MANILA, Philippines — With just a few more weeks before its July 27 grand Centennial celebration, the Iglesia Ni Cristo under the leadership of its Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo, is conducting more intensive evangelical missions here and abroad, the latest of which was held in Mindoro Oriental, Quezon City and Hong Kong.
These projects will continue even after the Centennial celebration, said INC General Auditor minister Glicerio B. Santos Jr., who was assigned to spearhead the grand evangelical campaigns here and abroad that had reached more than 52 million people to date.
This was part of the continuing evangelical campaign of the INC under its banner project, “Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko” or “My Countrymen, My Brethren” that was launched in April 2013.
The “Lingap-Pamamahayag” activities, which targeted very large venues to accommodate thousands to hundreds of thousands of people, had since been done weekly – sometimes, even twice a week — as part of the pre-Centennial activities of the INC.
Yesterday, June 10, about a hundred thousand people packed the grounds of the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technnology in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro where the INC conducted a “Lingap-Pamamahayag” or “Aid to Humanity” relief-evangelical mission.
Two days before that, on Sunday, June 8, the INC also conducted a similar activity at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City where hundreds of thousands came.
Last June 2, the INC also conducted a similar activity in Hong Kong where at least 10,000 guests and INC members packed the Kowloon International Trade and Exhibition Center. The event was also reported in CNN.
Outside the Philippines, big evangelical missions under the banner of “My Countrymen, My Brethren” were also held in the Dominican Republic; Milan and Rome, Italy; Lahad Datu in Sabah, Malaysia, and in various parts of the United States.
“We will not stop. We are continuing these efforts so that more people will know about the message of salvation and about the Iglesia Ni Cristo which will be celebrating its 100th year of establishment in the Philippines on July 27. This is all for the glory of God,” said Santos who officiates the biblical expositions in these events.
Citing Isaiah 62:11, he said these activities are very important in fulfillment of God’s instructions to proclaim to the whole world the message of salvation as Judgment Day draws near.
In the last two months, the INC also conducted such “Lingap-Pamamahayag” activities in Pampanga, Baguio City, Bulacan, Iloilo, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Pasay City, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Camarines Norte, Marikina City, Palayan City, Bacolod City, Agusan del Norte and Davao.
On Sunday, at the Amoranto Sports Complex, INC General Secretary Radel G. Cortez, read a message from INC Executive Minister Manalo, thanking the thousands of guests who attended the event.
In his message, Manalo said these intensified activities are being done by the Church members as an expression of love for their fellowmen, which is also in fulfillment of the biblical teaching to love others as yourself.
Relief bags containing rice, sardines and noodles were distributed, and medical, dental as well as legal services were also offered to those who sought them. But Brother Manalo, in his message, said these material help would only last a short while.
That is why, he said, the INC is sharing to all the pure words of God as written in the Bible that instruct man on how to achieve salvation come Judgment Day. He then enjoined the guests to continue listening to the words of God.
In Amoranto, a two-hour entertainment program was held before the Bible exposition. Among the entertainers who performed was veteran singer Anthony Castelo who sang his original composition, “Pangarap Mo’y Makakamit” which was about the growth of the INC since it was registered in the Philippines in July 1914.
Castelo, a former Quezon City councilor, said he himself was amazed with the growth of the INC. He said the victory of the INC, a Church that was able to expand to a hundred countries and territories abroad, was something every Filipino should be proud of.
Castelo also performed in Mindoro on Tuesday in the entertainment program prior to the Bible exposition officiated by Minister Santos.
At 6 p,m, the Bible exposition began where INC General Auditor minister Glicerio B. Santos Jr., said: “Nais muna naming ipaunawa sa inyo na hindi kaming mga ministro ng Iglesia Ni Cristo ang nagtuturo; kami ay mga abang mga tagapagtanong lamang at ang Biblia ang sasagot.” (We would like you first to understand that we, ministers of the Church Of Christ, are not the ones that teach; we merely ask the questions and let the Bible answer.”)
In Amoranto, as well as in the other venues where the evangelical missions were held, the grounds were filled with people who attentively listened to the preaching, with the help of large screens that showed the main stage where the INC ministers were.
The style was typically the question-and-answer type of preaching of the INC, where a minister just asked a question, and the answers were directly read from the Bible, after which another follow-up question is asked.
Just a week ago, minister Santos was in Hong Kong where he addressed thousands of people who attended an evangelical mission under the same “Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko” or “My Countrymen, My Brethren” project.
Santos addressed the attendees inside the exhibition center, explaining how 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ established His Church – the Church Of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo in Filipino). He said the proper way of serving and worshipping God was fully laid out for mankind in words of the Bible.
So many of the Churches in today’s world operate in rules created by man, he said, while the Church Of Christ is very strict in the application of the true words of God.
Brother Santos’s presentation included a short documentary, recording the growth and spread of the Church Of Christ.
Efren Valencia, the supervising minister for the district of China, declared the event “a great success”.
“It has been a monumental day in the history of the Church and to see so many visitors sitting so attentively, listening to God’s words — it’s truly touched our hearts,” he added.
The event in Hong Kong was reported in CNN, which described the INC as “the fastest growing Church in the world.”
Preparations are now underway for the INC’s Centennial celebration on July 27. The center of the INC Centennial celebration will be at the Philippine Arena, dubbed as the largest domed arena in the world, with a seating capacity of 55,000. It will soon be inaugurated in Bulacan in time for the Centennial celebration of the INC.
(Eagle News Service)
