Central United Methodist Church (Manila)

Central United Methodist Church
Central United Methodist Church
	Facade of the Cathedral
	Central United Methodist Church Location within Metro Manila
	14°34′58″N 120°59′01″E / 14.582662°N 120.983586°E
Location	Taft Avenue corner T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila
Country	Philippines
Website	http://central-umc.tripod.com/myaf.htm
Architecture
Architect(s)	Juan Arellano
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1949

Central United Methodist Church is the first Protestant church in the Philippines, located along T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila. Founded on 5 March 1899 during the American Occupation, it was originally named Central Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was originally designed by Juan Arellano.^[1]

History

The church's history is closely intertwined with that of Knox United Methodist Church mainly because the two churches were the result of Filipino-American ties during the surrender of Manila in 1898. Thereafter, the first Protestant worship service in the Philippines was held on 28 August 1898 and was officiated by Rev. George C. Stull, attended by both American soldiers and Filipino civilians.

During the Philippine–American War, the congregation separated itself from the American component, who transferred its services to the YMCA and was organised in 1899.

Its first chapel was completed on December 23, 1901 and was replaced by a structure made of stone in November 1906. In 1932, it was elevated to a cathedral.^[2] During the Liberation of Manila in 1945, the Central UMC was severely damaged and rendered unusable by the fighting between the combined Filipino and American troops and the Japanese Imperial forces. Its congregation reunited with Knox UMC until 1949, when Central UMC was rebuilt in its original site along T.M. Kalaw Street.

Since then, membership of Central UMC has shifted rapidly from a predominantly American to a mixed Filipino and American demographic.

Location

Central UMC is located in T.M. Kalaw Avenue corner Taft Avenue, Manila, across from Plaza Olivia Salamanca.

Famous Congregants

José Abad Santos, former Chief Justice and acting President of the Philippines, 1942
Jorge Bocobo, former Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, 1942-44

Gallery

Left external side
Details of the Main Arch Window
Details of the Portal inside the church
Gothic Arches inside the church
Gothic Portals
Historical Marker in English
Historical Marker in Filipino

References

^ "Heritage Conservation Society". 2 January 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
^ "The Present Past". Official Gazette. Retrieved 8 March 2015.

National Historical Institute. Historical Markers: Metropolitan Manila. Manila: National Historical Institute, 1993.
"History of Knox UMC: 1898-2005." Knox United Methodist Church, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20080607181801/http://www.knoxumc.com/history.htm (Accessed on September 11, 2007).

External links

[:1-1] "Heritage Conservation Society". 2 January 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2015.

[:2-2] "The Present Past". Official Gazette. Retrieved 8 March 2015.

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