THE BIRTH OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THE PHILIPPINES:

A CRITICAL INTERPRETATION
By Prof. Victor R. Aguilan

In 1898 the United States came to the Philippines in the middle a National
revolution. The Filipinos were fighting for their liberty and independence from
Spain. The American came not because they wanted to help the revolutionist but
rather because of their war with Spain. On May 1,1898, after a few hours, the
Spanish Armada was defeated by the American fleet under Admiral George Dewey.

The Politico-Economic Motive of American Occupation

The conquest and occupation of the Philippines by the United States was
motivated by politico-economic interests. The United States at the time the economy
was characterized by extensive monopolization of resources, production, and
ownership. The emergence of the trusts and cartels created a contradiction in the
American capitalist system, when production grew more rapidly than the market
itself. There was overproduction. American businessmen bagan to fear that the U.S.
domestic market might not be able to absorb all the products, thereby impeding the
further expansion of US business. For profit's sake, new markets had to be
conquered, colonies to be taken, to get raw materials for its growing factories, as
well as to sell their processed products. This stage of capitalist development is called
imperialism. The United States imperialist motive found articulation through U.S.
Senator Albert Beveridge when he advocated the annexation of the Philippines in
1898:
"We are raising more than we can consume. We are making more than we can
use. Today our industrial society is congested; there are more workers than work;
there is more capital than there is investment . . . Think of the tens of thousands
of Americans who will invade mine and field and forests in the Philippines."1

I. An Overview of the Coming of American Protestant Missions

The victory of the American forces against the Spanish Armada created a strong
impression among the Protestant Churches that it was sign from God that they should
begin mission work in the Philippines. Within a short time a number of Protestant
mission arrived.

a. The first mission board to send regular missionaries in the Philippines

was the Presbyterian Church in the USA. It was Rev. Dr. James Rogers who first
arrived as a missionary in April 1899 then followed by Rev. Dr. David S.
Hibbard who established the Silliman Institute which became Silliman
University.

1 Merlin Magallona, "A Contribution to the Study of Feudalism and Capitalism in the
Philippines", in Feudalism and Capitalism in the Philippines: Trends and Implications (Quezon
City: Foundation for Nationalist Studies, 1982) p. 23.

1
 b. The Methodist Church began its official mission work in 1900. Bishop
James M. Thoburn, who came to the Philippines in 1899 recommended to the
Church the opportunity of doing mission in the country.

c. The Church of Christ (Disciples) also came in 1901. Mr. And Mrs.
Herman William and Mr. And Mrs. W. Hanna began work in Manila but they
moved to Ilocos in the Northern Luzon. They also did mission work in Rizal and
Laguna Provinces.

d. The Church of United Brethren in Christ began its mission work in 1901.
Rev. E.S. Eby and The Rev. Stanford Kurtz went to La-Union province. Later
they reached the mountain provinces of Benquet, Ifugao, and Kalinga.

e. The Northern Baptist Convention Rev. Eric Lund in May 1900. He

selected the Islands of Panay and Negros Occidental

f. In 1902 the Congregationalist sent the Rev. Robert F. Black. The

Congregationalist concentrated their work in Mindanao.

g. The Episcopal Mission sent Rev. James Smiley in 1899 but because of
health reason had to return home. The Episcopal mission resumed only with the
arrival of Dr. Charles Brent in 1902. This church decided to work largely among
the Moros of Zamboanga and Sulo and the Igorots in the Mt. Province.

h. The Church Missionary Alliance came in 1902 and went to Mindanao.

II. The Religious Support and Legitimation of American

Occupation

In a three-year period, eight missionary societies came to the country. It

cannot be denied that American occupation of the country hasten the coming of
the Protestant missionaries.

It should be mentioned that the American Protestants enthusiastically argued

for the occupation of the Philippines as an opportunity to spread Protestantism in
the country. Kenton J. Clymer, author of the book Protestant Missionaries in the
Philippines, 1898-1916, writes that "most Protestant churches encouraged an
expansionist outlook. They supported the war against Spain, then lobbied for the
acquisition of the Philippine Islands."2

2 Kenton Clymer, Protestant Missionaries in the Philippines, 1898-1916: An Inquiry into the
American Colonial Mentality. 1986.

2
 To many religious men, America's course of action had the "approval of
Divine Providence" as confirmed by the swift and complete triumphs of
American arms. It was then felt that to reject this American calling would be
unfaithful and unpatriotic.3 In some instances, the military victory of the United
States was interpreted by many in a way corresponding to the biblical stories in
Old Testament times. Some religious writers said that "Dewey's winning battles
were similar to the stories of the ancient ward of the Lord in the times of Joshua,
David and Jehoshaphat."4 Alexander Blackburn, a Baptist upon hearing the news
of the defeat of the Spanish fleet said: "The magnificent fleets of Spain have
gone down as marvelously, I had almost said, as miraculously, as the walls of
Jericho went down," hence, the United States had the duty to protect the
Philippine Islands and to "practice an imperialism of righteousness." 5 James
Thoburn, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, advocated the American possession
of the Philippines from the beginning and interpreted the victory of the American
troops as a "work of God" to spread the Gospel in the Orient. The Baptist Union
urged that the conquest by force of arms must be followed by conquest for
Christ.6
The great preponderance of religious sentiment was in favor of the retention
and occupation of the Philippine Islands. President McKinley, who was to make
the decision was aware of this sentiment. As a Methodist, President McKinley
was quoted to have said before a delegation of Methodist dignitaries:
"I thought, first, that we would take only Manila; then Luzon; then the other
islands, perhaps, also. I walked the floor of the White House night after night
until midnight; and I am not ashamed to tell you gentlemen that I went down
on my knees and prayed Almighty God for light and guidance more than one
night. And one night late it came to me this way - I don't know how it was but
it came: 1) that we could not give them back to Spain - that would be
cowardly and dishonorable; 2) that we could not turn them over to France or
Germany - our commercial rivals in the Orient - that would be bad business
and discreditable; 3) that we could not leave them to themselves - they were
unfit for self-government - and they would soon have anarchy and misrule
over there worse than Spain's was; and 4) that there was nothing left for us
to do but to take them all and educate the Filipinos and uplift and civilize
and Christianize them, and by God's grace do the very best we could for
them, as our fellowmen for whom Christ also died. And then I went to sleep,
and slept soundly, and the next morning I sent for the Chief engineer of the
War Department (our map maker) and told him to put the Philippines on the
map of the United States."7

3 Anderson, "Providence and Politics Behind Protestant Missionary Beginnings in the

Philippines," Studies in Philippine Church History, p. 284.
4 Christian Missionary Alliance, 20 (May 18, 1898) p. 468; cited in Anderson, p. 284.
5 The Interior, 29 (August 25,1898) 1040; cited in Anderson, p.285.
6 The Interior, 8 (August 27, 1898) 631; cited in Anderson, p.286.
7 The Christian Advocate 137 (Jan. 22, 1903); cited in Anderson, p.293.

3
 More Protestant clergymen justified the occupation of the Philippines as
God's own intervention. Rev. John Henry Barrows, President of Oberlin College
said that it was a divine mission for America to acquire the Philippines. The war
itself was "righteous and necessary and that we must accept this destiny. God
himself has brought us to the position we are in."8
This weird process of evangelizing a predominantly Catholic country and
educating a nation whose universities were older than Harvard resulted in a
genocide. For the Filipino people, McKinley's dream was a nightmare. The
Filipino people resisted the "benevolent assimilation" of the United States after
they have won the struggle against the Spaniards. Historians report that the U.S.
sent 130,000 soldiers to fight the Filipino guerillas in 2,811 battles, spent
$500-million to kill roughly 600,000 Filipinos (one sixth the total population of
Luzon at that time) - and put themselves in a better position to uplift and civilize
and Christianize the Filipino Catholics.9 How could the Protestant Churches
justify such anti-people warfare carried out by a Christian nation like the United
States?

