IGLESIA NI CRISTO:

An Ethnographic Study
|Lokal ng Tayuman
Apitong Street,
Sta. Cruz, Manila|

Iglesia ni Cristo is one of the minor religious groups in the Philippines, this
paper aims to have a deeper understanding and to appreciate it by knowing its
history as well as identifying some of its important beliefs, practices, and symbols.
This paper likewise wants to determine if modernity has an impact to the way
Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members practice their religion. Lastly, it seeks to verify if
the teachings and beliefs taught by this religion to its members are still relevant to
their daily lives.

Delocario, Martina
Dionisio, Kyle Adam T.
Escudero, Blanca Gabrielle W.
Espeso, Dominique Anne M.
Estrella, Maxine Astrid P.

SEMSOAN A51
 Every midweek, particularly Wednesday and Thursday, as well as during weekends, the
street of Apitong in Sta. Cruz Manila is filled with Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) members cheerfully
and actively interacting with one another as they walk towards their Kapilya (equivalent to
church for Roman Catholics). The Kapilya located here is referred as the Lokal ng Tayuman.
Observing the attendees of the pagsamba (church service for the Roman Catholics), they are
usually in clusters – by family, by clique of friends or by age group that they belong to. Unlike
typical churchgoers where there is an atmosphere of anonymity that separate people, this
community is like a big family wherein everyone knows everyone. Also, the extent of knowing
somebody is not limited to being able to identify his or her name but more of establishing a
deeper relationship with their co-members. In this community, they treat everyone as kapatid or
sibling. Hence, their concern and obligation to one another is not only confined within religious
matters but likewise encompass other aspects of life. Furthermore, after the service, most of the
attendees proceed to a particular area located near the kapilya. There, some individuals is seen
busy yet enthusiastically welcoming and offering attendees with snacks and drinks.

Conception of Iglesia ni Cristo

Iglesia ni Cristo, like other religious groups, has rich and interesting history that is worth
knowing. During the researcher's’ visit to one of its kapilya (Lokal ng Tayuman), the Ministro
that facilitated the service and even the key informants that were interviewed recommended the
group to watch the movie, entitled “Felix Manalo.” The movie presented the life of their founder
as well as the reason how Iglesia ni Cristo was established. Felix Manalo, who was the founder
of Iglesia ni Cristo, was born from a family of Roman Catholics who were very religious and
faithful to their church. In fact, some of his relatives from his father side were priests. During one
summer, Felix stayed in his uncle's’ place who is a priest by profession. His uncle has observed
Felix’ enthusiasm and curiosity to church’s teachings, practices, and rituals and so proposed to
his parents if he could bring Felix in Manila for him to be able to study and eventually pursue
priesthood. However, as Felix became more immersed and familiar with the teachings and
practices of the Catholic Church, he realized that some are against to what is said in the Bible or
entirely non existent. With that, despite his family’s displeasure about his stand and decision, he
still chose to turn away from Catholicism and move from one religious group to another. Such
move to various religious groups was mainly due to one reason – identifying beliefs, practices, or
rituals that are opposed or not reflected in the Bible. Though Felix ended up not belonging to any
religious group, he continued to preach. Nonetheless, as the number of people attending his
service increased the more people asked and began to question to which church will he bring
them. Such dilemma made him to ponder and compelled him to look for resolution. For several
days he persistently studied and read the Bible, he unceasingly searched through the scripture for
God’s answer. From several verses that he came across, he found that the group of people termed
as “Iglesia Ni Cristo” is repeatedly referred as the only group of believers that will be saved.
Thus, he named the congregation he started as Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Presently, Iglesia Ni Cristo’s members include at least 110 nationalities who are from
more than 100 countries and territories in the six populated continents in the world. Additionally,
according to the National Statistics Office (NSO), as of year 2014 there are 2, 251, 941 members
of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) in the Philippines.
A Closer Look on INC: Their Beliefs and Practices

