Iglesia Filipina Independiente...
A Church committed to community development
A glimpse of the past...
When Iglesia Filipina Independiente was proclaimed by the first confederation of labor unions in the Philippines, the Union Obrera Democratica, on August 3, 1902, it's forst Supreme Bishop declared: "the church is the product of the peoples desire for liberty and development as a people and as a nation." It can be recalled that the historical context when the Church was established is within the continuing struggle of the Filipino people for a free and independent nation, hence in the midst of the early members of the IFI, human development is one of it's primarily concern. The IFI, conscious of its mission and historical vocation, is concerned and believe that it mnust get involved and participate actively in human development for this is the imperative of the Gospel.
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente perceives development:
* as a continuing process and growth towards fulfillment in accordance with God's will;
* As the peoples concrete response to God's initiative in His continuing work of creation;
* As means of uplifting human dignity towards self-reliance, self-governance and self-propagation;
* As reaffirmation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Filipino Church.
It is essential task of the church to promote the good of everyone, of the whole person, and of the whole human community. This concern for human development is an expression of faith. IFI believe that persons humanity is God's gift and it is our responsibility to preserve and uphold it.
For the IGlesia Filipina Independiente, the church missionary presence in the world is her being the Salt, the Light, the Leaven (Mt. 5:13-15), in the same process and manner that the Filipino people "may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10b). Therefore, development of people is nourishing them to enhance the potentialities God has bestowed upon them so that they may enjoy life and have it abundantly and to enable them to share such abundance with their fellow beings.
The IFI is so specific with her development concept. Conscious that it is an imperative for her to transform concepts into actions; she has to undertake development programs as an expression of its commitment to social action. In 1989, as a concrete response to fulfill her mission to be relevant to the Philippine society, the IFI Bishops in the Visayas and Mindanao dioceses decided to establish a community development program the IFI-Visayas Mindanao Regional Office for Development (IFI-VIMROD).