However the Protestant missionaries never became state functionaries.

American government in the Philippines maintained the principle of separation
of Church and State. Nevertheless, according to Dr. Mariano Apilado

The Protestant missionaries were convinced of the nobility of America’s

aims, and so their collaboration was prompted by the thought that the
establishment of Protestant churches would contribute substantially towards
the realization of these aims and effectively prevent many abuses of colonial
rule.

This collaborationist attitude of the American missionaries toward American

imperialism reveals their ideological captivity and cultural prejudices. It is hard
to say whether they consciously allowed themselves to be instrument of
American imperialism.

III.The Journey Begins: the Quest for Unity

The Protestant missionaries were dedicated and faith motivated people. They
believed that they were called and sent to the Philippines by God. And they
came to a country which was predominantly Catholic Christians. The presence of
many missionaries in a predominantly Catholic country became a major issue for
it has highlighted or exposed the scandal of division among Protestant Churches.

a. There were two types of movement toward Church unity.

8 World Wide Mission 6 (June, 1899); cited in Anderson, p. 293.

9 Luzviminda Francisco, "The First Vietnam: The US-Philippine War of 1899," in L.B.
Francisco and J.S. Fast, Conspiracy for Empire (Quezon City: Foundation for Nationalist
Studies, 1985) p. 324-325.

4
 1. One is interchurch cooperation, in which each church, denomination or
communion retains its own identity, but cooperates with other churches on
specific aspects of their common ministry.
2. The other type is organic union, in which the separate churches or
denominations lose their identities in an new church communion. (show
chart. This presentation will focus on the second type of movement.)

The search for an organic church Union was always in the minds of the
missionaries together with the Filipino converts. Several attempts were made to
realize the dream of a United Protestant Church in the country. In April, 1901,
the Evangelical Union was organized. It was not an organic Union but rather it
was an interchurch cooperation which gave rise to one of the classic comity
agreements in the history of mission. However one notable feature of the Union
was that the membership was opened only to American missionaries. It would
open its membership to Filipinos in 1921.

The Union which composed it were the Presbyterian, Methodist, United

Brethren, Young Men’s Christian Association, the British and Foreign Bible
Society, and American Bible Society. Christian Missionary, the Seventh Day
Adventist, the Episcopalians did not join the Evangelical Union.

Its primary goal was to serve as a coordinating body for Protestant activities
and to identify boundaries to avoid overlapping of areas of mission work The
members agree to adopt a common name for all Protestant Churches namely “the
Evangelical Church in the Philippines, placing after this in parentheses the
denominational title. Another significant feature of this inter-missionary
cooperation was the comity agreement to formally divide the territory among the
various missions.

Seminary training would be another area of cooperative effort facilitated by

the Evangelical Union. The Union Theological Seminary was formed in 1907
when the Ellinwood Bible School of the Presbyterians joined with the Nicholson
Seminary for the Methodists. In 1921 the Silliman Bible School would be
established, a joint ventures of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches
which later would become the College of Theology of Silliman University in
1935.

b. In 1929 the Presbyterians, the Congregationalists, the United Brethren, and the
independent United Church of Manila merged into one body adopting the name
United Evangelical Church.

c. During the Second World War a larger United Church called the Evangelical
Church was formed. It brought together the UEC of 1929, the Church of Christ
(Disciples), Iglesia Unida de Cristo, a segment of the IEMELIF and the Philippine
Methodist Church. After the war some wanted to dissolve the Evangelical Church on
the basis that it was Japanese-inspired.