Most of the time, Iglesia ni Cristo is tagged as a very secretive and private religious
group. Nevertheless, the researchers were fortunate enough to be able to directly observe and
participate in one of their pagsamba, Bible exposition, as well as welcomed them to conduct an
interview with some of its members. The Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC’s) beliefs, practices, and
symbols are the primary concern and interest of the group and so the interviews and observation
were more concerned on gathering data and findings about those. One of the most striking
observations the group found is the INC’s total reliance to the teachings found in the Bible. As
what the Ministro said during pagsamba: “Ang lahat ng aking sasabihin ay hindi nababatay sa
aking pansariling opinyon, kundi nababase lamang sa banal na kasulatan sa Bibliya.” (The
statements that I will utter are not based on my personal opinion rather, these solely came and
based from the sacred teachings of the Bible.)

In line with this statement from the Ministro, the minister in the Bible exposition also
based his answers to the questions of the panauhin (guests who are non-INC) on the Bible.
Additionally, not only the teachings preached in the kapilya are grounded in what is stated in the
bible, but also their way of life or their lifestyle, their preferences, and their practices. Even their
intimate life decisions must coherently reflect what is in the Bible. For instance, it is important
for two individuals both be members of INC to qualify for marriage; being in love with someone
is just not enough. As what Ms. Grace said: “Sa amin, kailangan INC din ang aming
mapapangasawa…. Mahalaga na kapananampalataya mo siya upang hindi mahirap ang inyong
pagsasama. Kasi diba, kung magkaiba kayo ng paniniwala parang hindi kayo
magkakaintindihan… maaaring maging ugat pa ng inyong pagtatalo.” (In our religion, we are
taught to marry a person within the same faith. It is important that you have the same faith so
your relationship won’t experience any difficulty. Because if you have different beliefs, you
won’t be able to understand each other… it might cause conflict.)

Nonetheless, their practices and beliefs do not particularly focus on a specific life stage.
Evidently, the teachings inculcated to them cover from womb to tomb, and even in between.
Whenever an INC couple become parents, they bring the child to the kapilya for their practice of
paghahandog - a practice wherein the child is offered to God and integrated to the INC family.
However, it should not be mistaken for baptism. For them, baptism should be done when the
child is mature enough to understand and appreciate the process as well as the doctrines.
According to Ms. Zydnn: “Unlike sa mga Catholics na kahit baby palang binibinyagan na, sa
amin ang pagbabautismo ay ginagawa kapag may muwang na ang bata o nakakaintindi na.
Madalas kapag 12 years old na sya.” (Unlike Catholics who are baptized at an early age, we
believe that baptizing children should be done when they can already comprehend what’s going
on. It is usually done once a person turns 12 years old.)

Moreover, the process of their baptism is not passive wherein the child will only receive
the doctrine. According to Ms. Grace: “Ang pagbabautismo sa amin ay ginagawa kapag ang
bata ay nasa tamang gulang na kasi kailangan nila matutunan at maisaloob ang 24 na doktrina
na ituturo sa kanila. Kapag naituro na sa kanila ang 24 na doktrina, anim na buwan silang
susubukin kung saan titingnan ko kanilang isinasabuhay ang mga aral na kanilang tinanggap.
Kapag sila ay matagumpay na pumasa sa pagsusubok doon lamang sila makatatanggap ng
bautismo.” (Baptism in our religion is done once the child is at the right age because they need
to learn and truly understand the 24 doctrines that will be taught to them. When all the 24
doctrines were already taught to them, they will be tested for 6 months whether they are living up
the teachings that they accepted. Once they successfully pass the test, that’s the only time they
are qualified to receive baptism.)

