Heritage of Faith and Practice

of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines

By Bishop Erme R. Camba

Introduction
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is a direct result of the Evangelical Union of the Philippine
Islands in 1901 which in turn can be traced back to an inter-board mission meeting in New York in July, 1898 upon
the invitation of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. That meeting was attended by the Congregational,
Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal and Reformed mission boards.
Dr. Bill Sitoy says this was a "first [in American mission that] before occupying a new field, the representatives of
the various boards sat down to cordially plan the situation together, to pray over it and to decide how men and
women could be used to the very best advantage and to the avoidance of many of the evils of denominationalism."
(T. Valentino Sitoy, Jr: Several Springs, One Stream... Vol. 1, UCCP, 1992, p. 12.)
One immediately conclusion is that UCCP has an ecumenical heritage from the start.
This New York meeting happened barely two months after the United States "defeated" the Spanish Navy in a
muck battle at Manila Bay. The day after the "Battle of Manila Bay," Bishop James Mills Thoburn of the Methodist
Episcopal Church saw Dewey's "Jericho-like victory" the "fulfillment of the hopes and prayers of years" and urged
Protestant Churches "to enter in the name of the Lord and give the people of the Philippines a pure gospel." (Sitoy
p.9)
Four weeks later in the same manner Dr. George Pentecost reported to the Presbyterian General Assembly saying:
"...God has given into our hands...the Philippine Islands... [and] by the very guns of our battleships, summoned us
to go up and possess the land." (Sitoy, p. 10)
In response to the "summon to posses the land," main American denominations lost no time to come to the
Philippines, among them: the Presbyterians and Methodists in 1898, the Evangelical United Brethren and the
Church of Christ (Disciples) in 1901,the Congregationalists in 1902.
There were many other mission societies and churches who came and participated in the Comity Agreement but
only these five above mentioned mission groupings became the core in the formation of the United Church of
Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).
It is not farfetched to say that Protestantism came to the Philippines as part of the American Conquest.

Purpose and References

The purpose of this presentation is to trace the historical background of the faith traditions of the United Church of
Christ in the Philippines as far back as to the founding of these mission churches. The primary sources were
Enrique C. Sobrepena's That the May Be One; Bill Sitoy's Several Springs, One Stream..., ; Constitution and By
Laws and Statement of Faith of UCCP.
Supplementary sources are the Churches' Websites and other Internet articles.
The Heritage of Faith and Practice of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines came from the mainline
American Protestant Churches through their Mission Boards, namely:
1. The Foreign Christian Missionary Society (FCIV1S), Christian Church - Disciples of Christ (1901)
2. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission (ABCFM), Congregationalist Christian Churches
(1902)
3. The Women's Missionary Association (up to 1909), afterwards taken -over by the Foreign Missionary Society
(FMS) of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (later to become the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB)
(1901)
4. The Mission Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (1899)
5. The Board of Foreign Missions, Presbyterian Church in the USA (1899)

The Christian Church Disciples

Logo: The chalice with the Cross of St Andrew
(The Christian Church logo of a chalice symbolizes the importance of communion in the Disciples of Christ worship
service. Image: Courtesy of the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ)
(The following information are from Jack Zavada.)
Brief General Information
• Name Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Classification Protestant
• Orientation Mainline
• Polity Modified Congregational and Presbyterian
• Associations Churches Uniting in Christ, Christian Churches Together.
National Council of Churches, World Council of Churches;
World Convention of Churches of Christ
• Geographical areas United States and Canada with partner churches worldwide
• Founders Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone
• Origin: The American Frontier: Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (now West Virginia)
The Disciples of Christ, also known as the Christian Church, evolved from two separate movements both from the
Presbyterian Church, in two different states of USA in 1809. Led by three different ministers: father and son
Thomas and Alexander Campbell (Pennsylvania), and Barton Stone (Kentucky), they were brought together by a
common goal: the restoration of the church to the ideals and practices of Christianity in the first century A.D.
Founders of Christian Church (Disciples) Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell

Disciples of Christ Confession of Faith

The Christian Church does not have a creed. No creed but Christ, no law but love."
The Disciples' Confession states only "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God ... Lord and Savior of the
world."(cf. UCCP Basis of Union)
This is the only statement required of a new member. Belief in Christ as Saviour is the only requirement for
salvation.

