CCA General Secretary felicitates Obispo Maximo-Elect Joel O. Porlares the new Primate – of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI)
The 15th General Assembly of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) held from 7 to 10 May 2023 elected Bishop Joel O. Porlares as the 14th Obispo Maximo. He succeeds the Most Rev’d Rhee M. Timbang, who has held the office of the Obispo Maximo since 2017.
The Christian Conference of Asia General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara sent greetings and felicitations to the newly elected supreme spiritual leader of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente who was also a participant with him in the Asia Youth Assembly (1984) organised by CCA and held in New Delhi, and other CCA youth programmes in the 1980s.
“We pray that you may be richly blessed by the Lord as you begin to lead the IFI into a new era with a renewed spirit of mission and witness. Being a shepherd of the faithful members of the IFI across your country and in the diaspora across the world is an arduous task, but your call to walk in fidelity to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen your commitment and vision. Whatever be the challenges you may encounter, may Divine grace guide you in every area that calls for your involvement as part of your ministry,” assured the CCA General Secretary.
Obispo Maximo-Elect Porlares has been serving the IFI as its general secretary since 2017, and as vice chairperson of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) since 2019.
Besides being a priest and bishop of the IFI, Porlares is also an ecumenical accompanier in his role as the coordinator of the Bataan Ecumenical Council and the Central Luzon Ecumenical Council. Specialised in Canon Law and Church History, he taught at the Aglipay Central Theological Seminary in Urdaneta, Pangasinan, and at St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary in Quezon City. He was an alumnus of St. Andrew’s where he did his theological education at Bachelor and Masters' levels.
Porlares was involved in CCA programmes since he was a youth and participated in the Asia Youth Assembly (1984) organised by CCA, which was held in New Delhi, as well as in other CCA Youth Programmes in late 1980s.
At the assembly, Bishop Dindo D. Ranojo was also elected as the new general secretary of the IFI.
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente was one of the founding member churches of the CCA’s forerunner, the East Asia Christian Conference (EACC) in 1957.
The full text of the CCA General Secretary’s Congratulatory note can be found below: