Eliseo Fernando "Bro. Eli" Soriano (born April 4, 1947) is a Filipino televangelist. He is the current Presiding Minister of the Philippines-based Christian organization Members Church of God International, colloquially known through its radio and television program Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path, Portuguese: O Caminho Antigo, Spanish: El Camino Antiguo). His radio and television program is considered the longest-running religious program in the Philippines.
Soriano is known for his signature method of "Bible Expositions". This live event adopts the symposium format where guests and visitors get the chance to ask Soriano with their questions personally or by live video streaming. In some occasions, he "exposes" the doctrinal errors of various other religious groups. An incident when he used a defamatory word in his television show consequently led to a three-month suspension of the program in a case that went to the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Soriano was born to Triunfo Soriano and Catalina Fernando in Pasay City and is the seventh of eight children. He grew up in Pampanga. He started school at the age of eight.
Soriano was supposed to receive the highest honors of the school, but he dropped out three months before graduation due to an alleged religious debate between Soriano and the school administrator. On April 7, 1964, three days after his 17th birthday, Eliseo was baptised in Seneguelasan, Bacoor, Cavite, and became an official member of the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan (Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Support of the Truth in English) founded by Nicolas Perez[citation needed] where his parents were also members.
Appointed as Minister
In 1969, Nicolas Antiporda Perez, who was then the church's presiding minister, bestowed upon Soriano the title minister making him the only minister in the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan at that time. Rumors were circulating that Soriano is going to be Perez's successor. However, after the death of Nicolas Perez in 1975, Levita Gugulan was appointed as temporary Presiding General Secretary of the group. Soriano initially accepted the appointment of Gugulan but subsequently denounced her leadership stating that women should not be leaders of the church according to the Bible.
The Schism
In 1976, Soriano and his allies left Gugulan's sect. In 1977, Soriano registered a new group, called Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan(Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Ground of Truth in English), which was later changed to Mga Kaanib sa Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan sa Bansang Pilipinas, Inc. ("Members of the Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Ground of Truth, Philippines, Inc." in English).
Because of the similarity between the name used by Gugulan's group and Soriano's group, the former filed a suit, which was resolved by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2001 in favor of Gugulan's group and Soriano's group was ordered to change their church's name.[8] In 2004 Soriano's group changed their church's name as Members of the Church of God International.
Golden Age of Ang Dating Daan
Before starting his flagship TV program, Soriano would preach in different towns and municipalities in the Philippines.[5] In 1980, Soriano started the Ang Dating Daan radio program, which became a television program in 1983. In 1983, Soriano was invited as a panelist in GMA-7's multi-religious program, "Dis [This] is Manolo and His Genius Family". He, along with other representatives of religious groups, would debate and defend their beliefs in the show. Soriano won and was awarded "Most Outstanding Gospel Minister of the Year 1983".[5] Soon, Soriano would receive multiple awards from different charity orgranizations, notably as "Bayani ng Lahing Kayumanggi (Hero of the Brown Race)".
source: wikipedia
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