Introduction Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog for Church of Christ) also known as INC, and previously known as Iglesia ni Kristo

is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in outlook and theme. INC, however, does not formally consider itself to be part of the Restoration Movement. Felix Y. Manalo officially registered the church as a corporation sole with himself as executive minister 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. INC teaches that the apostatized church is the Roman Catholic Church, and proclaims that Catholic beliefs shared by most Christians, such as the Trinity (which, according to the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, is the central dogma of Christian theology), are proof of this apostasy. The church teaches that the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit are not biblical. As of 2010, the Executive Minister of Iglesia ni Cristo is Eduardo V. Manalo, the grandson of Felix Manalo. HISTORY In 1914, a young Filipino by the name of Felix Manalo, 28 (married), began preaching the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) in a place called the Sitio of Punta Sta. Ana in the City of Manila, Philippines. This event, which marked the beginning of a new religious movement in the history of what is known as the Christian world, occurred concurrently with the outbreak of the First World War in Europe on July 27, 1914. It is the fulfillment of the many prophecies of God written in the Bible concerning His Last Messenger in the person of Brother Felix Manalo and the reestablishment of the Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo in the Philippines. BELIEFS 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 claims that this apostatized church is the Roman Catholic Church who they claim is the Whore of Babylon. They also claim that the Beast of Revelation is the Papacy because the alleged title Vicarius Filii Dei is allegedly engraved on the papal tiara.

They believe that the Iglesia ni Cristo is the fulfillment of the passage above while "east" refers to the Philippines where the Church of Christ would be founded. The INC teaches that its members constitute the "elect of God" and there is no salvation outside the Iglesia ni Cristo. Faith alone is insufficient for salvation. The Iglesia ni Cristo claims that the official name of the true church is "Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo (in tagalog)". The two passages often cited by INC to support this claim are Romans 16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you" and the George Lamsa translation of Acts 20:28: "Take heed therefore . . . to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood" 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. The Bible may be only authentically interpreted by Manalo and ministers exclusively trained at the College of Evangelical Ministry. 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. Thus, INC theology is classified as Arian by Robin A. Brace, a British apologist, and Anne C. Harper, former director of publications of Gordon College in Massachusetts, United States. Adherents profess Jesus' substitutionary role in the redemption of humankind. He is believed to have been "foreordained before the foundation of the world", and sent by God "to deal with sin". Members "are saved by Christ's blood" who died because of his "self-sacrificing love". Members believe that when a person dies, his/her body and soul both 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 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 and will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

PRACTICES 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 hymns, prayers, preaching and 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, which contained about 220 songs, was published in 1937. Youth 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. OTHER As of the 2000 Philippine census by the National Statistics Office, Iglesia ni Cristo had 1,762,845 members, making it the third largest religious denomination in the Philippines after the Roman Catholic Church andIslam, respectively.[98] A 2009 estimate by Brace puts it between 4 to 9 million. The Iglesia ni Cristo does not publish official membership figures. Majority of its members are Filipino exCatholics while most non-Filipino members converted prior to marrying Iglesia ni Cristo people. The earliest non-Filipino converts were American soldiers stationed in the Philippines. Membership is conferred through immersion baptism of adults. The church rejects infant baptism. Newborn children of members are instead offered to God through a Congregational Prayer, led by an ordained minister of the INC. Members who are not living in accordance with the church's teachings may be excommunicated or expelled from the Church, and thus lose salvation (as opposed to the perseverance of the saints). Grounds include adultery, alcohol intoxication, consumption of blood and marriage to members of other faiths.