IGLESIA NI CRISTO

Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog for Church of Christ) also known as INC, is one of the largest and powerful independent and indigenous churches in the Third World. The largest entirely indigenous Christian denomination in the Philippines, the largest religious organization that originated from the Philippine Islands and is the largest independent Christian church in Asia.

Iglesia ni Cristo believes that Iglesia ni Cristo is the true church established by Jesus Christ, because the name Iglesia ni Cristo or Church of Christ is the name of the church that built by Christ that shown in Romans. 16:16. “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you

Felix Y. Manalo officially registered the church with the Philippine Government 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 the last messenger, sent by God to re-establish the Christian Church to its true, pristine form because the original church was apostatized.

Iglesia ni Cristo members are noted for bloc voting in political elections which is unique to the church due to their doctrine on unity and a practice that cannot be found outside INC.

ArchitectureIglesia ni Cristo church buildings (chapels) serve as places of worship and other religious functions, are "vehicles for glorifying God." These are described by Culture and customs of the Philippines, a book published by Greenwood Publishing Group, as structures "which employ exterior neo-Gothic vertical support columns with tall narrow windows between, interlocking trapezoids, and rosette motifs, as well as tower and spires." There are multiple entrances leading to the main sanctuary, where males and females sit on either side of the aisle facing a dais where sermons are made. 

Meanwhile, Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita, anthropologist from Ateneo de Manila University, said that INC churches can be uniquely identified for "its exuberant use of fanciful forms and ornaments [and a] brilliant white facade whose silhouette is a cusped Gothic arch or a flattened Saracenic arch. The distinctive spires represent "the reaching out of the faithful to God." Churches were started to be built in this style during the late 1940s and early 1950s with the first concrete chapel built in Sampaloc, ManilA in 1948.

Uniforms

The uniform for deacons and deaconesses consists of a suit (outside the Philippines) or Barong (in the Philippines) and a white dress (outside the Philippines) or White Terno with Panuelo (in the Philippines) respectively. The choir uniform consists of Jade and cream robes abroad, or plain cream robes (in the Philippines) and Cream Robes with Pine Green Linings (for Central Temple Choir use only). Ministers wear suits during services.

BeliefsChurch

Adherents hold that Iglesia ni Cristo is the only true church of Jesus Christ as restored by Felix Manalo. The church recognizes Jesus Christ as the founder of the Church. Meanwhile, its reestablishment is seen as the signal for the end of days. For example, its founding in July 27, 1914 coincides with the beginning of World War I. They believe that the church was apostatized by the 1st or 4th century due to false teachings. The INC says that this apostate church is the Roman Catholic Church.

Bible

Manalo concluded after his three-day seclusion that "that the conflicting doctrines of various Christian groups could be resolved only through a fresh examination of the Bible from a non-Western perspective." The Iglesia ni Cristo believes in the infallibility of the Bible, which is its sole source of authority

God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit

The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that God the Father is the only true God. The church believes that God is omnipotent, and that He created all, including Jesus Christ, the Son. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is the power sent by God in the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is in the INC ministers giving them the exclusive ability to interpret the Bible correctly.

Thus, the INC rejects the trinity as a heresy.[ They believe that this position is attested by Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

The church believes that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God the Father and humanity, and was created by God the Father. God sanctified him to be without sin, and bestowed him the titles "Lord" and "Son of God". The church sees Jesus as God's highest creation, and denies his divinity.

Felix Manalo is said to be the restorer of the church of Christ, and "God's last messenger"(sugo in Tagalog).INC divides time into three periods: the era of the patriarchs (from creation to the birth of Moses), the era of the prophets (from the birth of Moses to the birth of Jesus), and the Christian era (from the birth of Jesus to the Last Judgment). Adherents believe him to be the last messenger of God in the Christian Era.

As the one who established the INC, Manalo was the chief administrator, chief theologian and spiritual leader of the church.[37] As such, he was the ultimate authority in all aspects of the church, and effectively "the foremost Biblical authority for all humanity and the divinely designated leader of a reestablished church of Christ in the modern world." His influence within the church caused people from other religions to call INC and its members "Iglesia ni Manalo" (Tagalog for Church of Manalo) and "Manalistas", respectively,[25] labels INC members consider as both pejoratives and blasphemous.[

Eschatology

Members believe that when a person dies, his/her body and soulboth die and go into the grave where both would remain until the Second Coming of Christ. Upon his return, all dead members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, including Manalo, would be resurrected to join living INC members. They would be rewarded by living in the Holy City together with God the Father, Christ, and Manalo. After 1,000 years, a second resurrection would occur, and non-INC members will experience second death which is the Lake of Fire or Dagat-dagatang Apoy (in Tagalog).[2]

Practices

Worship and prayer

The church conducts regular worship services, one during the week, and one during the weekend. It is conducted in the local languages (for example, English, Tagalog and French). It involves singing of 2 extra hymns and 3 hymns, prayers, preaching and offering, benediction, recessional hymn which some observers, including Robert R. Reed, label as tithing. Both God the Father and Jesus are worshiped. The ministers of every congregation in a given worship service use the same sermon outline prepared by the executive minister.

Deacons and Deaconesses guide worshipers to their seats and collect offerings. The Singing of hymns is led by the locale's choir. The first hymnbook, termed as Himnario, which contained about 300 songs, was published in 1937. Children's worship services are held every weekend. They use similar lessons as the standard worship services taught using the Socratic method (question and answer. The church teaches that willfully forsaking the worship service is a grievous sin, thus members are expected to attend the congregational worship services twice a week without fail.

The church encourages its members to make prayer a part of everyday life. Thus prayer before various activities, such as taking meals and going to sleep, are commonly practiced Prayers recited in rote repetition are not observed.

Political involvement

INC members are noted for bloc voting in Philippine elections although INC has the biggest conversion turn-out, between 68 and 84 percent of its members voted for candidates endorsed by its leadership, according to comprehensive surveys conducted by ABS-CBN. This is in part due to their doctrine on unity.