Couples for Christ

This article is about the mainstream Christian organization. For the dissident group, see Foundation for Family and Life.

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Couples For Christ

File:Couplesforchristlogo.gif
Formation	June 26, 1981
Type	Charismatic group
Headquarters	349 Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Location	14.5948°N 121.0567°E / 14.5948; 121.0567
Membership	approx. 900,000 (as of 2005)
Director	Jose Tale (appointed to post February 22, 2007)
Budget	approx. ₱ 66,000,000 (excess of revenues over expenses as of 2005)
Website	www.cfcglobal.org.ph www.fulfillingthemandate.org

Couples for Christ (CFC), formally the Couples For Christ Global Mission Foundation, Inc. (CFC-GMF or CFC Global), is a Christian movement intended for the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. CFC members committed themselves to the Lord and to one another to grow in maturity as men and women of God and fulfill their vocation of raising up families under Jesus Christ and for the service of the Kingdom of God.

CFC is a work of Christ which raises up Christian couples and establishes Christian families committed to the work of evangelization, winning the world for Christ and Total Human Liberation through the power of the Holy Spirit.

History

Map

A world map showing countries with CFC presence as of 2006. CFC is based in the Philippines.

1980s

• 1981 - CFC established in Manila, Philippines with 16 couples. It was founded by Vic Gutierrez, with the assistance of Raul Sarceda and Francisco Padilla, as a ministry under the Catholic lay community Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (LNP). Fr. Herbert Schneider, S.J., was the LNP's spiritual adviser, and was also responsible for the creation of CFC
• 1983 - First formal planning session held; statements of mission and philosophy formulated
• 1984 - First CFC chapter outside Metro Manila, in Bukidnon province
• 1985 - First CFC chapter outside the Philippines, in India
• 1989 - Thrust of rapid, massive, and global evangelization for the decade of the 1990s formulated

1990s

• 1991 - "Families in the Holy Spirit Renewing the Face of the Earth" adopted as CFC vision
• 1993 - Padilla and his wife Geraldine led the effort to separate CFC from LNP, citing differences in evangelization thrust (CFC's rapid, massive, global evangelization directly conflicts LNP's pastoral-oriented evangelization)

  - CFC registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an organization independent of LNP

  - CFC Family Ministries established: Kids for Christ (KFC); Youth for Christ (YFC); Singles for Christ (SFC); and Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD)

• 1994 - Servants of the Lord (SOLD), another CFC Family Ministry, established
• 1995 - 1st International Glory Songwriting Festival held

  - CFC approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) as a National Private Association of Lay Faithful

  - Creation of initial programs that would evolve into the CFC Social Ministries

• 1997 - September 8: Ben Donato and June Frias died while on mission in Vanuatu
• 1999 - First house built for the poor in Bagong Silang, Metro Manila

2000s

• 2000 - CFC Mission defined with "Bringing Glad Tidings to the Poor"

  - CFC recognized by the Holy See (Vatican) as a Private International Association of Lay Faithful

• 2001 - Work with the poor evolved to Gawad Kalinga (GK)
• 2002 - First missionaries sent on long-term mission to southern Africa

  - first GK National Build mounted, in Negros Oriental province

  - first GK site outside the Philippines, in Cambodia

• 2003 - GK777 (700,000 homes in 7,000 GK sites from 2003 to 2010) launched
• 2005 - CFC Seven Pillars completed with establishment of Pro-Life and CFC Special Ministries

  - CFC received permanent recognition from the Vatican as a Private International Association of Lay Faithful

• 2006 - CFC's 25-year anniversary
• 2007 - Worldwide CFC community reaches a total of 160 countries

  - The CFC Crisis: Citing differences in beliefs and areas of ministry concentration and focus (specifically in GK), former leaders separate from CFC and form the Foundation for Family and Life (FFL). (For a timeline of The CFC Crisis, visit this link.)

Organization

CFC grows mainly through the establishment of localized units in different parishes.

CFC members are organized into Household cell groups (a group of 10 to 12 individual members, or 5 to 6 couples), which are led by a Household Head. Multiple households form a Unit, multiple units form a Chapter, multiple chapters form a Cluster, and a Sector can be formed depending on the amount of clusters in the area. Overall direction is provided by an elected International Council and the Board of Elders; both bodies answer to the Elders Assembly, a gathering of CFC Metro Manila Sector Heads, Provincial Area Heads, Regional Area Heads, Ministry Heads, International Regional Coordinators, Mission Directors, and their spouses.