Trinity
Disciples of Christ profess God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and they baptize in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Church members are allowed freedom of opinion on this and other doctrines and are
expected to give others that same freedom. As a result, beliefs vary widely from individual church to church, and
even among members within a church.
Communion
The Lord's Table is the central focus of worship in the Christian Church. This explains the use of a chalice as the
church's official logo and the practice of Communion Weekly. Since one of the reasons for founding the Christian
Church is to foster Christian unity, communion is open to all Christians.
In the Lord's Supper, "the living Christ is met and received in the sharing of the bread and the cup, representative
of the body and blood of Jesus."

Baptism
Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. it signifies new birth, a cleansing from sin,
the individual's response to God's grace, and acceptance into the faith community.
Baptism is practiced by immersion at the age of accountability; however, people who join from other Christian
denominations are accepted without the need to be baptized again.

Ecumenism
The Christian Church constantly reaches out to other Christian denominations. One of the early goals was to
overcome the differences among Christian faith groups. The Christian Church belongs to the National Council of
Churches and World Council of Churches and has had conversations with the Roman Catholic Church.
Christian Church is an anti-racist church.
It also ordains women.

Worship Service
Christian Church worship services are similar to those of other mainline Protestant churches. The Sunday worship
service consists of hymns, reciting the Lord's Prayer, Scripture readings, a pastoral prayer, a sermon, tithes and
offerings, communion, a blessing and a recessional hymn.

Congregational Churches
and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM)
Haystack Monument, William College 1806

The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was the 1st American Christian foreign
mission agency. Proposed in 1810 by graduates of Williams College, it was officially chartered in 1812. In 1961 it
merged with other societies to form the United Church Board for World Ministries (UCBWM).
It was the ABCFM that sent Congregationalist missionaries to the Philippines and assigned them Mindanao
Congregational churches are Protestant churches practising Congregationalist governance, where each
congregation runs its own affairs independently and autonomously.
Many Congregational churches claim their descent from a family of Protestant denominations formed on a theory
of theologian Robert Browne in 1592. Browne is known to be the first Separatist and founded the first church
based on Congregationalist principle.
These arose from the Nonconformist religious movement during the Puritan reformation of the Church of
England.
In Great Britain, the early Congregationalists were called separatists or independents to distinguish them from the
similarly Calvinistic Presbyterians. Some Congregationalists in Britain still call themselves Independent. With their
insistence on independent local bodies, they became important in many social reform movements, including
abolitionism, temperance and women's suffrage.
Modern congregationalism in the U.S. is split into three bodies:
the United Church of Christ, with which most local Congregational churches affiliate;
the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches; and
the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, an evangelical group.

Education
The history of Congregational churches in the US is closely intertwined with that of American Presbyterianism
especially in New England where Congregationalist influence spilled over into Presbyterian churches farther west.
Some of the first colleges and universities in America, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Williams, Middlebury,
and Amherst were founded by Congregationalists.

Worship
The Congregationalists were used to a more formal, less evangelistic form of worship than Christian Church
members, who mostly came from rural areas of the South and the Midwest. Both groups, however, held to local
autonomy and eschewed binding creedal authority.

Local Church Autonomy

The United Church of Christ (UCC-USA) is an "extremely pluralistic and diverse denomination." Because of their
firm adherence to the autonomy of the local church, the denomination cannot impose doctrine onto individual
churches. Likewise, because of the belief in freedom of individual conscience, the local church has a hard time
imposing doctrine on its members.

Creeds and Confessions

While they celebrate the historic creeds and confessions of the church, they do not recognize them as
authoritative tests of orthodoxy, but as "testimonies of faith." Since "faith can be expressed in many different
ways," the UCC has no formula that is a test of faith.

Variance of Beliefs and Practices

Members of each congregation covenant with one another and with God in "trustful relationships rather than
legal agreements." The result of this doctrine is a wide variance of beliefs and practices, with no consistency or
standard for churches or people.

