The UCCP Cosmopolitan Church is a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

church in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

History

The Cosmopolitan Church's establishment traces back to the 1930s when 60 members of the Central Methodist Church at Kalaw Street,

Ermita Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city g ...

seceded from the American Methodist Episcopal Church in March 1933. The secession was led by Rev. Cipriano Navarro, Dr. Melquiades Gamboa, and Rev. Samuel Stagg who were instrumental to the creation of the Philippine Methodist Episcopal Church which in turn led to the establishment of the Cosmopolitan Student Church. The Cosmopolitan Church building was established in 1936. From 1942-1944 the Church building was used as a base of operations by Church members who were also part of the anti-Japanese guerilla resistance forces during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Church building was eventually seized by the Japanese in September 1944. The Church building was rebuilt in 1945 after the building was burnt during the Battle of Manila. In 1948 Cosmopolitan Church, of the then Philippine Methodist Church, became part of the

United Church of Christ in the Philippines The United Church of Christ in the Philippines ( Tagalog: ''Ang Nagkaisang Iglesia ni Cristo sa Pilipinas''; Ilokano: ''Nagkaykaysa nga Iglesia Ni Cristo iti Filipinas'') is a Christian denomination in the Philippines. Established in its present ...

. In 2012, some members of the Cosmopolitan Church led by then Pastor Phoebe Dacanay disaffiliated from the UCCP.

Building

The church currently occupies a four-story building called the Rigos Hall. The Rigos Hall was named after by former pastor, Dr. Cirilio A. Rigos on May 15, 1996. Rigos along with

Jovito Salonga Jovito "Jovy" Reyes Salonga, KGCR (; June 22, 1920 – March 10, 2016) was a Filipino politician and lawyer, as well as a leading opposition leader during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos from the declaration of martial law in 1972 until the P ...

organized the Paglingap Ministry to Political Detainees in 1975 which interceded for the release of political prisoners and offered financial aid to their families during the administration of then President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

under

Martial Law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

. More than 90 detainees were freed through the effort of Rigos and Salonga's organization after five years. The naming was an effect of the ratification of a Special Church Council Resolution. The Mary Boyd Stagg Memorial Sanctuary inside the Rigos Hall is a worship place where worship services by the Church is conducted. In 1999 in the event of the 66th anniversary of the Cosmopolitan Church, eight panels of stained glass were installed at the memorial sanctuary. A chapel inaugurated on January 6, 1978, the Angela Valdez Ramos Memorial Chapel is located within church grounds dedicated to Angela Ramos, for her role in the church's Sunday School. A courtyard, the Founder's Garden is also located within church grounds in between the chapel and Memorial Sanctuary.

Gallery

File:Cosmopolitan Church 03.jpg, Facade, side view File:Cosmopolitan Church 01.jpg, Historical Marker

References

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External links

UCCP Cosmopolitan Church Official Website
Churches in Manila Buildings and structures in Ermita Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila