THE CHURCH OF CHRIST (IGLESIA NI CRISTO) IN A NEW ERA
The story of the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) which will observe its 90th founding anniversary on Tuesday, July 27, 2004, is one of the most remarkable sagas in the annals of religious movements. First preached by Felix Y. Manalo before construction workers in Punta, Sta. Ana, Manila, it gained 14 converts who became its pioneer members. Manalo’s message was unique and inflammatory to the established churches: The only way to salvation is to be part of the body of Christ, which is His Church or the Church of Christ or Iglesia Ni Cristo.
Manalo, whom his brethren acknowledge as “God’s last messenger” as prophesied in the Bible, lived long enough to witness the transformation of the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) from a one-man mission to a national religious organization that has become major social, economic and political force. Ten years before Brother Manalo died; all senior church ministers convened at 154 Riverside Street, San Juan, Rizal on January 23, 1953 and elected his son Erano G. Manalo as its next steward. Erano (fondly called “Ka Erdy” by INC brethren) was then Manila District Supervising Minister and General Treasurer.
Brother Erano’s first official acts clearly revealed his vision, courage and wisdom. He made several decisions of transcendent significance. He transferred the Central Office from San Juan, Rizal, to a more appropriate place for conducting its affairs in Diliman, Quezon City where he built a new Central Office Complex which was inaugurated on May 10, 1971. The grandest edifice dominating the compound is the six-storey Central Office Building from which the Executive Minister oversees the church national and worldwide operations. Another magnificent edifice facing Commonwealth Avenue is the Central Temple, the main sacred building with a 7,000-seat capacity.
Behind the Central Temple is the giant tent-like Tabernacle, a cavernous multi-purpose hall used for conventions and conferences. Not far from it is the huge Central Pavilion that can hold 30,000 people, used for big church celebrations. Adjacent to the Central Temple and also facing Commonwealth Avenue is the five-storey College of Evangelical Ministry where ministerial students take a five-year degree course before they can start evangelical work. A few meters from the Central Temple is the New Era General Hospital that opened its doors on April 23, 1993. Another major part of the complex is the New Era University, which is non-sectarian and offers a whole range of university degree courses, including graduate studies.
Another major decision of Brother Erano was bringing the Church of Christ to the West. Today, the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) has gained footholds in many other countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. Since Brother Erano began his stewardship, the Church has established more than 4,700 locales and extensions and 88 ecclesiastical districts throughout the Philippines and abroad. Other Church of Christ programs on literacy, family planning and health care complements the government’s social development programs.
Asked what’s behind Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) phenomenal success, Spokesman Bienvenido C. Santiago said:
“God is the secret of the Church of Christ phenomenal growth. We firmly believe that this Church would not have succeeded in her mission if God had not fulfilled what He had promised to His messenger and to the Church. We believe that several prophecies of God in the book of Isaiah were fulfilled in Brother Felix Manalo’s preaching the Church of Christ in the Philippines.”
Santiago added that as prophesied in the Bible, the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) rapid growth is proof that “indeed this is God’s work.” But he pointed out the task is far from finished. “More ministers are needed, especially for our overseas mission. Even if hundreds yearly are finishing the five-year Bachelor of Evangelical Ministry course at the Church of Christ College of Evangelical Ministry, the demand for more ministers keeps rising.”
We congratulate the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) on the occasion of its 90th anniversary!▄
From: Editorial
PHILIPPINE PANORAMA MAGAZINE
The nation’s leading weekly magazine
July 25, 2004, cover story