5
d. After the Second World War leaders of the Protestant Churches saw the need to
unite into one Church. Thus on May 25, 1948, delegates from several denominations
met at Ellinwood-Malate Church in Manila attended by delegates from United
Evangelical Church (Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and United Brethren),
Evangelical Church of the Philippines, the Philippine Methodist Church. It adopted
the name United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)

IV. Recognizing the Legacy of American Protestantism

I believe the first notable feature of the UCCP is its ecumenicity. The UCCP
The new UCCP Constitution has reaffirmed the ecumenical identity of the United
Church of Christ in the Philippines. Article II. Sec. 7 provides that "The United
Church of Christ in the Philippines affirms the catholicity and ecumenicity of the
Church of Jesus Christ. This is expressed in the UCCP's relations with other
church bodies and in its support of efforts in interchurch cooperation and union
in the Philippines and in the world."

I'm sadden when some of our own members deny the ecumenicity of the
UCCP. Some even believe that it is unbiblical. This attitude could be the results
of two factors, ONE: ignorance of the History of the Church and the Bible; and
second, the influence from, fundamentalist para-churches. The UCCP has in fact
incorporated an ecumenical spirituality in the area of sacraments and liturgy. We
have an open Holy Communion and worship. But even then we have this
ecumenical spirituality. The first ecumenical prayer for Christian Unity with
Catholics and Protestants was held here at SU in the 60's.

I believe that this ecumenicity of the UCCP is something we inherited from

our past. The missionaries, specially the Presbyterians and the
Congregationalists, zealously pursued the union of the various Protestant
churches.

Another well-known feature of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines

today is its social concern ministry. I believe that this is a part of the our
Protestant heritage. The missionaries had from their very beginning a manifest
concern for the poor. Most of them initiated charitable works more as a form of
service to the people such as health care (e.g. Mary Johnston Hospital, Iloilo
Mission Hospital,) and education (e.g. Silliman Institute).

More over the UCCP has inherited from the missionaries the strong tradition
of democratic process of decision-making. Without the intention to minimize the
collaborationist stand of the missionaries toward the occupation of the Philippines
by American forces, the missionaries imparted to their Filipino converts the
importance of a good and democratic government.

6
 Hence, missionaries supported the American government when it introduced to
the Filipinos the principle of the separation of Church and State and the democratic
process. American missionaries were vocally critical of some of the policies of the
American government.

It was not surprising when in 1972 Marcos declared Martial Law, the Protestant
Churches were willing to give it a chance believing that it was for the good of the
people and society10 But they withdrew their tacit support when it became
abundantly clear that Marcos was using the State for his personal enrichment and
his "crony capitalists."11

Finally the UCCP share a common spiritual heritage with the missionaries.
Dr. Valentino Sitoy describes the brand of Protestantism which came to the
Philippines as an “admixture of Calvinist [rather than directly Lutheran]
influence, with perhaps equal measures of English and Scottish Presbyterianism,
and a Puritan/Methodist tradition from the Church of England. The UCCP is
recognized as the heir of the Reformed Tradition of Christianity.12

10 Robert L. Youngblood cites as typical of this attitude the comments of Bishop Estanislao Abainza,
General Secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Bishop Abainza lauded the
"enforced discipline of the new society" and urged the citizenry not to "minimize" the "positive effects"
of Martial Law. Cf. "The Protestant Church in the Philippine New Society," Bulletin of Concerned
Asian Scholars (July-September 1980).
11 During the First Quadrennial General Assembly of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
(UCCP) on 21-26 May 1978 in Cagayan de Oro City, a resolution was approved by the Assembly calling
for the lifting of Martial Law. The resolution strongly stated that the UCCP is "against the perpetuation
of one-man rule in the country; that it is for the immediate and full restoration of all civil liberties of the
citizens; and that it is for the immediate dismantling of the machinery of martial law in the country."
Lydia Niguidula ed., UCCP Statement and Resolutions (1948-1990), (Education and Nurture Desk,
Quezon City. 1990)
12 The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is a member of the World Alliance of
Reformed Churches (WARC).