Mergers
In 1931 the Congregational Churches and the General Convention of the Christian Church, a body from the
Restoration Movement tradition of the early 19th century, merged to form the Congregational Christian Church.
In 1957, the Evangelical Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Churches to become the
United Church of Christ (UCC-USA).
 United Church of Christ - USA
The motto of the United Church of Christ comes from John 17:21: That they may all be one".
(The following information is taken from the website of the UCC-UA.)

Brief General information

• Name United Church of Christ – USA
Classification Protestant
• Orientation United and Uniting
• Polity Congregationalist
• Associations Churches Uniting in Christ;
National Council of Churches;
World Alliance of Reformed Churches;
World Council of Churches
• Geographical areas United States
• Headquarters Cleveland, Ohio
• Origin 1957
• Merger of Evangelical and Reformed Churches and the Congregational Christian Church

UCC-USA Beliefs and Practice

There is no UCC hierarchy or body that can impose any doctrine or worship format onto the individual
congregations within the UCC. While individual congregations are supposed to hold guidance from the general
synod "in the highest regard", the UCC's constitution requires that the "autonomy of the Local Church is inherent
and modifiable only by its own action."

Four Words Describing UCC

Within this locally focused structure, however, there are central beliefs common to the UCC. The UCC often uses
four words to describe itself:
"Christian,
Reformed,
Congregational, and
Evangelical". (cf. UCCP)

UCC - Theologically Liberal

While the UCC refers to its evangelical characteristics, it springs from (and is considered part of) mainline
Protestantism as opposed to Evangelicalism.
The UCC is generally theologically liberal, and the denomination notes that the "Bible, though written in specific
historical times and places, still speaks to us in our present condition."

Creeds as "Testimonies of Faith"

As in tradition of Congregational churches, in the United Church of Christ, creeds, confessions, and affirmations of
faith function as "testimonies of faith" around which the church gathers rather than as "tests of faith" rigidly
prescribing required doctrinal consent.
The denomination, therefore, looks to a number of historic confessions as expressing the common faith around
which the church gathers, including:
The Apostles' Creed, The Nicene Creed,
The Heidelberg Catechism (inherited from both the German Reformed & German Evangelical heritages),
Luther's Small Catechism (inherited from the German Evangelical heritage),
The Kansas City Statement of Faith (a 1913 statement in the Congregationalist tradition),
The Evangelical Catechism (a 1927 catechism in the German Evangelical tradition), and
The Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ (written at the founding of the denomination).

Christ, God, Holy Spirit, Scriptures

The United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges
as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. (Cf. UCCP)
It looks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its
creative and redemptive work in the world. (Cf. UCCP)

Sacraments, Faith interpretation

In accordance with the teaching of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians, it recognizes
two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.
UCC affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in
honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.

Evangelical United Brethren (EUB)

Official Emblem of The Evangelical United Brethren Church
(Information downloaded from articles in the Internet.)
Brief General Information
• Name Evangelical United Brethren
• Background Reformed United Brethren in Christ, Mennonite, Evangelicalism, Pietism,
Lutheranism, Methodism, Anglicanism, Arminianism
• Doctrinal distinctiveness Articles of Religion, Prevenient Grace, Governmental Atonement, Imparted
righteousness, Christian Perfection
• People Philip William Otterbein, Martin Boehm,
Predecessor groups: Church of the United Brethren (New Constitution Evangelical Association,
United Evangelical Church, Church of the United Brethren in Christ (Old
Constitution)
The Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB) was an American Protestant church formed in 1946 by the merger
of the Evangelical Church (Germans In Pennsylvania) with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.
(This should not be confused with the current Church of the United Brethren (Old Constitution) which separated
from the original 1800 merger on the controversy of adopting a new constitution.)
It is interesting to note that The Women's Missionary Association of Church of the United Brethren in Christ began
the Philippine Mission until 1909 when the overseas work was turned over to the UBC Foreign Missionary Society

The United Brethren In Christ (UBC)

