The Iglesia ni Cristo: A Case Study

By Anne C. Harper

For the Lausanne Forum 2004 Group 16.

The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is a significant element today in the religious mosaic of the Philippines. Boasting several million members in a country of 70+ million, it has seen remarkable growth since its humble beginnings in 1914.[1] The group has spread beyond Philippine shores to 85 countries and territories[2] and boasts a membership that is 25% non-Filipino.[3] While it considers itself the ‘true’ church, it has several distinct teachings which place it outside the realm of traditional Evangelical Christianity. In brief summary, those teachings include a non-Trinitarian view of God[4] which includes an Arian-style understanding of Christ as a created being who was given the role and attributes of Christ; an understanding of salvation which is dependent on church membership, baptism and works; and a distinctive teaching on the role of its founder, Felix Manalo, as the ‘angel from the East’ (mentioned in Revelation 7) sent by God in this dispensation of time to bring the final message. Other characteristics which set this church at odds with Evangelicals are a proof-texting approach to Scripture which seems to disregard the contexts of passages; an authoritarian, centralized church structure; and extreme caution towards outsiders.

 

The purpose of this case study is to explore the INC’s view of Evangelicals and to consider whether we need to reassess our apologetic and evangelistic approach to this group. Writings and missionary experience show that the Iglesia is wary of and can be hostile towards Evangelicals as a result of our focus on the message rather than the receptor, the one receiving our message. We must consider how to better communicate with the group.

 

Introduction

When my family first arrived in the Philippines in 1994, we immediately began to notice many large, ornate, well-kept concrete church buildings with a distinctive architecture that dotted the Manila area. Usually off-white with several tall, thin parapets, these buildings were in sharp contrast to the squalor surrounding them. When we asked about them, answers from missionaries were fairly consistent: “Watch out for the Iglesia ni Cristo, they are very aggressive and hostile”; “Avoid them, for they love to get into loud arguments and debates”; “Their buildings are built so that they can fly away in the rapture”; “They are a major competition in the poorer areas we are trying to reach.” The attitudes exhibited toward the Iglesia were antagonistic and somewhat demeaning in describing their beliefs.

 

Evangelicals’ understanding of the Iglesia was often inaccurate. As I started seminary graduate studies, I began to examine the INC in greater detail to determine what they actually teach and believe. I realized that there was a great deal of ignorance and fear regarding this group on the part not just of missionaries, but of the Filipino Church as well. If we don’t understand them, how can we reach them with the Good News? My goal became to understand their teaching and write about it for the Church. People will hear and respond to the gospel at their points of critical need. The Church needs to discover what those points are.

 

How Does the Iglesia View Evangelicals?

Pasugo is the official organ of the Iglesia ni Cristo. This monthly publication provides the most accurate understanding of the Iglesia’s view of Evangelicals, and when supplemented by anecdotes told by missionaries, presents a clear perspective of the INC’s view of Evangelicals.

 

The Iglesia considers those who claim to be “born-again” or Evangelicals to be misguided--and even deceivers. Almost every issue of Pasugo has an article which debunks the Trinity, and many have pieces refuting the doctrine that faith alone is sufficient for salvation. They describe Christian evangelists as deceivers using gimmicks to win people over.[5]

 

Further, the INC’s teaching is be wary of Evangelicals: “[W]e must be on guard.”[6]

 

Incidents involving missionary colleagues during our first term of service further highlighted this attitude.[7]

 

Why Does the Iglesia Have This Attitude?

There are three important elements which provide the background for understanding the Iglesia’s response to Evangelicals. The first is a historical one dating back to the beginning of the century; the second is the way in which the message has been and continues to be sent to the Iglesia even to the present day; and the third involves a lack of understanding of the receptor of our message. Each of these elements will be discussed.

 

Historical Background

To understand the Iglesia, one must return to its founder, Felix Manalo. A brief history of his early years and the founding of the Iglesia will give a framework for my observations.

 

There are conflicting stories as to how Felix Manalo began the spiritual quest that eventually took him through five denominations, but one thing is clear: initial contact with the Bible caused him to question what he had been taught about God and religion in the Roman Catholic church. Felix joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1904 at the age of 18. He attended Bible training courses and may have become an exhorter or lay preacher. Following his mother’s death Manalo began study with the Presbyterians and stayed with them for 3-1/2 years until he joined the Mision Cristiania, the Christian Mission of the Disciples of Christ, at the age of 22. He then attended classes at the Disciples’ Manila College of the Bible for four years.[8]

 

Manalo joined the Seventh Day Adventists in 1911 after attending one of their Bible studies. He was assigned to Bulucan as an evangelist until he resigned and began a brief association with philosophers and atheists. His turning point came in 1913 when Felix spent three days alone in a closet. He emerged claiming he was to start a new church based on Scripture. It was to be a Filipino church, not one led by a foreigner. He immediately began to preach, forming a small church which he registered with the government in 1914. That small church has grown into the Iglesia ni Cristo of today, numbering in the millions.

