The Iglesia ni Cristo announced on Tuesday that it was inaugurating five new chapels in North America as part of its continuing expansion program, in what it calls “intensifying of the brethren’s faith in other parts of the world and a growing recognition of the unique character of this Christian Church.”
INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala revealed that Executive Minister Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo is scheduled to visit and dedicate four chapels in the United States and one in Canada from February to March of this year.
“We’re very excited, but perhaps not as much as the members themselves in the localities where the new houses of worship will be opened and offered. Our brethren in North America have been requesting for these churches for some time now, and we’re glad that with the INC leadership’s guidance, we’re finally doing it.”
“The new American churches are spread geographically all over the continental US, from the West Coast to the East Coast,” Zabala intimated.
Executive Minister Manalo will inaugurate approximately 300-seating capacity edifices in Bakersfield, California, Jersey City, New Jersey, Orange Park, Florida and Lubbock, Texas. The Texas church is the largest, with a 484-seating capacity for the main worship hall and another 150 people for the function hall.
The one to be opened in Regina, Canada seats 250 in the main hall and 100 in its function hall.
“The INC has continued to enjoy the blessings of a reenergized and reinvigorated church under the able leadership of Executive Minister Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo. We expect to have more new church blessings in other parts of the world in the coming months,” the spokesperson said.