To be an official INC member through the process of bautismo does not mean an
individual’s responsibility of seeking to be part of the community ends, rather, indicates the
beginning of his or her journey as a member of the community. During the researcher’s visit in
the Lokal ng Tayuman, between the two entrances, cabinets lined the wall (tarheta), which the
researchers found where their attendance cards were located. The presence of an organized
attendance cardholder indicates that participation is valued in Iglesia Ni Cristo. A katiwala is a
member who visits other members who were absent during a church service. In our interview
with Grace, she stated that: “Yung attendance kasi, para yun kamustahin yung mga nag-absent.
Turing namin sa isa’t isa ay kapatid, kaya kapag may hindi naka-attend na miyembro,
pinupuntahan siya sa bahay para kamustahin kung okay lang ba siya.” (The attendance is meant
for checking up on members who were absent. We treat each other as a sibling, that’s why
whenever someone wasn’t able to attend a church service; we visit them to check if they are
okay.)

The statement from Ms. Grace indeed highlighted their strong social bond that extends
beyond their pagsamba inside the church likewise the value they placed to being an active
member. Members are given the option to attend church service in other kapilyas as a way of
keeping its members active, along with this, Ms. Zydnn mentioned: “May katibayan na
tinatawag. Yun yung papel, yun nga, yung proof na nagattend ka dun sa ibang kapilya.” (There
is this so-called proof, a piece of paper that verifies our attendance in other church.)
From the statements mentioned above, it could reflect their perception of attending the
pagsamba as an obligation and not as an option. Furthermore, there are other important beliefs
that Iglesia ni Cristo members uphold that as a result affect their preference, lifestyle, and even
major life decisions. For instance, according to Ms. Grace: “…batay sa bibliya, si Hesus Kristo
ay tao lamang, may mga verses sa bibliya na malinaw na nagsasaad nyan. Tsaka, para sa amin,
iisa lang ang Diyos. Kaya kung magagawi ka sa loob ng aming kapilya makikita mo na wala
kaming santo o mga rebulto, yun din ang reason kung bakit hindi kami nagcecelebrate ng fiesta.
Dun din nanggagaling ang explanasyon kung bakit hindi kami pwede kumain ng handa galing sa
mga fiesta.” (… According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is only a human; there are verses in the
Bible that clearly state that. Also, for us, there is only one God. That is why if you go inside our
church you will observe that there are no saints or figures, which is also the reason why we don’t
celebrate feasts. That is also where the explanation of why we can’t eat food from the feast
comes from.)

In addition, Ms. Zydnn mentioned that: “Si God lang ang Diyos, ispirito siya...Sabi kasi
sa Bible, iisa lang ang Diyos...Anak tayo lahat ni God.” (It is God who is the only God who’s a
spirit… in the Bible it was said that there is only one God… we are all children of God.)

These statements were supported by the explanation of the Ministro during the Bible
exposition wherein he mentioned that Christ was actually a victim of wrong or misleading
interpretations of the Bible because he’s given an identity that is not his. The Ministro cited 1
Timothy 2:5, “Sapagkat may iisa lamang Diyos, at may tagapamagitan, si Hesus Kristo” (For
there is only one God, and one messenger, Jesus Christ). The Ministro also explained how God is
a jealous god, that’s why saints shouldn’t be praised and prayed to.

Also according to Ms. Zydnn: “Tanda ko noon, may gown na ko and lahat ng kailangan
para sa prom, kaya lang natapat sya sa February 14… diba yun yung araw ng pagcelebrate niyo
(Catholics) nung isang santo… umm St. Valentine ba yun?.. Kaya yun, sabi ng Ministro namin
kung ang prom ay matatapat sa February 14, hindi kami pwede sumali… kahit na meron na ko
gamit at gusto ko talaga, dahil bawal hindi ako pumunta.” (Before, I can still remember I
already have a gown and all the things needed for the prom, however, the prom was scheduled
on February 14… which is the day wherein you Catholics celebrate the feast of a certain saint..
ummm, is it St. Valentine? That is why… our Minister said that if the prom will be on the 14th of
February, we are not allowed to participate. Even though I already have all the things I needed
for the prom and I really wanted to go, because it is forbidden, I didn’t go.)

