What other people say about
the Iglesia ni Cristo
A LOT OF GOOD things have been said and written about the Iglesia ni
Cristo over the years. Indeed, the Church's successes have made
quite an impression to people of other faiths from the past to the
present.
What follows is the most recent selection of
quotations from the works of both observers and critics.
'Strong and well-managed'
"Why is it that everytime we get to talking about a strong and well-managed, disciplined and
powerful church, we invariably point to the
Iglesia ni Cristo?
'We would even heave a sigh and wonder what
makes the INC so influential. What makes its
members so committed and disciplined that they attend services twice a week without fail?"
~ Bodegon, Joel L. The Isaiah Paradigm: Recapturing the Role of the Laity, p. 116
'Remarkable growth'
"The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is a significant
element today in the religious mosaic
of the Philippines. Boasting of several million members..., it has
seen remarkable growth since its humble beginnings in 1914."
- Harper, Anne C "The Iglesia ni Cristo and
Evangelical Christianity, Journal of Asian Missions (2001) Vol.
3, p.101. Retrieved April 20, 2003 from
http://www.apts.edu/jam/01-1/a-harper.pdf
"Today, the Iglesia counts among its ministers
Americans, Britons, Italian[s], Germans, Africans, Europeans and
other Asians—and even in mainland China, the Iglesia already has set
up churches and its followers are growing daily."
- Felix Y. Manaio―111th Birth Anniversary;
Erano G, Manalo—Golden Anniversary as Ordained Minister," Manila
Bulletin, May 10, 1997
'Distinctive, imposing, dynamic'
" ... the INC each year dedicates approximately
10O church buildings that bristle with magnificent spires, feature concrete soaring arches, are painted in distinctive pastel
colors, and display high standards of maintenance. Enclosed by imposing fences and carefully manicured grounds, each church dominates the local skyline. The imposing sacred structures of this
dynamic religion have thus imprinted both urban and rural
landscapes of the Philippines."
- Reed, Robert, "From local to global: The
expanding mission of the Iglesia ni Cristo in the Philippines and
throughout the world" Retrieved April 21,2003 from
http: / / www.ethnicstudies.ucsd.edu/html/springlectures.htm
'A rock of sobriety'
"The INC stands out like a rock of sobriety, unity and nationalism amid the political, and economic
turbulence shaking the country today. ..."
- Editorial, "Iglesia ni Cristo's Executive
Minister Erano G. Manalo mark his
76th birth anniversary," Manila Bulletin, January 2, 2001
" ... The INC does have discipline and its leaders do keep themselves very low-key, something
that we wish our own Catholic bishops would learn to do. ..."
- Paredes, Ducky: Malaya, February 19, 2003
'A good example'
"'The Iglesia Ni Cristo has indeed set a good
example to other church groups and non-government organizations
extending assistance to our brothers and sisters in war-torn places
Mindanao,' [Bess] Masangkay, who is also the president of the Quota
International of Las Pinas, an NGO known for its various socio-civic
services in cities of Muntinlupa and Las Pinas, further stressed."
"INC's Mindanao mission supported," Manila
Bulletin, July 28, 2000
'Epitome of compassion'
"Beyond ministering to the spiritual well-being of its
members, the lglesia ni Cristo epitomizes and compassion concern even for
those outside its fold."
- "The Iglesia ni Cristo in Century"
Philippines
Free Press: 1900-2000 The Philippine Century, pp.
214-215
"Yet for all its magnificent temples and imposing
edifices and other signs of material wealth, the Iglesia has remained
faithful to its mission as the church of the poor. ... its deeds in
improving
the life of its followers, spiritual and physical, are indelible tracks in
Philippine religious movements."
- Villanueva, Robert C. "A Church In Every
Valley," Philippines Free Press, July 30,1994
'Impeccable leadership'
"... Bro. (Erano) Manalo's organizational
leadership remains impeccable, if not admirable. Who else, for instance
can move the INC as efficiently as the enigmatic Manalo?"
- Lucero, Ferdinand O. "The 30 most Influential
Filipinos" Men's Zone, 1998
" ... for [Brother Erano] Manalo, prayer rallies,
especially one that has a theme of peace amid genuine threats of
war, should remain just that―prayer rallies, without these being tinged with partisan politics. ..."
- Editorial, The Daily Tribune, February 26,
2003
'Dynamic stewardship'
"Under Brother Erano's dynamic stewardship a
fresh era dawned in the administration of the Church, not in terms
of new doctrines or new teachings but in expansion—in the
ever-increasing number of brethren being added into the Church, in
the numerous magnificent house[s] of worship being constructed, and
above all, in its overseas expansion."
Editorial, "Iglesia ni Cristo's Executive
Minister Erano G. Manalo 75th birth anniversary/' Manila Bulletin,
January 2,2000
"Elected by Church elders almost ten years
before his father's death and blessed with keen intellect, good
looks, and charismatic leadership as his father, Brother Erano
steered the Church to unprecedented growth not only in membership
and in infrastructure projects but also in its stature before
Philippine society."
- Philippines-U.S.A. News Tribune, July 21-27,
1994
'God-inspired mission'
"Awed by the lNC's achievements, Senator Neptali
Gonzales, a Protestant pillar has commented, 'The success of this
God-inspired mission which he [Brother Felix Manalo] began in 1914,
is all too evident in the fantastic growth of the Church here and
abroad Its grand chapels which dominate our skyline are unequalled
in their magnificence'."
- Philippine Graphic Magazine, July 29, 1994
___________________
Source: PASUGO, April 2003, p.12-13