The International Council

The CFC International Council (IC), also known as the Board of Trustees, is a body of seven CFC leaders elected by the Elders Assembly every two years, with their term starting from July until June two years later. They receive formal recognition through an anointing ceremony on the occasion of the CFC Anniversary, which takes place every June. For the past 25 years of CFC, the IC members can be reelected indefinitely. The current IC shall serve from July 1, 2007, until June 30, 2009.

File:Tale.png	Jose Tale	CFC Director Director of Evangelization and Mission International Mission Director Gawad Kalinga Chairman
File:Maipid.png	Ernesto Maipid, Jr.	Director of Pastoral Support
File:Villaromanjr.png	Melo Villaroman, Jr.	Family Ministries Director
File:Yamamoto.png	Jose Yamamoto	Social Ministries Director Mindanao Mission Director
File:Ponte.png	Rouquel Ponte	Pro-Life Ministry Director Metro Manila and Philippines Mission Director
	Joey Arguelles	Special Ministries Director Luzon Mission Director
	Lito Tayag	Home Office Director Visayas Mission Director

The Board of Elders

The CFC Board of Elders (BOE) is a high-level body of 15 CFC leaders. Similar to the International Council, the BOE is elected by the Elders Assembly for a two-year term. The current BOE shall serve the same term as that of the IC.

Robert Ardiente	Ramon de Leon	Rene Rieta
Ricky Cuenca	Joey Mempin	Oscar Tagulinao
Bernie Cuevas	Greg Monteclaro	Jun Uriarte
Didi Galsim	Mannix Ocampo
Delfy Geraldez	Luis Oquiñena

(Note: Following The CFC Crisis, BOE members Pancho Lopez-Tan and Oscar Oblefias resigned and joined the Foundation for Family and Life.)

Vision and Mission

This section is copied from the CFC website.

God raised up CFC so that we in turn would rise up in defense of His work. We believe that the family is a creation of God and no one has any right to change it, its structure and its purpose. CFC is a creation of God distinctly called to bring families back to the plan of God. CFC is called to bring the Lord’s strength and light to those who are struggling to be truly Christian families in the modern world.

We believe that God is working powerfully in the world today, and is moving to accomplish His “plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth” (Eph 1:10). In this task, God calls upon Christian families to be light and leaven in the world.

As such, we as Couples for Christ are called to be families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth. As Christian families we are called to grow in holiness and discipleship, so that God can use us as evangelizers and missionaries in order that He might renew the world.

In this task, we are called to take up the very mission of Jesus in bringing glad tidings to the poor. We rise up in defense of the poor and the oppressed. We struggle for peace, justice and the integrity of creation. We work for total human liberation in order to establish the kingdom of God here on earth.

In submission to God’s will, CFC commits itself to this mission. CFC will serve wherever God brings it to serve, trusting only in His guidance and His power.

Statement of Philosophy

This section is copied from the CFC website.

CFC adheres to a set of beliefs and ideals, from which flow its Christian values, attitudes and behavior, as well as its teachings, programs and approaches to Christian renewal within the context of family relationships.

WE BELIEVE in marriage as an indissoluble institution as taught be our Lord Jesus Christ (Mt 19:6); and that God created marriage primarily for love between man and woman, and for the procreation and proper rearing of children.

WE BELIEVE that God created man and wife with equal personal worth and dignity; and that God ordained order in the family by giving the man the role as head of the family and the woman as his helpmate and support, which roles best express their complementarity.

WE BELIEVE in the inalienable and irreplaceable right and responsibility of parents to educate their children; and that children need to be educated in essential human and Christian values for them to become responsible and mature members of society.

WE BELIEVE that the family, in practicing the gospel message, shares in the life and mission of the Church—through prayers, evangelization and service to others, especially to the poor.

WE BELIEVE that Christian family renewal can best be achieved by inviting Jesus to be the Lord of our homes, by allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to lead our family lives, and through the full use of all spiritual gifts at our disposal.

The Seven Pillars

Evangelization and Mission

membership entry through the Christian Life Program (CLP) and serves as the CFC membership body

Pastoral Support

logistical and pastoral support, ex. CFC Home Office and Pastoral Center operations, development of teachings and formation courses, providing counseling, training music ministries, handling finances, etc.

