United Church of Christ in the Philippines

Presbyterian missionaries in the Philippines in April 1901 invited missionaries of other evangelical churches to a conference to discuss the possibility of working together in the proclamation of the gospel of faith alone as the only way of salvation for Filipino Catholics, Muslims and pagans. Representatives included those from the Methodist Episcopal Church,[lower-alpha 1] the United Brethren in Christ (UBC),[lower-alpha 2] the Northern Baptist Church,[lower-alpha 3] the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Free Methodist Church, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the American Bible Society, and the Presbyterian Church.

The Evangelical Union was then formed on April 26, 1901. The evangelical churches agreed to call themselves “The Evangelical Church” (with the original denomination name in parentheses below it). From 1898 to 1905 these are the mission churches joining in the agreement:

• Methodists (1898; most of lowland Luzon and north of Manila)
• Presbyterians (1899; Bicol, Southern Tagalog area, and some parts of Central and Western Visayas)
• Baptists (1900; Western Visayas)
• United Brethren (1901; Mountain Province and La Union)
• Christian Churches and Churches of Christ/Disciples of Christ (1901; Ilocos, Abra, and Tagalog towns)
• Congregationalists (1902; Mindanao, except for the western end)
• Christian and Missionary Alliance (1902; Western Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago)

Manila was opened to all denominations and mission agencies.[6] The Seventh-day Adventist Church and Protestant Episcopalians did not join because they wanted to go to parts of the archipelago allocated to other groups.[7]

The United Evangelical Church was founded in 1929, which merged the Presbyterian, Congregational, United Church of Manila and the United Brethren Churches.

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After the foundation of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF) by Nicolas V. Zamora, a second major split occurred in the Methodist Church on March 23, 1933. About three years before, Melecio de Armas, a prominent minister had been accused by his colleagues of immorality towards a teenage girl, a church member.[8] At the 1932 Philippine Annual Conference, a committee found the minister guilty and recommended his expulsion from the ministry, but the minister appealed the decision to the Appellant Committee of the General Conference of the Methodist Church of the Philippines (GCMCA). This Committee decided that it does not have enough evidence against the minister, so it acquitted him—thereby overturning the decision of the Philippine Conference. This brought to everyone's attention the subordinate position of the Philippine church. Bishop Herbert Welch, at the 1933 Annual Conference, declared the matter closed, and reinstated the minister.[9]

As a result, a group led by Samuel Stagg, pastor of the influential Central Church (now Central United Methodist Church on T.M. Kalaw), and including five other missionaries and 27 ordained Filipino ministers led by Cipriano Navarro and Melquiades Gamboa, a U.P. professor, left the church and declared themselves the General Conference of the Methodist Church in the Philippine Islands (GCMCPI). All but 41 members of Central Church left their newly dedicated gothic cathedral. This group formed the Philippine Methodist Church, with Navarro as bishop. The church financially supported the Staggs and the other missionaries who joined it. Stagg and his former members formed the Cosmopolitan Church, which became the leading congregation of the new denomination. The independent GCMCPI elected Navarro as acting General Superintendent. In 1948 the Philippine Methodist Church was a constituent part of the formation of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

The Evangelical Church in the Philippines was formed in 1943 under the direction of the Japanese Imperial Forces. It brought together the United Evangelical Church; the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (Disciples of Christ); the Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo; the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF) founded by Bishop Nicholas Zamora; the Iglesia Evangelica Nacional; the Philippine Methodist Church; some Seventh-day Adventists and other churches. It was the first union of churches under full Filipino leadership.

After World War II, former Presbyterians and Congregationalists reconstituted the United Evangelical Church. On the other hand, the former United Brethren in Christ, together with the Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ) and the independent congregations remained as the Evangelical Church in the Philippines. Because the Seventh-day Adventists were forced by the war to join the merger, they immediately left the Evangelical Church of the Philippines after the war.[10]

United Church of Christ in the Philippines (Batangas City).

In May 1948, the United Evangelical Church, the Philippine Methodist Church, the Evangelical Church of the Philippines, some congregations of the Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo, the Convention of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Northern Luzon, the Iglesia Evangelica Nacional, and some congregations of the Iglesia Evangelica Metodista En Las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF) joined together to form the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Enrique Sobrepena of the United Evangelical Church served both as Bishop for Luzon and as Presiding Bishop.

