Joel Ocop Porlares is the current and fourteenth Obispo Máximo or Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente or IFI) since June 2023.
Porlares was the church's General Secretary, the second highest post in the church, from June 2017 to June 2023.[1] He was elected Obispo Máximo, the highest post of the church, during the 15th General Assembly, the highest policy-making body of the church, on May 9, 2023.[2]
Early life and education
Porlares was born in Tacloban City, Leyte on January 1, 1961, and was raised in Basey, Samar. His father was a priest of the IFI in Samar.
Porlares was involved in the programs of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) since his youth and participated in the Asia Youth Assembly (1984) organised by the CCA, which was held in New Delhi, India, as well as in other CCA Youth Programs in the late 1980s including one in 1986.[3]
He was the program coordinator of the Bataan Ecumenical Council and the regional program coordinator of the Central Luzon Ecumenical Council of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) in 1987 and 1988, respectively.[3]
Ecclesiastical roles
Porlares (left) with The Right Reverend Felixberto "Bert" L. Calang (right), Diocesan Bishop of Cagayan de Oro, during the 15th IFI General Assembly in May 2023 held at the Mella Hotel, Las Piñas City.
He taught Canon Law and Church History at the Aglipay Central Theological Seminary (ACTS) in Urdaneta, Pangasinan, where he served as its academic coordinator in 1996 to 1999, and at St. Andrew's Theological Seminary in Quezon City.[6]
He was elected General Secretary of IFI in May 2017.[9] He was elevated to Obispo Máximo on June 29, 2023, and succeeded Rhee Timbang after getting elected on May 9, 2023. Delegates to the 15th General Assembly, held at the Mella Hotel in Las Piñas, elected Porlares via majority votes after garnering 165 votes in contrast to the 117 votes of his closest contender, Felixberto Calang, diocesan bishop of Cagayan de Oro.[10][3]