Moreover, eating any animal’s blood for INC members is prohibited. They justify such
belief to be based from what is stated in the bible wherein blood was referred as a symbol of life.
The researchers who joined the Bible exposition also got the chance to listen to the minister’s
explanation on why INC members are discouraged to eat dinuguan and other organs of animals
such as animal liver. During the Bible exposition, when that question was raised, several Bible
verses were cited by the Ministro, such as Genesis 9:1-4, wherein it was stated, God has given
Noah and his family all the animals on land and fishes in the sea as food, but they mustn’t eat the
blood of these living things. The Ministro also cited Deuteronomy 12:15-16 wherein it was
stated that blood symbolizes life. From this, it notably reflects that their beliefs and practices also
extend to one of the aspects of the members’ lifestyle: eating food. Additionally, the magnitude
of influence of their religion to their life is so extensive that even their choice of career is
affected. From what Ms. Zydnn said: “... hindi naman sa bawal, pero dinidiscourage samin yung
mga trabaho na makakaapekto sa aming pagsamba o pagtupad kasi diba required kami
magsamba dalawang beses sa isang linggo, isang midweek at isang weekend… Halimbawa,
kung seaman ka, diba hindi ka naman pwede bumaba or di ka naman makakababa basta basta
para magsamba.” (It is not really forbidden but discouraged that we engage in professions that
could prevent us from attending service because as you know we are required to attend service
two times a week, one midweek and one weekend. For example, if you are seaman, of course
you cannot just leave the ship for you to be able to attend a service).

Consequently, INC members are not allowed to own a business that involve alcohol and
drugs such as bars, clubs etc. as well as any establishment that involves gambling. In addition,
partying or merry making is frowned upon in their religion. Ms. Zydnn mentioned that these are
associated with being mahalay or vulgar. Their primary basis for this again would be the Bible
since these types of establishments and social gatherings are reflected negatively and sinful.
Likewise, they follow a strict dress code in attending church service. Again, the use of the term,
mahalay was used by Ms. Zydnn to refer to vulgar articles of clothing. Females are expected to
wear dresses or skirts (not pants), while males wear polos, long sleeves, and slacks. Even outside
the church premises, members are discouraged to wear ‘indecent’ clothing (e.g. bikini). For
them, following the proper dress code creates an atmosphere of orderliness and uniformity,
which are the characteristics that Iglesia Ni Cristo is known for.

Celebrations that are deemed important for other religions are nonexistent in theirs,
primarily because again, they base their beliefs and practices entirely on the Bible. For example,
they do not celebrate Christmas and when the researchers asked Ms. Zydnn the reason why, she
simply said that: “Wala naman sa Bible yung exact date ng pagkaanak ni Jesus.” (The exact
date of Jesus’ birth is not found in the Bible.)

Notably, during the pagsamba there is no communion. However, they do have what they
called as Banal na Hapunan or Santa Cena. This is a gathering that commemorates Jesus’s
sacrifice of his blood in order to establish the Iglesia Ni Cristo. It is somewhat similar with the
Last Supper and usually done in the month of March. Additionally, they don’t have Holy Week,
they don’t practice confession, they do not wear the cord and veil during matrimony, and masses
are not offered during funerals - only prayers are given which is presided by the Ministro. Thus,
their beliefs and practices are definitely only within the bounds of the Bible, no more, no less.

Moreover, the influence of this religion does not only extend up to their members’
lifestyle but also includes their political responsibilities. Members are required/encouraged to
join in bloc voting. Political candidates are screened based on their platforms and analyzed
which ones are in line with the teachings and beliefs of Iglesia Ni Cristo. Chosen leaders are then
announced to the members a week before the election.

Lastly, another striking belief of INC that researchers noted was their view on salvation.
They are indeed confident and sure that only their religion will be saved. When the researchers
asked why this is so, the interviewees would mention certain Bible verses to support this belief
(e.g. Roma 16:16; Juan 10:9 & Gawa 20:28).

