The
Iglesia ni Cristo ;
TagalogTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 22 million people.It is related to Austronesian languages such as Chamorro , Indonesian, Malay, Javanese and Paiwan , Cham , and Tetum...
for
Church of Christ; also known as
INC, or
Iglesia, formerly
Iglesya ni Kristo, is the largest entirely indigenous
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
religious organization that originated from the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as
restorationistIn Christianity the term restorationism, sometimes called Christian primitivism, refers to the belief that a purer form of Christianity should be restored using the early church as a model...
in outlook and theme. , but nothing can be found to connect the INC to the
Restoration MovementThe Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
. Felix Y. Manalo officially registered the church as a
corporation soleIn English Law, a corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single incorporated office, occupied by a single man or woman...
with him as executive minister on July 27, 1914 and because of this, most publications refer to him as the founder of the church. However, the official doctrines of the church profess that Jesus Christ is the founder of the INC and that Felix Manalo was God's last messenger, whom he sent to re-establish the Christian Church to its true, pristine form because the original church
apostatizedThe Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to allege a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, or especially of Catholicism, magisterial Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy, that it is not representative of the faith founded by Jesus and promulgated through his twelve...
. They believe that the apostatized church is the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
, and proclaim that Catholic beliefs shared by most Christians, such as the Trinity - which is according to the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church as the central dogma of Christian theology- are proof of this apostacy. The organization does not believe in the
TrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases, but one being. Each of the persons is understood as having the one...
, nor that the divinity of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
and the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
are Biblical. While calling itself a Christian denomination, it is considered to be a cult by some Christian denominations due to their rejection of the divinity of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
and the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
.
On August 31, 2009, Iglesia ni Cristo's Executive Minister
Eraño G. ManaloEraño de Guzman Manalo , also known as Ka Erdy, was the Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, serving from 1963 until 2009. He took over the administration of the church after the death of his father, Felix Manalo, in 1963. He was instrumental in the propagation and expansion of the church...
died of cardiopulmonary arrest.
Eduardo V. ManaloEduardo Villanueva Manalo, is the current Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo . Following the death of his father, Eraño G. Manalo, he was widely believed to be formally named to the post of Executive Minister....
is expected to succeed him as leader of the Iglesia ni Cristo.
History
The historical context of the Iglesia ni Cristo lies in a period of the early 20th century characterised by a variety of rural anti-colonialism movements, often with religious undertones, in the
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
.
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
missionaryA Christian mission has been widely defined, since the Lausanne Congress of 1974, as that which is designed "to form a viable indigenous church-planting and world changing movement." This definition is motivated by a theologically imperative theme of the Bible to make God known, as outlined in the...
work was exposing
Filipino cultureCulture of the Philippines reflects the complexity of the history of the Philippines through the blending of several diverse indigenous cultures, and foreign cultures such as Chinese and Spanish....
to many alternatives to the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
, which had been installed under
Spanish ruleThe Spanish Empire was one of the largest empires in world history, and one of the first global empires. It included territories and colonies in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania, from the 15th century through—in the case of its African holdings—the latter portion of the 20th century...
. Some observers see the INC as an aggressive, materially successful, indigenous movement which became a major religious movement in only a period of fifty years. The success of the INC is attributed primarily to its leadership.
Pioneering years - 1913 to 1916
In search of the truth, Felix Manalo as a young adult drifted from one organization to another, including atheism and agnosticism. At some point in his life, his own studies brought him to what would be the basis for the teachings of Iglesia ni Cristo. In 1913, Manalo began to preach his religion to whoever would listen.
The INC began with a handful of followers on July 27, 1914 in Punta, Santa Ana,
ManilaThe City of Manila , or simply Manila or Maynila, is the capital of the Philippines and one of the 17 cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila. It is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay, on the western portion of the National Capital Region, in the western side of Luzon...
; with Manalo as its head minister. Manalo propagated his message within his local area, growing the Iglesia ni Cristo and converting members of other religions. From the beginning, the INC used Filipino in language, lessons and instructions, and hymns. His first chapel was made of bamboo and was not constructed until two years after he began preaching.
The Catholic Church attributed its growth to the novelty of Protestantism, which was brought to the Philippines by the Americans. They believed that Manalo would not stand against the theological sophistication of Catholic orthodoxy. The INC however continued to grow beyond World War II. Evangelicals had an overall negative view of
Felix ManaloFelix Ysagun Manalo , also known as Ka Félix, was the first Executive Minister of the religious organization Iglesia ni Cristo, and incorporated it with the Philippine Government on July 27, 1914. He is the father of Eraño G...
and the INC in particular, and Filipinos in general. Ridicule was the prevailing attitude. As written by Ann C. Harper, evangelical preachers and missionaries were mostly racist and prejudiced.
In Tondo, Manalo started his first of many debates. By this time, Manalo was already well honed with the Bible and was a master public speaker. He defeated both the Protestant ministers and Catholic priests who entered the debate with him, resulting in many converts. In 1916, Manalo began establishing congregations throughout the provinces.