The United Brethren In Christ was an American church which originated in the last part of the 18th century under
the leadership of Philip William Otterbein (1726-1813), pastor of a Reformed Church in Baltimore, and Martin
Boehm (1726-1812), a Pennsylvanian Mennonite of Swiss descent. The Church was organized in 1800 as United
Brethren in Christ with Otterbein and Boehm its first bishops.
Founders United Brethren in Christ
Philip William Otterbein (1726-1813), Reformed
Martin Boehm (1725-1812 Mennonite
The ecclesiastical polity of the Church of the United Brethren In Christ is Wesleyan and its theology is Arminian:
there is no hard-and-fast rule about baptisnl. Bishops are elected for four years. The first delegated general
conference meeting in 1815 adopted a confession of faith, rules of order and a book of discipline. These were
revised in 1885-1889, when women were first admitted to ordination.

Arminian Theology
Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) Dutch
Doctrine - Total Depravity Conditionakelection, Unlimited atonement, Prevenient grace, Conditional Teservation
Arminian Theology is a Protestant development in reaction to the more extreme Calvinism of the 17 th century.
Arminian Theology, named after James Arminius, emphasizes human freedom of choices, whereas traditional
Calvinism .emphasizes the absolute sovereignty of God - even to the point that humans are predestined either to
heaven or to hell, regardless of what they might want to do.
Arminius' ides spread widely and became a part of the doctrines of a number of Protestant sects, like the
Methodists. It is largely from this viewpoint that tolerance was able to gain a foothold in Protestantism because
tolerance requires the allowance that people have some say in their own destiny. Arminian, rather than Calvinist,
ideas gained much wider support in the United States due to the fact that a belief in self-determination and free
will have always been critical premises. in American culture and politics.

The Evangelical United Brethren subsequently merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 to form the United
Methodist Church.
The EUB congregations in Canada joined into the United Church of Canada the largest Protestant denomination in
Canada formed in 1925 by Presbyterians (70% carne in), Methodists, and Congregationalists. (Similar to UCCP)
In the Philippines, the EUB , joined the congregations of Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Christian
Church (Disciples), the Presbyterian Church, the Congregational Church some segments of the Iglesia Evangelica
Unicla de Cristo, Igiesia Evangelica Nacional and the iglesia Evangelica Metoclista En Las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF) in
forming church unions.
These were: The United Evangelical Church in the Philippines, UEC, (1929) and The Evangelical Church of the
Philippines, ECP, (1943), and with The Philippine Methodist Church (1933), and eventually, The United Church of
Christ in the Philippines 1948.)
 Methodism
(Information downloaded from articles in the internet.)

Methodism (from Gk: methodos, "pursuit of knowledge") is a movement of Protestant Christianity, tracing its roots
to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother Charles was instrumental
in writing much of the hymnody of the Methodist Church.
John Wesley, with his brother, Charles founded the Holy Club at Oxford. The Holy Club met weekly and they
systematically set about living a holy life. They were branded as "Methodist" by students who derided the
methodical way they ordered their lives. Wesley took the mockery and turn it into a title of honor.
George Whitefield, another significant leader in the movement, was known for his Unorthodox ministry of
itinerant open-air preaching together with Howell Harris.
Portraits of Founders
John Wesley, Methodist (Arminian) Preach for personal experience in Christ, Reform in Church of England and
Initiated Social Reform
George Whitefield, Calvinistic Methodist, Open air, Revival preaching, Ignited the Great Awakening in the US
Initially Whitefield and the Wesleys merely sought reform, by way of a return to the gospel, within the Church of
England, (Cf. Martin Luther with the Roman Catholic Church) but the movement spread with revival and soon a
significant number of Anglican clergy became known as Methodists in the mid-18th century. The movement did not
form a separate denomination in England until after John Wesley's death in 1791
Theological Outlook
John Wesley came under the influence of the Moravians, and of the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius. Wesley
maintained the Arminian doctrines that were dominant in the 18th-century Church of England. And so doctrinally,
the branches of Methodism following the Wesleys are Arminian. (See above) The followers of Howell Harris and
George Whitefield adopted Calvinism through contacts with Calvinists in Scotland and New England.
The followers of Whitefield became Calvinistic Methodists , while the Wesleyan Methodists have followed
Arminian theology.
Through vigorous missionary activity Methodism spread throughout the British Empire, and mostly through
Whitefield 's preaching during What historians call the First Great Awakening, colonial America. After Whitefield's
death in 1770, however, American Methodism entered a more lasting Wesleyan and Arminian phase of
development.
Mission and Ministry
Early Methodists were drawn from all levels of society, including the aristocracy, but the Methodist preachers
took the message to labourers and criminals who tended to be left outside organized religion at that time. .
The Methodist Church today is known for its missionary work, and its establishment of hospitals, universities,
orphanages, soup kitchens, and schools to follow Jesus' command to spread the God News and serve all people.
(Cf. nib and Presbyterian, note also the ministry of UCCP)
Worship
Methodism has a wide variety of forms of worship, ranging from high church to low church in liturgical usage.
Both Whitefield and the Wesleys themselves greatly valued the Anglican liturgy and tradition, and the Methodist
worship in The Book of Offices was based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
 The United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church 'flame and cross' logo
(Information taken from the UMC Website.)