 

Why did Manalo continue moving from denomination to denomination? Did he have a problem with authority? Or was there a deeper issue? While the first may have been true, there does appear to be a deeper issue involved which has shaped the Iglesia’s attitude towards Evangelicals. Research into the efforts of Protestant denominations in the Philippines in the early 1900s sheds some light on this issue.

 

Protestant denominations were in competition with each other, often seeking to build their denominational numbers sometimes at the expense of unity (a continuing theme in Iglesia teaching). Perhaps most telling, were the paternalistic and racist attitudes of the missionaries, a result of commonly-held thought patterns of the day in Western culture.

For these missionaries, U.S. nationalism was a component of their endeavors: they were serving not only God, but their homeland. For them American culture was inextricably linked to the Christian message.  For example, most missionaries supported the army during the Philippine-American War and never condemned its atrocities against Filipino civilians.[9]

 

From this research it is easier to understand Manalo’s movement from denomination to denomination. Was he searching for acceptance? For respect? For an opportunity to use his gifts of leadership? For an appreciation of the Filipino point of view and value system? We don’t know, but it is clear these themes were lacking in his interactions with Protestant missionaries. It is not hard to see why Manalo might have left Western denominations to form a truly Filipino church.

 

How Have Evangelicals Been Sending the Message?

Evangelicals have been writing about the Iglesia ni Cristo since 1960. Early writings aimed at summarizing the history of the church and highlighting its false teachings. Later work continued this trend with increasingly hostile language and ridicule. More recent books, pamphlets and tracts have classified the Iglesia as a cult while primarily attacking doctrinal issues. With the advent of computers and the Internet, Web sites on the INC have appeared. Often produced by Evangelicals, these are, again, doctrinally focused and often resort to name-calling.

 

When viewed side-by-side, these books and materials written by Evangelicals present some startling findings. First, the message being presented is doctrinally (or knowledge) focused. Second, the message is being sent in a hostile manner. Third, there is a seeming disregard for the culture of the receptor, e.g., he/she is not treated as an equal; the high value of good relations is ignored and not utilized; the message is given in direct, almost staccato fashion. One who is culturally sensitive to the Filipino context would use relationship as a vehicle and not get “right to the point, because we don’t want to waste time.” Truth is not measured in the same way in the Philippines, because the highest values are different than in the West. A further evaluation of the Iglesia as a “Receptor” is needed.

 

Understanding the Receptor

Filipino culture is Asian. It is not Western, despite having a thin Western veneer in its large mega-cities. The worldview and values of a Filipino are different and at times distinctly at odds with those of us from the West. A recent Pasugo article remarked on this difference, noting that “desirable Filipino traits . . . [are] courtesy, courage, diligence, helpfulness and hospitality.”[10] These are values which highlight a relational society. Most members of the Iglesia ni Cristo are Filipino and speak Tagalog (or local dialects outside central Luzon). It’s important that we understand the receptor of our message.

 

Epistemological Foundations. Paul Hiebert suggests that in order to understand how we communicate, we need to understand our own epistemological foundations.[11] We must also understand the culture we are trying to reach. So a look at the epistemological underpinning of the Iglesia is in order.

 

The Iglesia hierarchy assumes that it alone has the clear and unbiased interpretation of the Bible. The church is Restorationist in outlook, believing the true church disappeared by the fourth century because of apostasy and has only reappeared with the emergence of the “angel from the East,” Felix Manalo. The INC alone has the correct interpretation of Scripture and all most agree to this interpretation in order to be saved. They demand unity in their teachings, going so far as to have the same sermon outline (produced by the Executive Minister) preached in every chapel throughout the Philippines on a given Sunday. In local and national elections their membership will vote in a bloc as directed by the hierarchy. This is to preserve unity. They believe unity is only possible when everyone completely agrees. Members are not to read the Bible for themselves, much less interpret it. They are told what to believe. The Iglesia attacks those who refuse to accept their position. In Hiebert’s typology, these characteristics describe the Naive Idealist.[12]

 

Failure to understand this epistemological underpinning of the Iglesia ni Cristo has led Evangelicals merely to cross swords with them by presenting a different interpretation of Scripture. The result has been rejection of the messenger--and real failure to communicate the gospel.