Deciphering Iglesia Ni Cristo’s Symbols

In line with the values and beliefs Iglesia ni Cristo upholds, their logo represents the
meaning of what it means to be a member of INC. Among the different symbols found in the
logo, each one has its own significance and symbolism that links it to the key ideas Iglesia ni
Cristo promotes.

The dove found on the top most area of the logo that symbolizes the Holy Spirit goes
back to the idea of INC that there is one God and no other Gods to worship. In addition,
reference to Matthew 3:16 of a dove representing the Spirit of God coming down from the
heavens as Jesus is baptized in the River Jordan; clearly shows the Spirit of God in a form of a
dove which further clarifies what the dove symbolizes in the logo. The torch underneath the dove
symbolizes their belief that they are the people to be liberated from perpetual suffering. It
represents the light of salvation and serves as a reminder of the eternal life that will be awarded
to those that live by the word of God. Another animal found in the logo is the Lamb that
represents Jesus Christ not as a God but as a human being that dedicated his life in worship of
God to remind its members to follow in his footsteps. To share this belief in dedicating one’s life
to the worship of one God, it creates a unified society in which is represented as an inverted
triangle found in the center of the logo outlining the lamb. Prevalent in the INC is the fact that
they are a tight knit group that acts as one unit. Shown by means of bloc voting or the checking
of attendance in the pagsamba twice a week.

Iglesia Ni Cristo’s teachings to its members are solely by the book, and so it must be
present in the logo as the foundation of all their practices and beliefs. Members have not only
patterned their teachings after the Holy Bible but also their way of life in accordance to the holy
scriptures; INC members make sure they live and stand by how they interpret the Bible and have
been known to dedicate their lives to do so. Found on the bottom area of the INC logo, we can
find the book (Holy Bible) sitting upon two scrolls that represent the two major divisions. The
bible has two sections, namely: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The banner with the colors white, green and red have their corresponding symbolic
interpretations as well. White being the color of hope, green which symbolizes triumph of life
over death, the breaking of shackles, freedom from bondage, in which symbolizes faith in
general, and red which symbolizes courage. The crown that is seen in the middle of the banner
represents their belief that they are the ones to be saved by God based on a passage from the
bible that they interpreted to be that in which they symbolize crown as eternal life. In addition,
INC view God as their light and savior that will bring salvation into their lives. The yellow scales
that surround the banner represent God’s righteousness in salvation.

Towers Pointing at God’s Direction

With its majestic towers pointing towards the sky, the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s architectural church
design is not hard to miss. One would easily identify an INC church, whether he or she is a
member or not. The church is known for its towers to be pointing towards the sky, pointing
towards God. Furthermore, the researchers were lucky enough to be able to observe the interior
of one INC church (Lokal ng Tayuman).

After taking a left in one of the hallways of the kapilya, attendees of the Bible exposition
were separated into two groups: females and males. The males were asked to take the stairs on
the left side and the women were asked to take the right side of the entrance. The two researchers
who participated in the study opted to take their seats on the second floor. They were asked to
not sit too closely, to avoid the production of noise through conversations. The segregation of
female and male attendees, as well as the request of the ushers to the attendees of the participant
to not sit too closely, indicate that interaction between males and females, and conversation
among the attendees were limited, to avoid distraction and ensure that the participants will
remain focused throughout the Bible expo.

The interior of the church, with its straight lines and symmetry, draws the attention of the
attendees to the podium below, where the ministers and workers were located. The choir was
positioned above the podium where the ministers conducted their leksyon (lesson). All of the
forty choir members were wearing white garments uniformly. There were two rows of twelve
choir members each, and two rows with eight members each. The area below where the choir is
located holds thirteen chairs, and three podiums. After asking the attendee seated beside one of
the researchers, we later found out that the chair in the middle is only meant for Eduardo
Manalo, the current leader of Iglesia ni Cristo. The Ministro during the bible exposition stood at
the middle podium, while the manggagawa only stood at the lower podium on the right. The
chair reserved for Eduardo Manalo and the middle podium where the Ministro stood at
symbolize power in INC. The middle chair reserved for INC’s sole leader, Eduardo Manalo,
strongly symbolizes their belief in one leader, and in one God. Additionally, the interior of the
Lokal ng Tayuman did not feature any statues or images of saints, since they do not believe in
saints.