Name United Methodist Church

Classification Protestant (Methodist)
Orientation Mainline & Evangelical
Polity Connectionalism
Associations Churches United in Christ Christian Churches Together,
National Council of Churches,
Wesleyan Holiness Consortium,
World Methodist Council
Geographical areas Worldwide: divided into 122 Annual/Central Conferences and
69 Episcopal Areas
Origin 1968, Dallas, Texas

Union
The United Methodist Church was formed in 1968 as a result of a merger between the Evangelical United Brethren
(EUB) and the Methodist Church.
The former church had resulted from mergers of several groups of German Methodist heritage. There was no
longer any need or desire to worship in the German language.
Lay Representation
Methodist denominations typically give lay members representation at regional and national meetings
(conferences) at which the business of the church is conducted, making it different from most Episcopal
government. (Note: Lay representation in the UCCP bodies)
Connectional Polity
American Methodist churches are generally organized on a connectional model, related but not identical to Britain.
Pastors are assigned to congregations by bishops, distinguishing it from Presbyterian government.
In Connectional polity all leaders and congregations are connected in a network of loyalties and commitments that
support, yet supersede, local concerns."
In addition to the UMC, there are over 40 other denominations that descend from John Wesley's Methodist
movement
The UMC has taken steps to strengthen ties with its fellow Methodist churches, as well as other Protestant
denominations in the United States. The holiness revival was primarily among people of Methodist persuasion,
who felt the church had once again become apathetic, losing the Wesleyan zeal
Education
From its beginning in England; Methodism laid emphasis on education and social service. Numerous originally
Methodist institutions of higher education were founded in the United States in the early half of the 19th century.
Today there are about 20 universities and colleges named as "Methodist" or "Wesleyan."
Social Justice
Methodism has distinguished itself as a religious movement strongly tied to social issues. The Methodist Church's
responses to injustices in society are embodiments of the Wesleyan traditions of mercy and justice. (Cf. UCCP)
Mergers and Inter-Church Relations
In 1898, the Mission Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church expressed their desire to join other Protestant
denominations in starting mission work in the Philippine Islands and to enter into comity agreement that would
facilitate the establishment of such mission.
There were separations as well as mergers among Methodist groups. Methodist churches are members of
movements such the WCC.
Methodist and Wesleyan traditions in the Philippines are shared by three of the largest mainline Protestant
churches in the country -
The United Methodist Church (UMC),
The Iglesia Evangelica Metodista En Las Islas Filipinas (lEMELIF), and
The United Church of Christ. in the Philippines (UCCP).
Struggle for Autonomy
A call for autonomy within groups in The United Methodist Church was discussed at many conferences led mostly
by bishop candidates. Only in 2010 did decisive action led to the establishment of the Ang Iglesia Metodista sa
Pilipinas. It was led by Bishop Lito C. Tangonan, Rev. George 13uenaventura, Chita Milan and Atty. Joe Frank E.
Zuñiga.
The group finally declared its full autonomy and incorporated legally with SEC of the Philippines and was approved
on December 7, 2011 with papers held for by present procurators. It now has 126 local churches all over the
Philippines. Rev. Lito Tangonan becomes the first bishop of the autonomous church and was consecrated March
17, 2012.

Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a branch of Protestant Christianity that adheres to the Calvinist theological tradition and whose
congregations are organized according to a Presbyterian Polity.
Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures, and the
necessity of grace through faith in Christ.
(Some Presbyterian Logos/Symbols)
Presbyterian Founders
The Presbyterian heritage, and much of what they believe, began with the Swiss/French theologian and lawyer
John Calvin (1509-64), whose writings solidified much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.
John Knox, a Scotsman who studied with Calvin in Geneva, took Calvin's teachings back to Scotland. He "set the
austere moral tone of the Church of Scotland and shaped the democratic forth of government it adopted."
The Presbyterian form of church government and Reformed theology were formally adopted by the Church of
Scotland in 1690. The Church of Scotland remains Presbyterian today.
Other Reformed communities developed in England, Holland and France. French Calvinists, the Huguenots
endured great of persecution by French Catholics in the 16th & 17th centuries. Presbyterianism was taken to North
America mostly by Scots and Scots-Irish immigrants.
Presbyterian Government
Modern Presbyterianism traces its institutional roots bad( to the Scottish Reformation. Local congregations are
governed by Sessions. Sessions are made up of representatives of the congregation, a conciliar approach which is
found at other levels of decision-making Presbytery, Synod, General Assembly. (cf. UCCP practice)
Theoretically, there is no bishop in Presbyterianism; however, some groups in Eastern Europe, and in ecumenical
groups, do have bishops. (Cf. UCCP bishops)
The office of elder is another distinctive mark of Presbyterianism: these are specially ordained non-clergy called
ruling elders and ministers of Word and Sacrament called teaching elders who take part in local pastoral care and
decision making at ali levels. (Cf. SU Church practice of ordaining Elders.) The office of deacon is geared toward the
care of members, their families, and the surrounding community. in some congregations active elders and deacons
serve a three-year term that is renewable for a second three-year term.
The offices of pastor, elder, and deacon all commence with ordination; once a person is ordained, he holds that
title for the rest of his life. An individual may serve as both an elder and a deacon.

