About Eraño de Guzman Manalo

Eraño de Guzman Manalo (January 2, 1925 - August 31, 2009 ), also known as Ka Erdy, was the Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, serving from 1963 until 2009. He took over the administration of the church after the death of his father, Felix Manalo, in 1963. He was instrumental in the propagation and expansion of the church internationally. He previously held office as the General Treasurer of the church, and as a District Minister of Manila.

 

Biography

Eraño Manalo was the fifth child of Felix Y. Manalo and Honorata de Guzman. His name came from a reversal and elision of the term "New Era," which his father used to describe what he felt was "a new Christian era" as the Iglesia ni Cristo was established.
Manalo initially took up law school, but left his studies to become a minister of the INC. He started attending the church's ministerial classes at the age of 16 and was ordained as a minister by the age of 22. He held various positions in the church including being the general treasurer of the INC and circulation manager of the Pasugo magazine (now known as God's Message). During this time, he wrote a 64-page booklet entitled Christ-God: Investigated-False.
On January 17, 1955, Eraño Manalo married Cristina Villanueva with whom he has six children (Eduardo, Felix Nathaniel, Marco, Lolita, Erlinda and Liberty). In 1953, ten years before his father's death, Eraño Manalo was elected successor to his father as Executive Minister. As of 2005^[update] his son Eduardo is INC's Deputy Executive Minister.

Administration

With the passing of Felix Manalo, critics of the church predicted the decline and eventual fall of the Iglesia. To them, the church's popularity was due mainly to the charisma and leadership of Felix Manalo. Barely a month after assuming his role as spiritual leader of the church, the young Manalo began visiting congregations nationwide. At every location he visited, he officiated worship services and staged massive religious rallies in public plazas. During this period of transition in what critics thought was the most vulnerable period of the church, Manalo further consolidated the gains of the church.
In 1947, Manalo became the General Treasurer of the church. He was later elected as successor to Felix Manalo by provincial ministers as early as 1953. In 1957 he became the District Minister of Manila. Very few people outside of the church gave Manalo's leadership potential enough credit. He would later initiate significant moves that would make the church to what it is today.
Manalo demonstrated the church responsiveness to the needs of the poor. Even before the government initiated agrarian reforms, Manalo established model land reforms. In 1965, the first of the resettlement farms was Maligaya farm in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Similar projects were established in Cavite, Rizal and other provinces.
As early as 1967, four years after assuming leadership role, Manalo set his vision to overseas mission and global expansion. On July 27, 1968 Manalo established the first congregation of the church overseas in Honolulu, Hawaii. Other congregations where established in San Francisco and Los Angeles in California.^[4]
In 1968, Manalo moved the headquarters of the church to Diliman, Quezon City and began building major structures in what is now known as the Central Office Complex. The administration of the church is housed at the six-story Central Office building where Manalo has a permanent office. In this building are the offices of departments, social halls and is where thousand of professionals and volunteers work. Also in the complex is the Central Temple which is the largest of the church's house of worship. Nearby is the tent-shaped Tabernacle, which serves as a multi-purpose hall.

Death

In an announcement on DZBB and Net 25, INC spokesperson Bienvenido Santiago confirmed Manalo's death:

"Ikinalulungkot naming ipabatid sa buong Iglesia at sa buong sambayanan na ang tagapamahalang pangkalahatan ng Iglesia ni Cristo, ang kapatid na Eraño G. Manalo ay pinagpahinga na ng Diyos. Pumanaw siya sa kanyang tahanan sa ganap na 3:53 kahapon Agosto 31, 2009, sa gulang na 84 na taon."

Translated to English:

"We regret to announce to the whole Church and to the whole nation that the Executive Minister of Iglesia ni Cristo, our brother Eraño G. Manalo, has been laid to rest by God. He passed away at his home at 3:53 yesterday afternoon, August 31, 2009 at the age of 84."

Santiago also stated that according to Dr. Ray Melchor Santos, Manalo died due to cardiopulmonary arrest.
Although the INC leadership has yet to formally name Manalo's successor, it is believed that his son Eduardo V. Manalo will assume his post.


^{Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Era%C3%B1o_G._Manalo}