Iglesia ni Cristo (1914): 98 Years of Unbiblical Pagan Celebration

Since July 27 is NOT found in the Bible (like they use to demonize December 25 as Christ's birth commemoration), does it mean the Iglesia in Cristo 1914 (INC of Manalo) celebration is all PAGAN too?

The INC Church of Manalo has celebrated its 98th Year FOUNDING anniversary last Friday when Felix Manalo, it's founder registered HIS CHURCH in 1914.

The same OUTCOME research of Mr. Damon L. Woods, a visiting professor at UCLA who earned PhD in Southeast Asian History said in his book The Philippines: A Global Studies Handbook, p. 125-127, (emphasis mine):

One of the new religious groups, started by a Filipino who broke away from American missionary authority, was the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), the Church of Christ. It remains a dominant institution in the Philippines today, its churches and chapels with their easily recognizable architecture scattered throughout the archipelago. It was founded by Felix Manalo, who after being raised in a devout Roman Catholic home and having some contact with millenarian groups at Mount Banahaw, declared himself to be a Protestant at the age of sixteen. He first joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1904 and then the Presbyterian Church the following year, attending classes for a short time at the Ellinwood Bible School. IN 1908, he joined the Disciples of Christ and served as an evangelist for a year before leaving, having been accused of domestic violence. IN 1912, he joined the Sevent Day Adventists, but was supended a year later for alledged adultery. Manalo decided to start his own church and on July 27, 1914, he incorporated Iglesia ni Cristo. Beginning in Manila, the movement spread out into the provinces. By the beginning of World War II, there were churches of this new group in almost every province on Luzon and in the eastern part of the Visayas.

The doctrines of the church begin with the belief that Felix Manalo was the fulfillment of Revelation 7:1-3, which speaks of the angel from the east. Because Manalo had visited the United States in 1919 and then returned from the east to the Philippines, he proclaimed in 1921 that he was that angel. In addition, the church founded in Jerusalem by Jesus of Nazareth became apostate and did not exist from 70 CE to 1914, but was reborn with the appearance of the angel from the east. In contrast to its Protestant roots, the movement is not Trinitarian and holds the Jesus was not divine.

The movement’s phenomenal growth has been tied to various factors, beginning with the charismatic leadership of its founder, who dominated the church for forty-nine years. Not only an eloquent speaker, he was a master organizer who had absolute control. Only Manalo had authority to interpret the Bible, and he prepared the sermon outlines for his ministers. The indigenous nature of the church also made it popular.

Founded by a Filipino for Filipinos, Filipinos alone have been responsible for its activities, including the construction of its many buildings. The use of Tagalog and other local dialects, rather than English, in the services, hymns, prayers, and sermons is also important. The INC has has provided a sense of community for many. Congregations are close-knit, self-contained, and separatist in nature. Members help each other find work, and the church makes loans to those starting businesses. Members are well-trained in the tenets of their faith and, in contrast to other Filipinos, are able to defend their doctrines by quoting the Bible verses. On the other hand, the fear of excommunication keeps members from straying. One can be cast out of the church for excessive drinking or gambling, disagreement with the policies of the church, apostasy, marriage to someone outside the church, and adultery.

In brief:

• When Felix Manalo was 16, he had associated himself with cults in Mt. Banahaw and declared himself a Protestant at a young age.

• In 1904 he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church.

• In 1907 he joined the Presbyterian Church.

• In 1908 he joined the the Disciples of Christ where he was accused of domestic violence (see below), and so he left.

• In 1910 he joined the Christian Mission where he was particularly attracted to Baptism by immersion. He married Tomasa Sereneo of Paco.

• In 1911 he joined the Seventh Day Adventists founded by Helen G. White which influenced his theology much. The same year he married Honorata de Guzman of Sta. Cruz. According to Mr. Damon he was suspended by the Adventist Church for alledged adultery

• From 1912 he was an atheist and agnostic, an unbeliever in God or a supreme being.

• In 1913 he began studying all religious articles he took from former churches he belonged.

• In 1914 he founded a church and registered his it the Iglesia ni Kristo

• In 1921 sensing a threat of schism within his church through a scandal of immorality by Felix Manalo, he declared himself "Angel from the East" or "Huling Sugo".

• In 1922 his fear of schism happened. He was accused of immorality published in newspapers, that resulted in a schism led by Teofilo Ora where Eliseo Soriano, founder of Ang Dating Daan was once a member.

• In 1963, April 12, 2:35 A.M. he died, his stomach burst like Judas Iscariot's death.

Among the teachings of other protestant churches that Felix Manalo COPIED in his INC Church are the following:

1. Denial of the Blessed Trinity heavily influenced by Anabaptists and Restorationists
2. Denial of the Divinity of Christ
3. Oneness (God the Father)
4. Pope as the Anti-Christ witten in Revelations
5. Catholics are damned to eternal damnation
6. State of Dead people "dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5), therefor reject the Doctrine of Purgatory 
7. Baptism by Immersion

According to Manalo, since 70 AD to 1914 AD Christ was a FAILURE saving NO-ONE except when in 1914 when Felix Manalo "re-establish" what JESUS' FAILED to do.  Obviously FYM DECEIVED million Filipinos of which we- members of the CHURCH OF CHRIST founded by JESUS has the mandate and responsibility to SAVE them from Felix LIES.  While they are counting their FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY, let's recommend them to our prayers that one day they will see the TRUE LIGHT coming from the TRUE JESUS who founded the TRUE CHURCH-- the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC CHURCH of CHRIST!