The Use of Filipino language

Language amazingly serves as a huge factor that contributes to a religion’s identity as

well as how its members interact. The use of Filipino as their main language is one of their
characteristics that is quite distinctive. Even the way they categorize their members makes use of
Filipino terms (e.g. Kabataan- 12 years old and below; Binhi- 13-17 years old; Kadiwa- 18 years
old & above and unmarried; Buklod- married). During the Bible exposition, the Ministro solely
used the Filipino language. After talking with some of their members for a while, the researchers
noticed that they also use deep Filipino words outside of the kapilya. Their religion preserves the
Filipino language, especially in our culture wherein an individual’s knowledge is based and
measured on his or her mastery of the English language.

Religion and Modernity

Though the beliefs, practices, and traditions promoted by the founder of Iglesia Ni Cristo
remained as it is since the church’s conception, the existence and impact of external factors could
not be disregarded. Modernity, for example, has facilitated INC to reach different parts of the
world. Through social media brought by the advancement in technology, INC was able to
communicate its objectives and purpose easier and faster helping it to further promote and
encourage membership. Moreover, some of their practices were modified to be able to suit the
modern life. According to Ms. Zydnn: “Noon, katulad nung sa movie (Felix Manalo Movie) ang
bautismo ginagawa sa ilog pero ngayon ginagawa na sya sa pool… tapos sa kapilya gumagamit
na rin ng microphone, projector, sound system ganun… hindi naman porket gusto naming
mapreserve yung mga paniniwala namin di na kami sasabay sa modernisasyon, pero
sinisigurado namin na makakatulong ang pagtanggap namin ng mga makabagong teknolohiya
sa mas maayos at epektibong pagsamba, ganun.” (Before, like in the movie, Felix Manalo, the
baptism is done in the river however, nowadays it is done in the pool… in our church we now
use microphone, projector, sound system and so on… though we want to preserve our beliefs
that doesn’t mean we won’t adapt to the ongoing modernization. But we make sure that our
acceptance of the advancement in technology would help us to better and effectively practice our
religion.)

Thus, it clearly shows that modernity affects the manner they practice their religion.
However, it is also emphasized that such changes or modifications in the process or the way they
practice their religion is not a threat. Instead they make use of it to pursue overall improvement
in their church.

Conclusion

From the statements by the informants as well as the observation when researchers
attended the pagsamba and bible exposition, the Bible’s teachings' and lessons' authority over
their lives is reflected. Their beliefs, practices and rituals, although might be viewed as strict or
bizarre by others, are legitimized by the verses found in the bible, which serve as its justification.
Moreover, although they are known to be very obedient when it comes to following the rules or
their obligations as a member of their community, evident external forces such as modernity
influenced their religion. For instance, their traditional way of doing bautismo in the river is now
conducted in the pool. Lastly, the Iglesia Ni Cristo, without a doubt, was able to successfully
penetrate into the lives of its members. Its teachings and practices were not limited within the
kapilya's walls. It goes above and beyond as it is manifested in their lifestyle, principles, and
preferences. Its distinctive characteristic of instilling orderliness makes its members disciplined
in and out of the church.

Documentation
References:

Bueza, M. (2014). MAP: Iglesia ni Cristo in the Philippines. Retrieved from

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/64391-map-iglesia-ni-cristo-population-
philippines

del Rosario, V. (Producer, & Lamangan, J. (Director). (2015). Felix Manalo [Motion Picture].
Philippines: Viva Films

Iglesia Ni Cristo. (2014). The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ). Retrieved from
http://iglesianicristo.net/#1

T. (1970, January 01). The Iglesia Ni Cristo Logo and Masonic Connection. Retrieved from
http://www.strangetruenews.com/2013/04/the-iglesia-ni-cristo-logo-and-masonic.html