BROTHER
EDUARDO V. MANALO:
SHEPHERDING THE GLOBAL CHURCH
THE PRESENT EXECUTIVE Minister
of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, assumed
office on September 7, 2009. He is administering the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) which has
more than 100 ecclesiastical districts worldwide, more than 5,000 local
congregations in the Philippine and about 1,000 congregations found in
more than 100 countries and territories, thus making the members of the Church Of Christ comprised of people from more than 100 nationalities. Truly, Brother Eduardo V.
Manalo is shepherding a global Church.
Brother Eduardo Villanueva Manalo was born in Manila, Philippines on October 31, 1955. He is the eldest son of Brother Eraño G. Manalo, who was Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) from 1963 to 2009 and of Sister Cristina Villanueva. It was his grandfather, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, God's Messenger in these last days and the first Executive Minister of the Church, who named him "Eduardo," which means "guardian."
CHILDHOOD
Brother Felix was already on his
sick bed when one day he sent for his grandson, "Eddie," who was
barely seven years old and at the time, was playing in the yard. When Eddie
entered the room, Brother Felix asked his grandson to kneel, and then he placed
his hands over the child's head and blessed him in front of several witnesses.
Afterwards, he had his grandson rise and allowed him to return outside to play.
Eddie's grandmother, Sister
Honorata Manalo, whom he called "Lola Ata," would constantly teach
him and his cousins to kneel while praying, and never to waste any of God's
blessings.
As a young boy, Eddie would get
Brother Eraño's books, bring them to his own room, arrange them on one side of
the table and begin preaching. Only later did he realize that his father was
actually listening through an intercom system. So precocious was Eddie that his
father trained him to type his worship service lessons for him with an italicized
typewriter.
He started his elementary
education in Jose Rizal College (now Jose Rizal University) along Shaw
Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, and transferred during his fourth grade to Jose
Abad Santos Memorial School (JASMS) in Quezon City.
ADOLESCENCE
He continued his high school in
JASMS, wherein he had the opportunity to dabble in all sorts of fields,
including Citizen's Military Training. He was also the guitarist of a singing
group in his school and was active in dramatics.
He held the office of row leader
in the Pagsamba ng Kabataan (PNK) or children's worship service (CWS) before he
began attending classes for PNK Guro or CWS Teachers under Brother Benjamin
Santiago Sr., a senior minister of the gospel. Inheriting the Sugo's passion
for photography, he would contribute pictures for the PASUGO, the Church's
official magazine, and at age 16 began submitting articles to it, the first of
which was titled "Ang Mga Kagutom, ang Bagyo, at Sumpa" ("The Famines,
the Storm, and the Curse," September 1972).
Having a natural love for books, he started his own library, most notable being his still-growing collection of Bibles, since Brother Eraño once told him, "Ang pinakamabuting collection ng manggagawa ay mga Biblia" (The best collection that a Minister should have is a collection of Bibles).
Having a natural love for books, he started his own library, most notable being his still-growing collection of Bibles, since Brother Eraño once told him, "Ang pinakamabuting collection ng manggagawa ay mga Biblia" (The best collection that a Minister should have is a collection of Bibles).
YOUNG ADULTHOOD
It was the wish of the Sugo for
Brother Eduardo to study philosophy in college and so he majored in it as an
undergraduate and continued studying it at the graduate level, both at the
University of the Philippines– Diliman, Quezon City. As an undergraduate, he
joined the UP Christian Brotherhood (UPCB), the Church's official student
organization for the brethren enrolled in UP. He became its vice president for
external affairs prior to becoming its president in his sophomore year. As his
contemporaries would recall, Brother Eduardo was not unaccustomed to debating
with members of other religious organizations, speaking in either Pilipino or
English, as the situation necessitated.
While pursuing his undergraduate
studies in UP, he undertook his ministerial studies at the Evangelical College
(EVCO), now called College of Evangelical Ministry, where in a single academic year, he completed courses for both the
fourth and fifth years of the program. He graduated from UP in 1978, and from
EVCO in 1980.
