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Our Vision Statement
We envision a Philippine nation that is free from foreign domination, where justice and peace reigns, and its people are united in active witness to God’s love in the world.
Our Mission Statement The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), as a community of faith steeped in the nationalist history and the workers’ struggle in the Philippines, affirms its commitment to its historical mission and ministry in empowering the poor, deprived and oppressed through its liberative education, organizing, and mobilizing of the Filipino people in pursuing life in its fullness.
Our Ten-Year Programme Objectives
Key Result Areas: There is a united understanding of IFI’s theology and spirituality among its members in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and in other countries. Each and every member (clergy and laity) of IFI is a practicing Christian as imbued in the Articles of Religion, Number 12.
The general membership has a fuller grasp of IFI’s prophetic role in Philippine society.
The general membership’s way of life is reflective of Aglipayan spirituality which is rooted in scripture, charity, liberty, and science.
2. IFI shall be implementing a continuing national programme that enhances the close interaction
between the national and diocesan/local levels, including the sectors they are engaged with.
Key Result Areas: IFI’s local churches are implementing their own comprehensive programmes that are dovetailed with IFI’s national policies and plans set by the General Assembly and its leadership bodies.
Church workers (clergy and laity) are equipped in faith and witness tasks and functions.
Church programmes are self-reliant and self-sustaining.
All the local churches’ programmes are in consonance with the struggle of the poor, deprived and oppressed.
3. Effective systems and processes shall have been instituted to implement and sustain IFI’s grassroots
-based plans and programmes.
Key Result Areas: Church systems and processes are efficient, effective and appropriate with regards IFI’s mission and services.
Each and every church worker (clergy and laity) are equipped with adequate skills in leadership and management.
Each and every member of the clergy is obedient to the virtues of kerygma, kenosis, koinonia, and diakonia.
4. IFI is publicly accepted by the rest of the world as a pillar of Philippine society.
Key Result Areas: The stand and positions of IFI in matters that have national and international significance are seriously considered by the general public.
In institutions of learning and research, among historians and scholars, and in schools, there is a general recognition of IFI’s role in the making of Philippine history.
Our Programme Strategies
The IFI’s history shows that the Filipino people are the base of IFI’s faith and ministry. It is in the spirit of this primacy that IFI continues to assert its oneness with the people, specifically with its constituency. And, at the heart of IFI’s mission and witness are the millions of church followers who
continue to support the Church and its teachings.
It is expected that documentation, research and publications are dovetailed with these strategies, so that there is scientific substance in and widespread dissemination of IFI’s plans and programmes.
At the core of these strategies is membership enhancement and consolidation. These strategic options are:
Our Programme Areas In line with the vision, mission and strategies that are articulated for the IFI’s programme development agenda, there are three (3) main programme areas, namely:
Moreover, the underlying support activities of programme documentation, research and publications will cut across all the programme areas because it is most important that policies, outputs and processes are written out – either for communications exchange and information dissemination, for policy development and advocacy, for planning and programme/project development, for monitoring and evaluation, for record keeping and materials reference, etc.
Ministry, Education and Worship
This programme area’s concerns are:
IFI seeks education that is holistic, that is for the realization of shalom, and for the empowerment of the marginalized and oppressed. Education is enabling, integrative, and interrelational, hence, individuals and communities can come together to participate in God’s oikoumene.
Lay formation and ministry is the manifestation of active Christian education and nurture. There shall be a renewed programme of awareness building on the basic teachings, doctrines, practices and policies of the Church, as well as, on the IFI’s continuing historic heritage of participating in the socio-political life of the nation.
Liturgical renewal shall also be dovetailed with the education and ministry components of this specific programme area, given that Church ritual and music are integral to the living traditions of Christian worship in the IFI. Furthermore, the documentation and production of IFI liturgical materials are a continuing concern that needs to be strengthened.
Mission, Services/Witness and Relations
This programme area’s concerns are:
§ Organizing and advocacy; § Social services and welfare; and § Ecumenical relations and international affairs.
IFI’s witness is manifested in the Church’s illingness to immerse and actively participate with the struggle of the poor, depressed and oppressed in Philippine society. Organizing, advocacy, social services and welfare are areas of concern wherein IFI seeks, in general, to be involved in the strengthening of people’s participation in social action, while undertaking welfare activities for those in dire need.
In particular, organizing includes the consolidation of the Church’s embership to be knowledgeable of IFI’s history and mission, to be steadfast in their faith, and to be fully involved in Diocesan social action activities.
IFI shall continue to strengthen its concordat and ecumenical work with other beliefs, churches, and faith-based institutions in the Philippines and in other countries. Furthermore, IFI is committed to participate and support local and global activities/campaigns that call for peace based on justice; in initiating inter-faith dialogues with the believers or faithful of Islam; and, to strengthen ecumenical unity and solidarity in all aspects of IFI work internally and externally.
Stewardship, Resource Building and Development This programme area’s concerns are:
Since its ecclesiastical separation from the colonial Spanish Roman Catholic Church in the 1900s, the IFI has grown to be a Christian Church of more than six (6) million members spread across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The stewardship or administration of a national church will, therefore, entail more work in terms of directing and managing the day-to-day aspects of church life.
In light of the exigency of keeping the Church moving in faith, witness and service, financial and human resources programmes will have to be formally instituted so that church operations can be improved and strengthened to respond to the various needs of IFI’s plans and programmes.
Aside from looking into improving the financial capability of the IFI so as to fully support its programme operations, the IFI shall also have to be more attentive to institutional development concerns, especially on improving the quality of church workers whether clergy or laity, who will be implementing IFI’s plans and programmes.
It is, therefore, imperative that human resources development activities be enhanced to include skills development and upgrading on the following: project planning and management; report writing; office management and decorum; leadership training and values enhancement; documentation and research; organizing and advocacy development; and many other tedious tasks that need to be efficiently and effectively done, so that the Church can reach out with relevance and grace to its members and to the rest of the Filipino nation who are in need of IFI’s assistance.
Our Programme's Implementing Processes
The ten-year strategic plan is approved and mandated by the General Assembly. In between General Assemblies, the Executive Commission acts and decides on the policies and operational needs of IFI’s plans and programmes.
The Central Office under the direct supervision of the Obispado Maximo shall be responsible for managing the process of programme planning, monitoring and evaluation from the national to the local levels. Furthermore, the Central Office shall coordinate and orchestrate national and inter-diocesan activities that are expected to result in achieving the objectives of IFI’s programme strategic plan.
Programme implementation shall be under the direct guidance of the Diocesan Bishop with the assistance of any designated committee, and with the approval of the Diocesan Council. Plans and programmes shall be particularized and operationalised with the various Dioceses. It is expected that the Central Office staff shall give or facilitate technical assistance to the Dioceses whenever and wherever assistance is needed.
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Ten Year Strategic Plan |