Family Ministries

support for every member of the family

• Kids for Christ (KFC)
• Youth for Christ (YFC)
• Singles for Christ (SFC)
• Handmaids of the Lord (HOLD) (for widows, older unmarried women, separated or divorced women, and women whose husbands are unable to join them)
• Servants of the Lord (SOLD) (the counterpart of HOLD for the men).

Social Ministries

• CFC Education Foundation, Inc. (EFI) (child education)
• Flame Ministries, Inc. (CFC social communications)
• GKare Health Foundation, Inc. (primary health care)
• Isaiah 61:1 (prison ministry)
• St. Thomas More & Associates (promoting morality, justice, and peace and society)
• Sword of Gideon (armed services ministry)
• Tekton Guild (economic ministry)
• Teodora (women empowerment ministry)
• The Oikos Society (environmental ministry)

Gawad Kalinga

Work with the Poor; Bringing Glad Tidings to the Poor

Pro-Life

Natural Family Planning (NFP) and education

Special Ministries

Building the Church of the Future

• Priests for Family and Life (clergy)
• Nuns for Christ (religious women)
• Missionary Society of St. Francis and St. Paul (lay celibates)
• Jacob's Well (irregular unions)

The Foundation for Family and Life

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Foundation for Family and Life File:Cfcffl index.jpg

File:Trumpets sticker.jpg
Formation	August 1, 2007
Type	Charismatic group
Headquarters	Apartelle 12, Star Mall, Edsa corner Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Location	14.5825°N 121.0536°E / 14.5825; 121.0536
Founder/Head	Francisco Padilla
Website	www.cfceastergroup.org www.restorecfc.multiply.com

File:Padilla.png

Francisco Padilla

The Foundation for Family & Life (FFL) is a group of former CFC leaders led by former CFC Director Francisco Padilla whose intent is "to restore the original charism of CFC". Citing isolated instances, FFL alleges that CFC has veered away from its original mission of family life renewal in the handling of Gawad Kalinga. One particular issue, FFL argues, is that GK, if it works under the CFC structure, should be a pro-life organization; therefore, any partnerships with companies producing/selling contraceptives should be opposed. (However, it must be noted that these partnerships were forged during the Padilla regime.)

This group, which was conceptualized on Easter Day (April 8), 2007, also called itself the "CFC Easter (Bunnies) Group" as indicated in its June 7, 2007 minutes of meeting, or "CFC Restoration Movement". (Playing on the first label, some of these leaders referred to themselves as the "CFC Playboy Bunnies Group".) On July 30, 2007, as The CFC Crisis progressed, this group formally announced its organization into the FFL, with the aim of looking to the restoration, preservation, and strengthening of the authentic CFC charism.

FFL attempted to register with the SEC as "Couples For Christ Foundation for Family and Life" (CFC-FFL). The application was denied by the SEC due to the prior use and registration of the name "Couples for Christ" by CFC. As a result, FFL leaders claim to remain part of the greater CFC community, which they argue is different from the legal entity CFC Global Mission Foundation. To differentiate itself, FFL refers to CFC as "CFC-GK" to point to CFC's "bias" towards Gawad Kalinga. Later on they began referring to CFC as "CFC-IC" to point to its obedience towards a "sinful" International Council; this is because FFL argues that it is the current International Council under the directorship of Jose Tale that is responsible for The CFC Crisis. (However, it must be noted that the problems which FFL insists were the responsibility of the current IC took root during the Padilla regime.)

Despite the separation, FFL leaders continue to use the existing CFC framework, structure, pastoral materials, and membership in the process of consolidating itself. (The FFL logo, for example, is one of the first CFC logos and has been appropriated by FFL without CFC's permission.) FFL leaders, arguing that they are still with CFC, claim "generic" Vatican recognition for FFL by virtue of the Vatican recognition bestowed on the original CFC.

Currently, the Dioceses of Antipolo and Maasin recognize FFL; no other official Church recognition can be cited. Furthermore, the CBCP affirmed that CFC has retained its Vatican and CBCP recognitions.

External links

Middle Ground

• CFC United (a calling to the reunification of CFC and FFL)
• The CFC Situation: A Chronology of Events (a timeline of The CFC Crisis)

CFC Asia

• CFC Singapore

CFC Europe

• CFC Europe

CFC North America

Canada

• CFC Calgary
• CFC British Columbia
• CFC Edmonton

United States

• CFC United States
• CFC Jacksonville, Florida
• CFC Orlando, Florida
• CFC Chicago, Illinois
• CFC Maryland
• CFC-USA New Jersey
• CFC New Jersey
• CFC Texas