EARLY MINISTRY
After graduating from EVCO,
Brother Eduardo's first “destino” or area of assignment was in the local
congregation of Cubao in Quezon City whose pastor at the time was Brother Cesar
Pedrozo. Brother Eduardo was ordained as a minister on May 9, 1980 at the
Iglesia Ni Cristo house of worship in Tondo, Manila. After a week of being
assigned to the local congregation of Project 4, he was assigned as a “Tagapagturo”
or Minister-Instructor of Evangelical Studies and as Assistant Dean of EVCO. He
would bring along evangelical students from outside the Philippines, like
Brothers Steven Kroll and Edward Maranan, to different provinces, especially in
propagating God's words, to supplement their experiences in the ministry.
He was also assigned by Brother
Eraño to host a religious radio program in DZEC and to be one of the first
panelists on the TV program “Ang Iglesia Ni Cristo.” As a panelist, he would
receive advice and constant guidance from the Executive Minister, which he
would also share with his students.
AS COORDINATOR OF METRO MANILA
In 1984, Brother Eduardo was
appointed as Coordinator of the Metro Manila Office of the Church, where he
served with pioneering ministers, such as Brothers Benjamin Santiago Sr.,
Aniceto Bunag Sr., and Pedro Almedina. He was also involved in numerous
projects, the most notable being “Project Tambalan,” which was initiated for
the Sugo's Centennial Birth Anniversary Celebration. “Project tambalan,” a
brainchild of Brother Pedro Jaraza, also a senior minister of the gospel, was a
system of inviting non-members that yielded an unmatched record number of
converts into the Church.
In order to document the worship
services being officiated by the Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo initiated
the use of sound and video facilities. He also founded the Society of
Communicators and Networkers (SCAN) for brethren with a common interest in radio
communication. Because the internet was technically non-existent in the
Philippines during that time, he began and maintained a popular Bulletin Board
System (BBS) and further developed his skills in computer programming. He
organized the Data and Network Management (DNM), which allowed computerization
of the entire Central Office. He also sponsored Internet seminars for ministers
in various ecclesiastical districts of the Church.
Based on an article entitled
"RP marks 7th year on the Internet", printed in the magazine Computer World Philippines in March 2001, Brother Eduardo is recognized by Filipino
information technology enthusiasts as belonging to the "group of pioneers
that brought the nation into the Internet Age."
AS DEPUTY EXECUTIVE MINISTER
A day after Eduardo was elected
unanimously by the Church's Executive Council, he was sworn in as Deputy
Executive Minister by Brother Eraño on May 7, 1994. That blessed and historic
occasion was witnessed by brethren all over the world by means of video conferencing
technology.
In 1994, he was entrusted by the
Executive Minister with the historic task of registering the church officially
in Rome, Italy. Two years later, he along with 11 ministers, joined Brother
Eraño in restoring the Church in Jerusalem, Israel. In 1997, he accompanied the
Executive Minister in a pastoral visit to Athens, Greece.
In 1998, he was tasked by the
Executive Minister to make a pastoral visit to the United States, specifically
in the states of Hawaii and California, for the 30th anniversary of the Church
Of Christ's establishment in the West. He officiated the special worship
services held in Neal Blaisdel Hall in Hawaii and San Jose Arena in California,
both of which were filled to capacity. In his homilies, he preached not only in
Filipino but also in English for the benefit of all the brethren.
In the year 2000, Brother Eraño
once again sent Brother Eduardo on a pastoral visit to ten (10) states in the
U.S.A. and to Washington, D.C. In 2006, he was sent by the Executive Minister
to visit brethren in countries in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Brother Eraño took every
opportunity to hold “klase” (class) with his son. Even simple moments like
taking a brisk walk would turn into precious mentoring sessions. Advice and
guidance from the Executive Minister were extremely important to Brother
Eduardo that during pastoral visits outside the Philippines, he always made
sure his line of communication was always open to and for the Executive
Minister. In fact, each time the plane he boarded had barely landed, Brother Eduardo
would already be reaching for his phone to report his whereabouts to Brother
Eraño. It had always been very characteristic of Brother Eduardo to consult
constantly with the Executive Minister.
The ideals of the Executive
Minister have always been the inspiration of Brother Eduardo's project. He
sponsored workshops in writing and translations, and seminars for ministerial
students, as Brother Eraño wanted ministers trained in all fields beneficial to
the Church. Such learning activities culminated in projects like the “Eye 'N
See Life photo exhibit” and Christian Music Video Festival (CMV Fest), which
were under not only Brother Eduardo's sponsorship but also his artistic
direction, given his knowledge of photography, filming, and video editing.
Because Brother Eraño wanted good
values to be prompted especially among the youth of the Church, Brother Eduardo
launched a children's exhibit entitled "Values 101." He also released
animated documentaries about the Sugo and Brother Eraño to help the youth
understand and value their compassionate labors for the Church. In addition, he
initiated the digital restoration of older issues of the Pasugo.
As a composer and arranger
himself, Brother Eduardo has continuously encouraged brethren to compose music
for the Church. He has produced and released CD's of contemporary Christian
music and "audio books" featuring Bible-verse reading paired with
original INC hymns, which are all based on the books and lessons of the
Executive Minister.
FAMILY LIFE
Brother Eduardo met his wife,
Sister Lynn Ventura, when as a minister, he officiated a committee prayer of
the UPCB. They were married on January 2, 1982, the 57th birthday of the
Executive Minister. That was also the year when Brother Eraño devised the “Gabay
sa Pagkakasal” (Guide for Officiating Marriage Ceremony), a minister's manual
in counseling couples to be married and in solemnizing the wedding service.
Brother Eduardo and Sister Lynn
molded their children early in their youth to value Church offices, which, up
to now they fulfill faithfully. Brother Eduardo's constant advice to them is
"Don't let the world influence you, you should influence the world,"
for by doing good, others will do the same. They also instilled in their
children the value of studying hard so that they can use their God-given gifts
in the service of the Church.
Their three children began
studies at New Era University (NEU) before matriculating at UP. Dorothy
Kristine graduated at U.P with Bachelor's degrees in Philosophy and Law, and
now a lawyer and serving as member of the Board of Trustees of the New Era University.
Gemma Minna, having graduated with a bachelor's degree in Music Education and
Choir Conducting, teaches music at NEU-College of Music and serves as one of those that
administer the Church choir and music. Brother Angelo Eraño has bachelor’s
degree in European Languages from U.P., finished Bachelor of Evangelical
Ministry (BEM) degree in 2010, and now an ordained minister of the Gospel, heading the
Christian Family Organizations (CFO) Office of the Church, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Christian
Era Broadcasting Corporation, a non-profit corporation running the INC TV and
INC Radio.
RADIO COMMUNICATION AND OTHER
CURRENT HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
In his early teenage years,
Brother Eduardo became interested in radio communication when he began
tinkering with his father's unused ham radio units and antenna, eventually
becoming a regular Short Wave Listener (SWL). He formed the Citizens Band Radio
Group (Special Forces), and later on progressed to become a licensed amateur
radio operator. He learned the Morse code, and has used voice, RTTY, and
various other radio communication modes, which have afforded him the chance to
communicate with people all over the world. Along with the computer technology,
he is currently interested in astronomy and astrophotography.
PRINCIPLE OF LEADERSHIP
AND ADMINISTRATION
Elder ministers have described
Brother Eduardo as humble. According to them, although he is the son of the Executive
Minister, he has always been respectful of others ministers, especially those
older than he. When it comes to the Executive Minister's instructions, his
principle is to "always obey and never complain" even if it entails
sacrifice, no matter how great, since such derivatives are biblical.
To Brother Eduardo, most
prominent among the many advices his father imparted to him is to have selfless
love and concern for the Church. For this reason, he has also been described as
"compassionate" and a "good listener," although very firm
and meticulous in implementing Church rules and discipline.
Now that the mantle of over-all
Church administrations rests on Brother Eduardo, he himself has emphasized:
“Wala akong iibahin sa sinimulan
ng Sugo at itinaguyod ng Tatay” (I will not change anything from what the god’s
Last Messenger began and what my father continued to uphold), because all that
they laid down for the Church have always been based on Church doctrines and
regulations, in accordance with God's teachings written in the Bible.
AS THE PRESENT EXECUTIVE MINISTER:
A TRULY GOD-INSPIRED LEADERSHIP
Brother Eduardo V. Manalo assumed
the office of the Executive Minister of the Church Of Christ on September 7,
2009, a week after the demised of Brother Eraño G. Manalo.
Brother Eduardo V. Manalo is the
third and the present Executive Minister of the Church Of Christ. For only five
years (from 2009 to 2014), his stewardship of the Church is truly God-inspired.
Of how God guided and blessed the leadership of Brother Felix Y. and
Brother Eraño G. Manalo, the Lord God continued to guide and bless the
leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo.
From 2009 to 2014, for just five
years, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo already established ten ecclesiastical districts
outside the Philippines, namely: United Kingdom, Eastern Canada, Western
Canada, Middle East, UAE, North East Asia, China, Southeast
Asia I, Southeast Asia II, and Australia; ten ecclesiastical districts in the
Philippines including Palawan North, Bulacan South, Tarlac North, Laguna East,
and reorganizing Metro Manila into six districts: Metro Manila East, Metro
Manila West, Metro Manila South, Metro Manila North, Quezon City and Central;
and ordained more than 2,000 new ministers of the Gospel.
Also hundreds of new locale
congregations were established in different parts of the globe as a result of
the intensive evangelical missions launched worldwide. The Church
Administration also built hundreds of new houses of worship in the Philippines
and in different countries worldwide.
As part of the Iglesia Ni Cristo Centennial
Celebration, Brother Eduardo inaugurated the Engineering and Construction
Department Building, the Pilar Manalo-Danao Multimedia Center, and the
Legal-Finance Building (Honorata De Guzman-Manalo Building). All of these are
inside the Central Office complex.
The present Executive Minister
also led the Church with socio-civic projects and activities like Lingap Sa
Mamamayan in San Nicolas, Tondo, Manila last 2012 which gained three Guiness world
records, the World-Wide Walk for Yolanda Victims last February 15, 2014 which
gained two Guiness world records, the Lingap Sa Mamamayan in Palayan, Nueva
Ecija which gained one world record. Brother Eduardo also launched last April, 2014 the resettlement
and livelihood projects in New Era, Leyte for Yolanda Victims.
At the height of the Centennial
celebration of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the Church Of Christ inaugurated the
Ciudad de Victoria complex and the two gigantic structures inside its vicinity
(the Philippine Arena and the Philippine Sports Stadium) last July 21, 2014. The Philippine Arena
with 55,000 seating-capacities is said to be the largest indoor arena in the
world.
Just recently, immediately after
the week-long centennial celebration, Brother Eduardo established three more
ecclesiastical districts: Laguna South (Sta.Cruz), Cavite North and Pampanga
East. This makes Pampanga as the very first ecclesiastical district and the 100th
ecclesiastical district in the Philippines.
Truly, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo’s
leadership is God-inspired.
The victories and achievements of
the Church Of Christ are not the work of men. The Church that came from a small
and poor country and without any support from any government and other
organizations is now recognized as one of the largest churches and the fastest growing Church in the world.
The present status of the Church Of Christ is indeed the work of God, the
fulfillment of God’s promise to His messenger in these last days, Brother Felix
Y. Manalo. In Isaiah 41:9-10 this is what God said:
“I
took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I
said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do
not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
(Isaiah 41:9-10 NIV)
The Lord God indeed fulfilled His
promise to His last messenger, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, and continued
fulfilling this promise to the present Executive Minister of the Church Of
Christ, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo.
Learn more about the
Iglesia Ni Cristo
(Church Of Christ)
I would like to say that you are a true fighter against bigotry just as you were back then...Cheers!
ReplyDeleteexecutive biography
I am one with EVM
ReplyDeleteMaraming maraming pong salamat sa pag gabay po sa amin
ReplyDeleteAng pangako ng Panginoong DIYOS sa lahat ng sumusunod sa lahat ng KANIYANG mga utos at mga tuntunin ay Magpakailanman at ang magpakailanman ay Walang Hanggan. Hanggang sa kaapu a puhunan ng iyong lahi. GOD bless Brother Eduardo and more power to you,your Family and the whole Church of Christ sa mga huling araw. Maraming Salamat po sa inyong Pamamahala.Sa DIYOS po ang kapurihan.
ReplyDeleteYou are always in my prayers Ka EVM. I am one with you for this is the true Church of Christ. May God continue to bless you with the best of health and the finest intelligence so you could continue to steer us towards salvation.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
ReplyDelete