THE IGLESIA Filipina Independiente will hold its 16th General Assembly in Iloilo City from May 6 to 9, 2026, bringing together clergy and lay delegates from 53 dioceses in the Philippines and abroad.
Guided by the theme, “Sustained by Grace, Nurtured in Faith, Sent Forth in Mission,” and grounded in Epistle to the Ephesians 2:8–10, the gathering will reflect on the Church’s life and witness in a time of both challenge and renewal.
Speaking on the priorities of the gathering, The Most Rev. Joel O. Porlares, Obispo Maximo of the IFI, highlighted the importance of ongoing discernment on proposed amendments to the 1977 Constitution and Canons, the IFI’s highest law.
“These proposals are not merely structural revisions,” he said, “but part of our shared responsibility to ensure that the Church remains responsive, accountable, and mission-oriented in a rapidly changing world.”
He added that the Church remained committed to safeguarding the spirit of the Constitution and Canons, particularly the balance between clergy and laity and IFI’s identity as “episcopally led and synodically governed.”
“Our task is not to abandon what has shaped us, but to strengthen it,” he said, noting that Church structures must continue to serve the Gospel and sustain its witness today.
The assembly will serve both as a constitutional gathering and a space for collective discernment. Delegates will bring reports, experiences, and questions from across dioceses, as the Church listens for direction in the years ahead.
Reflecting on evolving leadership within the Church, The Rev. Mary Grace Ejercito-Masegman, the first woman governor general of the National Priest Organization of the IFI, said: “I hope for a widening of spaces where women and young people are not only welcomed but trusted as co-workers in God’s mission.”
She added that when women, gender-diverse persons, and the youth are given room to lead, the Church more fully reflects the life-giving movement of the Spirit.
“There are various local and global challenges to which IFI is called in service and solidarity, from unrest to the climate crisis,” said Vaughn Alviar, national youth president. “We must also ensure that the Church becomes one well-adapted to modern times, in the way it runs and the way it does mission.”
The IFI continues its journey marked by resilience and struggle. While leadership and lay participation have grown, clergy and lay workers serving marginalized communities continue to face risks, including harassment and red-tagging. These realities raise urgent questions about sustaining mission, caring for communities, supportinandg leaders in demanding contexts.
At its core, the assembly affirms that the Church endures through God’s grace, grows in faith, and is sent into mission. As the IFI gathers in Iloilo, it does so trusting that God continues to guide its life and witness in the world.