Continuing Growth - 1916 to 1963
Despite critics belief that INC's success was only temporary, its growth continued. Observers attribute the Iglesia's growth to the active involvement of its members and their unity in faith.
The INC expanded slowly from its roots in Manila until it established a credible national network even before the Second World War, reaching Cotabato province in Mindanao in 1941. Even during the Japanese Occupation, the Iglesia kept on expanding.
In 1948, the Iglesia built its first central office and official residence of the executive minister on Riverside Street, San Juan, Metro Manila. After the war, the congregation grew from approximately 85,000 in 1936, to 200,000 in 1954. By 1970, the INC had about 500,000 members and was established in almost every province in the Philippines.
In the late 1950s, as Felix Manalo's health started to fail, Eraño Manalo began to take on leadership role under his father's guidance. And when Felix Manalo died in 1963, it did not cause any disruption in the church's activities. His son
ErañoEraño de Guzman Manalo , also known as Ka Erdy, was the Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, serving from 1963 until 2009. He took over the administration of the church after the death of his father, Felix Manalo, in 1963. He was instrumental in the propagation and expansion of the church...
took over duties as executive minister and later on, his grandson
Eduardo V. ManaloEduardo Villanueva Manalo, is the current Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo . Following the death of his father, Eraño G. Manalo, he was widely believed to be formally named to the post of Executive Minister....
became the deputy executive minister.
Shortly after assuming office, Eraño Manalo began to travel to congregations, officiating worship services and staging religious rallies. He visited farthest congregations from the north to the south assuring the faithful that the Iglesia was alive and had a leader. Over the next 30 years, the Iglesia would establish more than 4000 locals, and 100 districts. The Iglesia became the fastest growing church in the Philippines.
International expansion - 1963 to the present
By the late 1960s, Eraño had proven himself a worthy successor to his father and began a number of initiatives, including the establishment of congregations in the United States and other countries. On July 27, 1968, Eraño Manalo officiated the first worship service in Ewa, Hawaii thus starting the mission of propagation outside of the Philippines. Unlike the Catholic Church during the Spanish colonial period and the Protestants during the American colonial period, religious groups who emerged after the era of colonialism, including the INC, did not have the support and aid of governments and armies to support their propagation to foreign lands.
In 1969, the church began operating its own radio station with regionally syndicated programs, and in 1983 it launched television programming with national syndication.. In 2008, it began broadcasting 24-hours via satellite
DirecTVDirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite service based in El Segundo, California, which transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States. Its primary competitors are Dish Network and cable providers. DirecTV currently has 18 million subscribers...
channel 2068. On March 17, 2009 the Iglesia ni Cristo on Guam celebrates its 40 years of existence in the island. From 7 members who started meeting together outside their work camps, the Iglesia ni Cristo now has 3 local congregation. In 1994, the Iglesia ni Cristo built a permanent chapel then estimated to be worth US$2.1 million. In 2008, on the occasion of the 39th year anniversary of the church, the Legislature of Guam recognized and congratulates the church.
In the 1990s a few congregations were established in cities in which the Iglesia believe as significant in the history of the biblical church. In 1994, the Iglesia succeeded in establishing its congregation in Rome, Italy, in 1996 the Jerusalem congregations was established and in 1997 the congregation in Athens, Greece followed. In 2005, the Roman Catholic Church formally acknowledged the existence of the INC, calling it an "emerging" influential religious group.
According to various sources, including the
1997 Britannica Book of the Year, INC had a worldwide population of over one million members by the early 1980s. According the 2000 census of the Philippine National Statistics Office, over 1.76 million persons in the Philippines were are affiliated with the Iglesia ni Cristo as of that year. or roughly doubling in size in a span of 20 years. Other sources places the number at 2.3% of the population in the year 2000. Some Catholic publications put the number to be between three million and ten million worldwide making it larger than the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It has become the second largest religious organization in the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia . By 2008, the INC had grown to more than 5,000 congregations in the Philippines, and more than 600 abroad. Congregations are called
local congregation, or simply
locale. The INC has local congregations in 89 countries and territories with its members belonging to 102 nationalities and ethnic groups.. Among the 89 countries are included the following: South Africa, Nigeria, Libya, Abu Dabai, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, Kazahkstan, Russia, China, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and American Samoa.
Beliefs
The Iglesia ni Cristo holds beliefs that run contrary and at odds to many Christian professing religions. Some observers describe these beliefs as unique and distinct making it different from what is generally known as traditional Christianity. Doctrines such as the denial of the trinity and the necessity of membership in the Church for salvation are just a few examples of what sets the Iglesia ni Cristo apart from the major Christian religions of today.
The True God
The first and foremost of the doctrines of the Iglesia ni Cristo is the belief that there is only one God, the Father. The Church opposes the doctrine of the Trinity and is not to be mistaken as to follow the beliefs of Unitarians or Arians who also reject the Trinity as outlined in the
Nicene CreedThe Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in 325...
.
According to Iglesia doctrine, "the Father is the only true God, and Christ was sent by Him". The Church upholds that any beliefs that differ from this, such as the Trinity or the
Mormon