continuing their pursuit of visas and a way back to China. However, with COVID-19 variants still affecting travel, the Ramirezes ultimately returned to Texas. It was clear that returning to China would not be possible in the foreseeable future. After conversations with CBF administration, and with an opening in the IT department at the CBF offices, the Ramirezes made the decision to move to Atlanta. Casey’s experience in the technology and audiovisual departments at Baylor University enabled him to serve as IT Director and Brittany served as Office Manager for CBF. 

While Brittany and Casey were still in China in 2019, the Asia team had noticed an increasing number of Chinese people moving to different countries in Asia. Recognizing the need to work with this group, Casey and Brittany were tasked with writing a new service assignment to reach this growing need. However, they did not anticipate that they would be the ones fulfilling this role. As we fast forward to the present, they realized that they themselves fit the requirements and began to explore possible locations for ministry to the overseas Chinese population. 

Through a connection with Graham Walker, president of the Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary, they discovered that Baguio, Philippines, would be an ideal location with its history of Chinese immigration and the presence of a Chinese Baptist church. The Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary expressed a need for technical expertise, aligning perfectly with Casey’s skills. This partnership would also ensure their visa and residency in the country. 

While Brittany and Casey are still envisioning the exact nature of their ministry in Baguio, their calling is still to the Chinese community there. Their ministry may involve college outreach or building relationships with Chinese families. They are excited about the possibilities of collaborating with local churches to establish Mandarin services or starting a new church if there is a need for it. The Ramirezes are also excited about their partnership with the seminary in Baguio that not only helps them maintain presence in the country, but allows them to be a part of the important need of theological education in Asia. The Ramirezes look forward to their upcoming journey, scheduled for July 4th, to embark on their mission of connecting with the Chinese community in the Philippines.  

When asked how Cooperative Baptists could pray for them, Brittany and Casey said: 

“We ask that you pray for our children as they go through another transition. While they are excited about the new adventure, they are also experiencing loss as they say goodbye to family and grandparents. This transition is also a big change for us, as we are going to a new place without our previous relationships and connections. We ask for prayers as we learn how to navigate in a new country. We also ask for prayers for this new partnership with the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary.” 

The Ramirezes say that returning to the Chinese community feels like returning home. They are excited to form relationships and engage in ministry again. They are preparing for their departure and enjoy getting to speak in churches and share about their work. Brittany and Casey believe that the Global Church has much to learn from each other, and they are excited to be a part of that exchange. 
 
“We thought our calling was to China. Through our journey, that call has been not only sustained, but broadened. We now think of it as calling toward a people rather than to a specific location as we transition to ministry among the Chinese community in the Philippines,” Casey said. 

To Brittany and Casey, ministry is very relational. They wish to come alongside the overseas Chinese community by being a part of and supporting the ministries already working there. They value CBF’s commitment to long-term presence and emphasis on relationship-building and mutual trust.  

“I hope that we can build trust in our relationships with the Chinese community in an authentic and loving way so that we can be the presence of Christ among that community,” Brittany said. “I struggled with not going back to China because our relationships there were so close, they were like family to us. I am thankful for the opportunity to get to experience that in a new country and culture. I am hopeful to form deep relationships and that we can be a part of building beloved community in this new ministry.”  

Learn more and connect with Brittany and Casey here.