BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES (BEC)

What is BEC?

Basic Ecclesial Communities or BEC is the official term for small Christian communities
emerging at the neighbourhood and villages within the parish. It is also called Basic Christian
Community, Small Christian Community, Gagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban, Gagmayng
Simbahanong Katilingban, Munting Sambayanang Kristiyano, Kristohanong Kasilinganan,
Damayan & other local names.
BEC is formed through the initiative of the parish priest and lay pastoral workers or parish
formation teams, usually as part of a diocesan program. It is led by lay leaders and is ministered
to by the parish priest who exercises overall pastoral leadership of all the BECs within the parish.
The BEC members desire to live as genuine disciples of Jesus. They are close to one another and
relate to each other as friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord. They gather regularly to share the
word of God and live it in their daily life; to pray and celebrate their faith; and to find ways to
help and serve one another and those who are in need, especially the poor.

BASIC
This refers to the size of the BEC. A basic community is small enough for the members to know
each other well and relate deeply as friends but not too small that it turns into a primary group or
‘barkada’ instead of a community.
A BEC may be composed of 40 to 200 families within a village; larger than this may be
subdivided into several ‘selda’/cell or family groupings of five to ten families. The family
groupings are part of the BEC and must be linked together.
The term ‘basic’ may also refer to the social location of the BEC – it is at the grassroots, at the
base of society, among the poor and the least.

ECCLESIAL
BEC is considered as ecclesial community because it is a new way of being church – the church
at the grassroots – in the neighbourhood, barangay or village.

The ecclesiality of BEC is regarded as part of the parish and diocese, and is under the guidance
and leadership of the parish priest and bishop.

COMMUNITY
BEC is a community – in the neighbourhood, village, barangay, etc. It is not an organization,
prayer group, society, association or specialized group but it is a stable environment where
members often live in close proximity and interact with each other regularly.
Various Forms of BEC
1. Chapel-Based Local Communities. These are communities with 40 to 200 families,
mostly in the rural areas and also urban areas in Mindanao that made use of the
barrio/barangay chapel structures and organizations. Most of the BEC gathering and
activities are held in the chapel which is considered as the social space or center of the
community.

2. Chapel-Based Local Communities with Neighbourhood Cells. This means that the BEC
in the barangay or village is a network of neighbourhood cells. The members of each cell
(5-10 families) gather in the homes during weekdays, while all the cells in a BEC gather
in the chapel for their regular assembly and Eucharistic celebration.

3. Family-Groupings/Neighbourhood Cells without Chapels. These are common in big

cities where most of the activities are done in the homes of the members of the cells. The
gathering of the wider community for assembly and the Eucharist is often done in public
places like covered basketball court, side-street, barangay hall or school houses.

Characteristics of BEC
1. Small communities (made up of families) whose members have a sense of belongingness
and united to one another and to their pastors (koinonia)
2. They share the word of God and are guided by regular catechesis (kerygma).
3. They gather around the Eucharist and have a vibrant celebration of life in the liturgy
(leitourgia).
4. They share their material concerns and get involved in action for justice & peace and
social transformation (diakonia).
5. They emerge among the poor & empower the poor.

The BEC Culture

The BEC is not just an activity or a neighbourhood grouping that comes together to reflect on the
Word of God. It is above all a way of life; a way of living the Christian life to the full; a way of
relating, thinking and behaving; a way of living as disciples of Jesus as a community; and a way
of being Church. The following are the seven pillars of BEC culture:

1. Awareness as Renewed Christians (metanoia)

2. Communion (koinonia)
3. Word of God (kerygma, catechesis)
4. Prayer and the Eucharist (leitorgia)
5. Social Action (diakonia)
6. Option for the Poor (anawim)
7. Participative Membership and Servant-Leadership
1. Awareness of Self as Renewed Christian
 We are renewed Christians.
 We have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior.
 We have turned away from sin and living a new life.
 We have become aware of the presence of the Spirit in our life – the Spirit that renews us,
unites us and empowers us for mission.
 We have gone through a process of conversion and commit ourselves to live as true
disciples of Jesus in community, and continue his priestly, prophetic and pastoral
mission.