This was the real culmination of the efforts of the Evangelical Union established by missionaries on April 26, 1901, to seek the evangelization of the Philippines through a common effort. In spite of the refusal of the United Methodist, Baptist and other independent evangelical churches, the UCCP was known to be the most visible sign of interdenominational and church unity in the Philippines.[10]

In 1962, the conservative Tagalog Convention of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) decided to join the union of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. It was proclaimed in an appropriate ceremonies at the General Assembly held in Cebu City. In 1998, Nelinda Primavera–Briones was the first woman elected as bishop of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

The church believes that there are two sacraments only: baptism and The Lord's Supper. The church takes a neutral position on the observance of feet washing, taking into consideration the various traditions brought in by the uniting churches. The 1948: Article III Historic Faith and Message states, " We do preserve all the heritage of faith brought into the union by each of the constituent churches and hereby declare as our common faith and message: 'Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, our Lord and Saviour.'[12]"

The UCCP defines baptism as a sacrament of initiation into the church.[13] They believe that baptism is not a means of salvation but a first step of obedience for the new believer. The church permits both believer's baptism and infant baptism. Infant baptism is administered only to infant children of church members as a sign of God's covenant of mercy. In recent times, infant baptism has given way to infant Pághahandóg (Filipino, “dedication“) ceremonies, thus reserving baptism for the time when the child can make a conscious decision to follow Christ. The church also recognises and accepts baptisms held in other Christian churches.[13]

Disciples understood that baptism is a confessional expression of faith and repentance, rather than a "work" that earns salvation. Thus, they insisted that believer's baptism is necessary part of conversion and necessary for its validity. Local churches in the Tagalog and Ilocano regions established by their missionaries practice only baptism by immersion for adult initiates.

The Church believes in the symbolic presence[14] of Jesus in the Lord's Supper (Filipino: Santa Cena, Banál na Hapunan, both meaning “Holy Supper”). They believe that it was given by Jesus Christ[15] to his church as a way of remembering and proclaiming the sacrifice He made on the cross. It is a sacrament that contains an element of remembering and proclaiming Christ's death while at the same time looking forward to the time when they will enjoy communion with Christ in heaven.[15] It involves solemn and serious self-examination. This includes confession of sin and repentance. Communion for them should not be received in a flippant or careless manner.It is the joyful feast of the Lord, hence, it is a celebration.

Each UCCP congregation is required to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper once a month. In most local churches, communion is served in the first Sunday of the month. The observance of the Rite of the Last Supper of our Lord with His disciples is done every Maundy Thursday.[15] Since the Disciples of Christ custom is to have the Lord's Supper central to every worship service, the sacrament is administered every Lord's Day.

The Church believes that every man or woman should be accepted and treated with dignity, grace, and holy love, whatever their sexual orientation (biological sex of person attracted to). In 2014, the denomination voted to adopt a policy that "means that LGBTs should not be discriminated but should be unconditionally accepted...[and] Bishop Marigza confirms the openness to ordain openly gay and lesbian church workers."[16] In 2016, the Iloilo Ekklesia congregation in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, held the Church’s first LGBT-themed worship service.[17]

The Church has also allowed the ordination of women with full rights of clergy based on biblical principle:[18] "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." The UCCP, along with some other evangelical Churches, holds that when the historical contexts involved are understood, a coherent Biblical argument can be made in favor of women's ordination.

Silliman University

• Apayao Community Learning Center in Kabugao, Apayao
• Brokenshire College in Davao City
• College of Maasin in Southern Leyte
• Dansalan College Foundation in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur
• Farmers Institute in Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental
• Ifugao Academy in Kiangan, Ifugao
• Jimenez Bethel Institute in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental
• Kalinga Academy in Lubuagan, Kalinga
• National Heroes Institute in Kananga, Leyte
• Northern Christian College in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
• Philippine Christian University in Malate, Manila (in partnership with the United Methodist Church)
• St. Tonis College in Tabuk, Kalinga
• Silliman University in Dumaguete[22]
• Southern Christian College in Midsayap, Cotabato
• Tabuk Institute, Kalinga
• Union Christian College in San Fernando City, La Union
• United Institute, Inc. in Daraga, Albay
• Pilgrim Christian College, Cagayan de Oro City
• Hinunangan Bethel Christian School, - Hinunangan, Southern Leyte
• Mindanao Institute, Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte

• Bethany Hospital in San Fernando, La Union
• Bethany Hospital in Tacloban, Leyte
• Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries in Davao City
• Silliman University Medical Center Foundation Inc. in Dumaguete[22]
• Visayas Community Medical Center in Cebu City

• CONDORA in Damortis, La Union
• Haran House in Davao City
• NLJA Peace Center
• Shalom Center in Malate, Manila
• UCCP CENDET (Center for Education and Development) in Cebu City

• World Council of Churches
• World Alliance of Reformed Churches
• World Methodist Council
• Church Mission Society
• Christian Conference of Asia

Sister-church relationships are held with the following churches abroad which hold to similar doctrine and practice.

• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
• Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Reformed Church of America
• United Methodist Church
• United Church of Christ
• United Church of Canada

• Presbyterian Church of Korea
• Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Korea
• Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
• Uniting Church in Australia
• United Church of Christ in Japan

• Evangelical Church in Rhineland
• United Evangelical Mission
• Equmeniakyrkan Sverige (Uniting Church in Sweden)

• Felix Manalo, pastor and evangelist of the Church of Christ (Disciples). Subsequently, left and became the first Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ).