In the house of faith

MANILA, Philippines - It is no longer strange for Filipino families to have members who are Catholic, Protestant, Christian or even Muslim even though the Philippines was once dubbed a catolico sagrado country. 

There’s a growing number of Christian communities all over the country. This growth has made us more open towards accepting other people’s beliefs and practices.

“Even though I’d been hearing Mass every Sunday with my family, I felt that there was something missing spiritually. It was as if I was just going to church because I was required to do so. I wanted to be part of a church that seeks to follow the will of God,” says Ginny Guanco, a PR practitioner.

That search led Ginny to a fellowship in Magallanes Theater in Makati where people who have found their renewed faith in the Lord converged every Sunday to give Him praise and thanks.

Ginny’s sister Liz Ty brought her there. For someone who had been struggling with an inferiority complex, Ginny saw how the Lord changed Liz’s outlook in life.

“Liz never stopped praying for me until my stubborn heart gave in to the love of the Lord. There was so much joy and exuberance in the singing and dancing in that fellowship. It was as if everyone knew each other. That very moment, I found a whole new purpose and direction in my life,” Ginny enthuses.

In 1985, Ginny became an active member of the Christian Life Fellowship, which was a full charismatic fellowship.

“Our pastor Loren Thomas Hines made me realize that without God in my life, I am nothing,” she shares.

Ginny admits that she wouldn’t be the person she is today if not for God’s guidance in her and her son’s life, and Christ’s teachings through her church leaders.

Build It and They Will Come

Christian Life Fellowship traces its beginnings to Makati Christian Center, where a small group of people met in 1979. As the congregation grew in number, the fellowship moved to Magallanes Theater in 1985 where it operated until the late ‘90s. In the middle of that year, Pastor Hines began to introduce classic and liturgical elements into the worship services like genuflection, making the sign of the cross (the Orthodox way), wearing of priestly vestments, among others. While some members were disappointed and felt that they were beginning to return to the Catholic faith, which they left when they became “renewed,” others stayed and embraced the concept wholeheartedly.

The Christian Life Fellowship marked a major milestone in September 1994 when it was consecrated as a part of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC). ICCEC has established a communion that blends the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox traditions into one faith.

The Christian Life Fellowship eventually became known as the Cathedral of the King.

That same year saw the consecration of its first bishop Loren Thomas Hines, and Cathedral of the King became a full sacramental Catholic/Orthodox-style congregation in spirit and form.

East Meets West

What used to be a former car assembly plant was converted into a majestic place of worship along Sheridan St. in Mandaluyong City. East literally meets West at the Cathedral of the King as it houses both authentic Russian and Greek icons and the more traditional Catholic statuary. One of the interesting pieces is the Crucified Christ, which is totally naked.

Other statues on the wall are the images of the Risen Christ (behind the altar) and the Christ the King on the altar.

The church’s walls are decked with painted replicas of emblematic Orthodox images such as the Theotokos (Mother of God), Christ the Savior and Baptism of Christ. Various original antique Greek icons are also on display, one of which is the Pantocrator or Christ the King.

The place of worship is huge enough to accommodate more than a thousand members who regularly go there every Sunday.

One Faith, One God

What makes Cathedral of the King unique from other religious organizations is that its main mission is to “reunify the faith/church.”

“We feel that the church is torn apart by the elements of men. We should do something to bring about unity among Orthodox, Catholic, Episcopalian, Anglican, Evangelical and other believers,” explains Bishop Hines.

Respect is key.

“For as long as we respect each other’s beliefs and appreciate what’s valuable in each other’s church, then we are slowly but surely pulling the foundations of the church back together,” he adds.

That integration is evident in the ICCEC liturgy. The Cathedral of the King has developed its own liturgy by blending the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican elements in their service.

The substance of the ceremony remains largely Catholic, while the highly participatory audience is a Protestant contribution. The service lasts for two and a half hours.

“We involve the people. Liturgy is supposed to be the work of the people. But in most churches, the liturgy is the work of the priest and the people just sit still and listen. Here, we involve the people in whatever way we can,” relates the bishop.

Bishop Hines delivers his homily on a practical basis but with greater impact. It’s very instructional and is based on three different scriptures: the Old Testament, the Apostles’, and the Gospel.

“So it’s a challenge on my part to put all these three together and come up with a meaningful sermon,” he explains.

During the offertory, churchgoers bring their offerings to the altar. In doing so, it gives them the feeling that they’re part of the church, part of its family.

“Another important thing is that they are individually blessed for their offerings. So each one of them gets the attention, the blessing they need,” enthuses Bishop Hines.

Like the Eastern rites, ICCEC’s Holy Mass uses leavened bread (which the church members bake themselves), and is presided over by a minister who may be married. Celibacy is not a requirement for priesthood in this church.

“I think that’s the major difference we have with the Roman Catholic Church. Personally, I will not ordain a priest if he’s not married or is not on the verge of marriage. How can we give advice to those who have problems with their wife, husband or children if we ourselves have not experienced it? We can see a priest’s character from his family life,” stresses Bishop Hines.

The Joys of Giving

Much of the emphasis in Bishop Hines’ teachings focuses on the purpose of the church being God’s manifestation in the world we live in.

He is emphatic about the abilities, the power and the gifts that have been bestowed by God so that man can imitate what Christ has done during His earthly ministry — healing the sick, ministering to the broken-hearted, reaching out to children and widows and many more.

“Through various ministries, the church is able to carry out these works of Christ,” Bishop Hines explains.

The Cathedral of the King helps save the lives of those who are under the influence of drugs through the Restorer of the Breach Drug Rehabilitation Center. The center is responsible for renewing and restoring their lives as able members of the society.

Orphans and abandoned children have found a loving home at the Holy Redeemer Home. Foster parents take them in as their own to let them feel the love of God.

“We also have a birthing clinic that encourages natural child birth method,” adds Bishop Hines.

Expectant mothers are coached to do birthing exercises and trained from the onset of their pregnancy so that all their fears are alleviated before delivery.

The church also regularly conducts the Feeding Program for the Blessed. It’s like a soup kitchen where the homeless come to a regular feeding program and benefit spiritually and physically.

“They come to church and use the facilities to clean themselves up and fill their stomachs. There are priests and deacons who conduct Bible classes for them which is followed by livelihoods programs which aim to help them become self-sufficient,” relates Bishop Hines.

These are just some of the various works the church is engaged in.

“This is what the Cathedral of the King is all about…the church manifesting God’s glory!” he adds.

A Mega Celebration

The Cathedral of the King celebrates its 30th anniversary tomorrow at the Mega Tent, beside Renaissance Towers on Meralco Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

One of the major highlights of the anniversary celebration was a three-day conference called, “the 9th Restoration of the Church,” held Sept. 9 to 11 at the Cathedral of the King sanctuary.

With the theme “Manifesting God’s Glory,” the event had as special guest speaker Rev. Simon Chan, PhD., an Assemblies of God minister from Singapore, who received his doctorate degree from the University of Cambridge, UK and is Earnest Lau professor of Systematic Theology at the Trinity Theological College in Singapore. The church is also honored by the presence of the Most Rev. Craig W. Bates, Patriach of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.

 Culminating the entire anniversary celebration will be a formal dinner tomorrow at 6 p.m., which will gather around 1,500 members inclusive of other provincial parishes.To date, there are 52 churches included in the ICCEC territory of Asia — 35 in the Philippines, and 17 in Hong Kong, Europe and Canada.

“This is going to be a day of sharing and celebration. The whole goal of my life is to lift people up. And that’s what we’re trying to do at the Cathedral of the King. The secret is to just grasp the total creation of who we are and nurture the kind of relationship we have with the Lord. Let’s all make God the substance of our life,” adds Bishop Hines.

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For inquiries, call 747-7283.