 

Cultural Distance. Missionaries who have studied this group have tended to focus on the truth of their beliefs, usually stressing differences and pointing out false teachings. The Filipino, in contrast, values relationship over truth or order. Maintaining relationships and harmony are the highest values of the culture. Meaning in life is not based so much on accomplishments as on social connections. There is a hierarchical structure to Filipino society; everyone knows his/her place and is most comfortable in that place. The sense of individualism so important to a Westerner is not important to a Filipino. Societal place and relations take precedence; it is a shamed-based society. Being careful to save the “face” of someone is not just important, but absolutely necessary to maintaining good relations (the highest value).

 

Within the Iglesia there is a very clear class structure which flows from a centralized church structure. Order is important, but only as a means to relationship. No one can advance up the ladder unless his entire family has joined the church and remains active. So there is much social pressure to remain within the church. To question or move away from the church is to disturb peace and unity, which equals offense and shame.

 

Western missionaries have a long way to go to become credible communicators of the Gospel to this group. Filipino Christians have a much smaller cultural distance to cross. Together we must consider new approaches to this large group of people. Do we throw up our hands in disgust or give up because methods we have used in the past have not worked? No, we must reconsider how to communicate the gospel by including the values and worldview of these people in the process. We need to become incarnational representatives of a Triune God Who longs that they know Him in a fuller way.

 

What Are Some Possible Approaches?

Since at least 75% of the INC’s membership is Filipino, effective communication of the Gospel requires understanding important aspects of the Filipino worldview–particularly the fact that it is a “shame-based,” relational culture. This means that the best approach is non-confrontational. Abstract truth is not valued as highly by Filipinos as it is by Westerners. Relationships (family, extended-family, circle of close friends) are valued much more highly. This means that friendship evangelism is a more effective way of gaining credibility than merely pointing out doctrinal error.

 

Strengths of the INC are its care and shepherding of members and its accountability structure. It is a group which values order in its worship services and meetings. Genuine care and concern for church members will communicate Christ’s love for them; disrupting services or meetings with questions and confrontations will alienate them.

 

Christian joy is attractive to Iglesia members, as are testimonies of God’s provision and answering prayer. Talking about your communion (your daily experience) with a triune God, not simply truths you believe, will gain an ear. Valuing friendships and encouraging strengths and talents of INC friends can open doors that allow them to observe in you what the true Lordship looks like.

 

The faith stories of those who have come out of the Iglesia often reveal that Christians befriended them outside of church and introduced to them to other Christians having common interests such as playing musical instruments or computers. The INC member was exposed to a living, vibrant faith in these people and gradually made their way to a relationship with a fully-divine and fully-human Christ. Their conversions were processes, not decision points in time.

 

When sharing with INCers, be aware of different understandings for Christian terms. For example, to the Iglesia, “relationship with Christ” means becoming a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo. “Receiving Christ” means accepting Felix Manalo’s message. Avoid using these phrases. Model your living faith, don’t just talk about what you believe.

 

Remember that church members do not read the Bible for themselves and may face discipline if they attend your church. Invite them to activities away from your church building. Don’t hesitate to open your Bible (not just quote from it) to show Scripture passages in their proper context.

 

When presenting a true Biblical view of Jesus Christ to them, don’t simply rely on a few proof-texts. The Iglesia has developed detailed (although convoluted) rationales explaining why neither John 1 nor Colossians 2 means that Jesus was fully God. Use the entire scope of the Bible, not just a few verses. The Iglesia’s polemic is built around a very few verses. Showing that your beliefs are based on the whole counsel of Scripture and not just a few verses is important.

 

However, we must move away from a merely doctrinal approach to reaching the Iglesia ni Cristo. Since this is a group that will oppose change from the outside, reaching the church hierarchy should be our priority. Change must come from within and above. These men are people with power and wealth, often involved in businesses outside their church walls or in negotiating jobs for Iglesia members. Filipino Christians in similar positions of power need to consciously befriend them and even provide jobs for church members as a strategy for interaction. As relationships deepen, further opportunities will present themselves for understanding the needs and questions these people have--and that the gospel can meet. We must be intentional in our incarnation of the Gospel. Iglesia members need to see how worshipping a God Who gave Himself for us and being in relationship with the incarnate Son of God are different from their church experience.