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Brief General Information
Name Presbyterian Church (USA) or PC (USA)
Classification Protestant
Orientation Mainline Calvinist
Polity Presbyterian
Associations National Council of Churches (NCC);
World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC);
World Council of Churches (WCC)
Geographical areas United States
Headquarters Louisville, Kentucky
Origin June 10, 1983
Merger of The Presbyterian Church in the United States and
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Presbyterians in the USA
Presbyterians have featured prominently in United States history. The Rev. Francis Makemie, who arrived in the
United States from Ireland in 1683, helped to organize the first American Presbytery at Philadelphia in 1706. In
1726, the RO. William Tennent founded a ministerial "log college" in Pennsylvania. Twenty years later, the College
of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University) was established.
Other Presbyterian ministers, such as the Rev. Jonathan Edwards and Rev. Gilbert Tennent, were driving forces in
the so-called "Great Awakening," a revivalist movement in the early 18th century. One of the signers of the
Declaration of independence, the Rev. John Witherspoon, was a Presbyterian minister and -president of
Princeton University from 1768-1793.
Presbyterian denominations in the United States, however, have split and parts have reunited several times.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which has its national offices in Louisville, Ky. is a main-line Protestant Christian
denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in
the U.S.
It was formed in 1983 as a result of reunion between the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS), the so-called
"southern branch," and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA), the so-called "northern branch."
Doctrines of PC-USA Theology
Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are
sovereignty of God
the authority of the scripture,
justification by grace through faith and
the priesthood of all believers. (Cf: UCCP)
What they mean is that:
God is the supreme authority throughout the universe.
Our knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is
revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ.
Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God's generous gift to us and not the result of our own
accomplishments. It is everyone's job — ministers and lay people alike — to share this Good News with
the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian church is governed at all levels by a combination of
clergy and laity, men and women alike.
Social Issues (Cf UCCP)
The General Assembly "Affirms its conviction that neither the Church as the body of Christ, nor Christians as
individuals, can be neutral or indifferent toward evil in the world; Affirms its responsibility to speak on social and
moral issues for the encouragement and instruction of the Church and its members, seeking earnestly both to
know the mind of Christ and to speak always in humility and love; Reminds the churches that their duty is not only
to encourage and train their members in daily.
As Dr. Bill Sitoy puts it "they taught the great central affirmations of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, the
emphasis on personal religion, marked by high' ethical and scriptural standards, characteristic of the evangelical
revivals in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries." (Sitoy, Vol. I, p. 68)
Summarizing specifically, the Protestant missionaries preached: (Sitoy, Vol 1, p. 69)
1. a Christ-centered faith affirming the New Testament teaching that there is no other mediator between God
and humankind except Christ alone;
2. a strong witness for the authority of the Holy Scripture as authentic witness of God's dealings with
humankind, and as the only rule and standard for Christian faith and practice; Bible reading was a hallmark of
the evangelical communities in the Philippines;
3. an ethical living according to scriptural standards, seeking to live by the "kingdom ethics" of Christ and by the
ethical teachings of the New Testament Epistles; the first Filipino evangelicals inherited the 19th century
English evangelical and American revivalist religious traditions to leave a "pure" personal Christian life, the
body being the "temple of God".
(Cf. UCCP statements on smoking, drinking and gambling).
4. an emphasis on the service to others, an influence of the "Social Gospel", the 19 t" century rediscovery of the
social dimension and implications of the Gospel. This was the rationale for the Protestant medical, educational
and social work; behind all these is the belief in the inherent value of the human individual, thus the
importance of giving service to all in need; the healing ministry and the education work, at the same time
served as instrument for evangelism and the training of church leaders. (Cf. UCCP ministries)
Concluding Words
We find the “faith and practice" preached by the mission churches as summarized by Dr. Sitoy are embodied in the
UCCP Statement of Faith, the U 'CCP Constitution and By Laws, the UCCP policies of mission and ministry, worship,
as well as the variety of programs and services.
The historical background of our mission churches showed Reforms in the doctrines and practices of mother
churches, Awakenings, Renewals, Restorations to New Testament faith and practice and formed into today's
mainline churches, all our "mother' churches remained mainline evangelicals.
We can also conclude that the faith brought into the UCCP is strongly evangelical and ecumenical.
UCCP has no Pentecostalism in the historical faith heritage.
The Philippine Churches that were finally formed by the early Protestant missions are all evangelical in faith and
practice:
The Evangelical Church in the Philippines (ECP)
The Philippine Methodist Church (PMC)
The United Evangelical Church of the Philippines (UECP)
These three Philippine Churches, together with some congregations from the lglesia Evangelica Unida de Cristo
(UNIDA), the llocano Convention of the Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ), the lglesia Evangelica Nacional, and
lglesia Evangelica Metodista En Las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF) formed

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), 1948

The next slide is A Historical Development Chart.
(graphic of historical development chart HERE)

First Four Bishops and the General Secretary

(picture of the first four bishops and the General Secretary HERE)
First Four Bishops and the General Secretary Proculo A. Rodriguez, Enrique C. Sobrepeña, Cipriano Navaro, and
Leonardo G. Dia
Rev. Stephen L. Smith
A Common Statement of Faith and Message is the Basis of Union of Uniting Churches.
Article Ill Historic Faith and Message: "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, the Son
of the God, our Lord and Saviour." (Basis of Union of the UCCP, 1948)
The Three Statements of Faith of the Uniting Churches adopted by the UCCP as its the Heritage of Faith
1. Statement of Faith of the United Evangelical Church in the Philippines
2. Statement of Faith of the Evangelical Church in the Philippines
3. Articles of Faith of the Philippine Methodist Church (Appended photocopies) (Point out sample features.)
Finally, three of Documents that embodies the historical Heritage of Faith and Practice of the United Church of
Christ in the Philippines:
The Statement of Faith of the UCCP
The Constitutional Prayer
The Constitutional Declaration of Principles (Appended photocopies)
(Point out sample features)
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
THANK YOU