2. Communion
 We are family/community; we are close to one another; we live as friends; we care for
each other; we take care of each other; and we share with each other our time, talent and
treasure.
 We regularly spend time together to deepen our relationship.
 As we strive to be close to one another, we observe proper boundary and respect for each
other. We will never exploit or take advantage of each other.
 We are a community of equals and we recognize our diversity of roles and gifts.
 When conflicts arise, we will always strive together for dialogue and reconciliation.
 We are connected to other neighbourhood cells within the BECs, and with other BECs in
the parish; we are part of the bigger community - the parish, diocese, universal church.
 We never isolate ourselves from the wider Church to which we are connected. In view of
this, we affirm our solidarity with our pastors – the priests, bishops and our Holy Father,
the successor of St. Peter.
 We are open to a dialogue of faith and life with people of other faiths and religious
traditions – especially other Christians belonging to other denominations and with
Muslims.

3. Word of God
 The Word of God as recorded in the Bible and reflected in the tradition and teachings of
the Church is the guide of our life.
 We come together regularly to listen to the Word and share it. We allow the Word to
challenge us and to continually transform our life.
 We continue to study to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the Word and the
teaching of the Church.
 We proclaim the Word to others and to give witness to it with our life.
 We uphold the teachings of the church in matters of faith and morals – including its
social teachings that promote peace, justice, freedom, human rights and respect for life.
 When necessary, we will speak out against any manifestation of evil and culture of death
in our midst – i.e., abortion, war, capital punishment, injustices, oppression, corruption,
violation of human rights, ecological destruction, etc.

4. Prayer and Eucharist

  Prayer expresses and deepens our relationship with God and with one another.
 We set aside time daily for personal prayer.
 We come together at least once a week for community prayer or liturgical celebration
(bible-service).
 We gather regularly as a community to celebrate the Eucharist (depending on the
availability of a priest).
 We celebrate communally our fiesta and the liturgical seasons – Advent, Christmas, Lent
and Easter.
 We fully and actively participate in the liturgical celebration in our community and the
parish.

5. Social Action.
 We believe that faith without good works is dead.
 As a community, we are concerned about our brothers and sisters who are in need and we
show our love and care for them concretely.
 We meet regularly to assess our concrete situation – social, economic, political,
ecological. We identify the problems, issues and needs that we have to respond to as a
community.
 We actively participate in the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating
programs and projects that will address these problems and needs.
 We are guided by the social teachings of the Church, especially the principle of the
common good, total human development, human dignity, justice, peace and integrity of
creation.
 We affirm our commitment and option for the poor.
 We live simply and share with our time, talents and resources.
 We collaborate with other communities, groups and people of good will in the struggle
for social transformation.
 We do not allow ourselves to be used and controlled by ideologies, political parties and
movements. We reject terrorism and violence as means in bringing about social
transformation.

6. Option for the Poor

 We embrace evangelical poverty.
 We totally depend on God.
 We affirm our commitment and option for the poor.
 We live simply and share with others our time, talents and resources.
 We make sure that the poor in our midst will fully participate in the life and mission of
the Church and our local community.
 We strive to become truly the Church of the Poor.

7. Servant Leadership and Participative Membership

 We recognize the authority and leadership of our diocesan and parochial pastors (bishops
and priests) over our community. Through them we affirm our communion with the
universal church and our universal pastor – the pope.
 We avail of the structures in the parish and the community that enables us to actively
participate in the process of decision-making.
 We recognize the authority of the local leaders of the community.
 Leadership and authority is to be exercised in the spirit of humble service. Leadership
should never be regarded in terms of power, privilege and prestige. There is no place for
an autocratic or dictatorial style of leadership in the community. The leaders will function
collegially – as a team or council- and will adopt a participative model.
 The leaders are chosen or elected after a prayerful process of discernment on the basis of
their integrity, commitment and competence.