 

Evangelicals need to consider the possibility of building on existing “pillars” within the church.70 That is, what are the truths and good things that this group teaches and promotes? Good citizenship, honesty, desire to learn, repentance for sins, care for other church members, and much more are biblical values that can be applauded. Their beliefs in one God and the authority of the Bible, though distorted from our viewpoint, can be points of building, not of accusation.

 

We must move from accusation to encouraging dialogue and working together. Concern for the poor, working for justice and promoting harmony are areas where we could join forces. What is important is for them to see that we value them and desire to be in relationship with them--just as God does.

 

There are now many second-, third- and fourth-generation Iglesia members. For some, questioning or disagreement with church leaders’ policies and actions is just under the surface. As church members become better educated, reason causes them to question the church. However, family and relational ties are very strong. We must proceed with much prayer asking the Lord of the Harvest to give us insight as well as opportunity.

 

Conclusion

Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo are a major unreached people group in the Philippines and abroad. They are closed and even hostile to the presentation of the gospel by Evangelicals. This is the result of three factors: Early Protestant missionary attitudes at the start of the century were nationalistic and racist; Evangelicals have focused on the message by using written communication and doctrinal attack as the primary means of communication; and there has been little consideration of Filipino and Iglesia culture in providing a viable, incarnational witness to this group.

 

We have defined Christianity simply in terms of our own beliefs rather than in terms of a relationship with Christ at the center. Our focus has been on proving their religion to be false, not on leading them to become followers of Jesus by knowing Him in a deeper way. While it is appropriate for Evangelicals to point out the error of false doctrine, we must be careful in the way we do it, by showing respect for their beliefs and by not using pejorative language. We need to move beyond words in books and tracts to building relationships--which will take time.

 

We should build credibility not just in ways we think are important (order and truth), but in the ways Iglesia members consider important (relationship, respect). The task is still before us. If this unreached people group were an illiterate society without the Bible, wouldn’t we make every effort to see that they received the Word? The challenge in front of us today is to truly communicate the gospel to the Iglesia ni Cristo in a manner they will understand and embrace.

 

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[1] Philippine Department of Household Statistics, 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Table 5, 22, and Philippine Department of Household Statistics, Household Statistics, 477. Philippine census statistics show that Iglesia membership grew from 475,407 to 1,414,393 from 1970 to 1990. That is a threefold increase in twenty years! Note that these are not church membership roll figures, but how people polled in the homes actually perceived themselves

[2] Bienvenido C. Santiago, “Four Decades of Reminiscence,” Pasugo 55 (April 2003): 3.

[3] Interview with Lita Javier, Curator of the Iglesia ni Cristo Museum, Quezon City, Philippines on May , 2002.

[4] I have written an extensive analysis of Iglesia theology examining what the church believes, how that has developed over time, and what initially influenced its formation. See Anne C. Harper, The Theology of the Iglesia ni Cristo unpublished paper (Quezon City: Alliance Biblical Seminary, March 1997).

[5] Isaias T. Samson, Jr., “Not a Prejudicial Thing to Say,” Pasugo 50 (October 1998): 5. Reuben D. Aromin, “God’s Everlasting Covenant with His People: Part I,” Pasugo 50 (January 1998): 14. Donald Pinnoch, “The Charismatic Movement,” Pasugo 51 (January 1999): 7.

[6] Ferdinand P. Alcid, “The Rightful Preachers of God’s Word,” Pasugo 50 (August 1998): 8.

[7] See Anne C. Harper, “The Iglesia ni Cristo and the Evangelical Christianity,” Journal of Asian Mission 3 (March 2001): 101-119.

[8] Arthur Leonard Tuggy, Iglesia ni Cristo: A Study in Independent Church Dynamics (Quezon City: Conservative Baptist Publishers, Inc. 1976) 18-19, 25-30, and Fernando G. Elesterio, The Iglesia ni Kristo: Its Christology and Ecclesiology, Cardinal Bea Studies V (Manila: Loyola School of Theology, 1988) 7, 8. This is the Iglesia ni Cristo (Quezon City: Iglesia ni Cristo, 1976) 5.

[9] See Kenton J. Clymer, Protestant Missionaries in the Philippines, 1898-1916 (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1986).

[10] El P. Buela, “Metro Manila South Instills Nationalism in Children,” Pasugo 50 (October 1998): 29.

[11] Paul G. Hiebert, Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994) 20-51.

[12] Ibid., 50.

 

 

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