The Central United Methodist Church in Manila, the Philippines’ first Protestant congregation, celebrates its 125th year with a new book chronicling its history and legacy as a beacon of faith.
present-day Central United Methodist Church, rebuilt in 1949 under the design of Juan Arellano, continues to serve as the oldest Protestant congregation in the country.
The 1945 ruins of the Central United Methodist Church in Ermita, Manila, stand as a stark reminder of the devastation of World War II, when much of the city’s heritage architecture was reduced to rubble.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE TEWELL COLLECTION
The nave of the Central United Methodist Church features stained glass windows, intricate carvings, and a spacious interior that has witnessed generations of worshippers and historic milestone.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF wikimedia commons
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE TEWELL COLLECTION The 1915 Neogothic structure of the Central United Methodist Church, designed by C. B. Ripley, reflected the growing presence of Protestantism in Manila during the American colonial period.
newly published book ‘Onward with Christ’ chronicles the 125-year journey of the Central United Methodist Church, celebrating its faith community, historic legacy and cultural contributions.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
At the height of the Filipino-American War on 28 August 1898, Methodist Chaplain George Stull officiated the first Protestant service in the Philippines inside a dungeon in Cavite City. The service was attended mostly by American soldiers.
Less than a year later, on 5 March 1899, Bishop James Thoburn of the Methodist Episcopacy of India arrived in the country and delivered the first recorded Protestant sermon. It was held at Teatro Filipino, located at the corner of Echague (now Carlos Palanca) and San Roque (now Padre Gomez) streets, the present site of SM Store Quiapo.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) recognizes this date as the founding of the country’s first Protestant church —today known as the Central United Methodist Church (CUMC) on Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila.
Originally called the Soldiers Institute and later the American Church, the congregation first held services at a rented building on Plaza Goiti (now Plaza Lacson) in Santa Cruz, and later at a property owned by the Young Men’s Christian Association in Ermita.
In 1901, the church acquired its present site at the corner of San Luis Street (now Kalaw Avenue) and Calle Rizal (now part of Taft Avenue), through the support of then Philippine Governor General William Howard Taft.
That same year, a temporary church was built on the property. Five years later, a permanent vernacular neogothic church designed by C.B. Ripley rose on the site.
As the Filipino congregation grew, the church was renamed Central Student Church in 1916. The original structure was demolished in 1932 and replaced with another neogothic building designed by Juan Arellano.
After World War II devastated the compound, Arellano also designed a new church, which was inaugurated on 25 December 1949 and rededicated in February 1950.
Cruciform in plan, the church interior features faith-inspired woodcarvings by Garciano Nepomuceno, based on designs by writer and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Jorge Bocobo, himself a church member. Its stained glass windows were crafted by Kraut Art Glass, which continues to operate today.
The church was rededicated as the Central United Methodist Church in 1968 following its union with its mother organization, the Evangelical United Brethren of the United States.
In 1985, the then National Historical Institute (now the NHCP) installed a marker recognizing the CUMC as the first and oldest Protestant church in the Philippines.
Prominent members have included Justice Jose Abad Santos, Senator Camilo Osias, Foreign Affairs Secretary Narciso Ramos, and his son, President Fidel Ramos.
These and other details are chronicled in the newly published book Onward with Christ by Dario Borje, Patrick David Borje, Rev. Lizette Pearl Tapia-Raquel, and Roela Victoria Rivera. The book fills a crucial gap in Philippine history, particularly on the arrival, spread, and growth of Protestantism.
The book carries messages from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senate President Francis Escudero, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna Pangan, and Bishop Tracy Malone, president of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church.
In his message, Marcos described the church as “a beacon of faith which enriches the lives of its members and the congregation in general.”
“Your tireless efforts to promote social justice and humanitarian work reflect the core values of Methodism and the Church’s enduring commitment to the well-being of others,” he said.
“In these times of substantial change, the Church’s continued pursuit of its mission reminds us of the power of faith to inspire hope, healing, and solidarity,” the President added.
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