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With so many versions to choose from? The 1662 BCP — a classic of literature, alongside the 1611 Authorized Version of the Bible, and the works of Shakespeare — is the one from which so many others descended.http://www.ccepiscopal.org/handouts/bcp-1662.pdfThe 1979 version of the Episcopal Church is below. It has Rite 1 ( Elizabethan language) and Rite 2 (contemporary) versions of most parts.The Online Book of Common PrayerDo you want to read every historic and current BCP (and related books) from around the world? Look no further than these resources, found here: Books of Common Prayer:The Book of Common PrayerCharles Wohlers's comprehensive and superb site, with links to prayer books used within the Anglican Communion.The gold standard online resource for versions of the BCP that are not copyrighted.The Book of Common Prayer among the Nations of the Worldby William Muss-Arnolt (1913). An encyclopedic work on translations of the BCP. This digital edition of a very important work includes extensive hyperlinking to online versions of the translations and background documents.The Book of Common Prayer'Images and thoughts to accompany a forthcoming book by Alan Jacobs'.The Cranmer Project'One Evangelical's Attempt to Use the Book of Common Prayer'.Everyman's History of the Prayer Book, by Percy Dearmer.This classic is now online, well formatted, and worth your time. Note the Family Tree of the Prayer Book.National Public Radio (USA) on the Book of Common PrayerScott Simon offers a brief tribute to the BCP, tying it in to the American Thanksgiving holiday.A New History of the Book of Common PrayerCharles Wohlers has digitized and annotated a 1910 edition of this classic historical commentary of the Book of Common Prayer by Francis Procter and Walter Howard Frere.The People's Book of the Holy Eucharist (1914)AO Editor Richard Mammana has digitized this eucharistic manual adapted by Bernard Iddings Bell (1886-1958) for use in the Diocese of Fond du Lac.The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education'A site for Christian educators based on the RCL and Book of Common Prayer.'The Anglican Eucharist in New Zealand 1814-1989, by Bosco Peters.'This is the story of changing from one of the most liturgically conservative, conforming Anglican churches to being one of the most radical and varied. There are ritual controversies, fights, disputes, and ecclesiastical court cases. Parishioners throw the processional cross in the river when they object to processions. There is the account and analysis of the heady quarter of a century that culminated in A New Zealand Prayer Book He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa.'1549Book of Common Prayeron Chad Wohlers's site (see above).The Book of Common Prayer (1549)Chad Wohlers has digitised this remarkable facsimile edition of the first Book of Common Prayer. [PDF, 3MB]15591559 Book of Common PrayerThe full text of the 1559 Book of Common Prayer.Closely related to the 1559A comprehensive site on the remarkable and much-loved English poet, George Herbert. It includes an imaginative presentation of the 1559 Communion service, with links to Herbert poems at appropriate places. (Beware of the music.)16621662 Book of Common PrayerThis site has the full text of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer along with a few supplemental links.The Convocation Book Chad Wohlers has digitised this text instrumental in the drafting of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. It 'was thought lost for over two centuries, but was discovered in 1867 in the proverbial Government warehouse. It was then published as a folio photographic facsimile in 1870; the book used here is a reprint from a year later'.Wikisourceincludes parts of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. As this project is incomplete, volunteers are likely welcome to add more of the text.The 1662 BCP as engraved by Charles Sturt in 1717'There is no actual printing of text —the entire book, including the text, was engraved by hand on 188 silver plates, which allowed extreme detail to be recorded. The entire project took three years to complete and was financed by the sale of advance subscriptions.' This masterpiece is well worth the time to download and examine; the pictorial engravings are lovely.Book of Common Prayer Standard English Project'an early stage collaborative effort to produce a version of the Book of Common Prayer (1662) which differs (in as much as is possible) only in having a modernised language and visual format'.Abridgement of the Book of Common Prayer (1773)This Deist-leaning abridgment of the 1662 BCP by Benjamin Franklin and Francis Dashwood is now available online thanks to Richard Mammana and Charles Wohlers.The Book of Common Prayer from the Original Manuscript Attached to the Act of Uniformity of 1662Chad Wohlers has digitized this important text as published by Her Majesty's Printing Office in 1892.A Simple Mass Book(1920)Former AO editor Richard Mammana has digitized this Anglo-Catholic adaptation of the 1662 BCP communion rite.A Parish Communion Book(1940)AO Editor Richard Mammana has digitised this edition of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer service of Holy Communion.1734 (England)Deacon's DevotionsChad Wohlers has digitised this Nonjuring adaptation of the BCP.1795 (USA)American First Folio BCP Charles Wohlers has digitized this 'first folio, or large format, edition for the US Episcopal Church'.1845 (USA) The 1845 StandardChad Wohlers has digitised this edition of the American 1789 Book of Common Prayer.1871 (Scotland)Scottish Liturgies of the Reign of James VICharles Wohlers has digitised this important collection of BCP texts.1911 (Canada) Services and Prayers Authorized for Use in the Diocese of New Westminster and KootenayAO Editor Richard Mammana has digitized this book used to supplement the 1662 BCP in western Canada. It was authorized by Adam Urias de Pencier (1866-1949), Bishop of New Westminster (1910-1940), and Metropolitan of British Columbia (1925-1940).1918 (USA) The Campaign Prayer BookCharles Wohlers has digitised this version of the US 1892 BCP for use by WWI soldiers.1918 (Canada) 1918 Canadian Book of Common PrayerChad Wohlers has digitized parts of this BCP, the first Canadian revision of the 1662.1923 (England) A Suggested Prayer BookThe Green Book, a proposal by the English Church Union for revision of the 1662 BCP.1923 (England)Draft RevisionCharles Wohlers has digitised this 'initial draft of the ill-fated [Church of England] 1928 BCP'.1923 (England) A New Prayer Book 'Proposals for the Revision of the Book of Common Prayer and for Additional Services and Prayers, drawn up by a Group of Clergy.' Also known as the Grey Book.1928 (USA)1928 Book of Common Prayer (USA)This site contains Morning and Evening Prayer offices with links to the King James Version and the 1928 prayer book Psalter for both speed and ease of use. Abbreviated Daily Offices are also posted and linked, together with the Ordinal, Catechism, and so on.1928 Book of Common Prayer (USA)Charles Wohlers has published a version of the American 1928 BCP for Kindle.www.commonprayer.org'This Internet Edition of the Daily Offices includes versions of the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer which incorporate the Psalms, Scripture Lessons and Collect for the day based on the [US] 1928 Book of Common Prayer (1943 Lectionary) and the Authorized (King James) Bible into the text. The Occasional Offices from the [US] 1928 BCP commonly used with Morning and Evening Prayer, and privately, are included in their entirety, along with all of the various sections of the BCP useful as prayer supplements.'nd, c. 1928-1941 (USA)The Holy Eucharist Simplified in Accordance with Ancient Tradition on the Basis of the Book of Common PrayerThis undated revision of the BCP was prepared by William Palmer Ladd, and known as the Berkeley Rite.c. 1930 (England) A Mass Book according to the Western RiteCompiled by the Revds Charles Harcourt Blofeld and Henry Joy Fynes-Clinton.1931 (England)Common Prayer for ChildrenAO Editor Richard Mammana has digitised this compilation by Canon Arthur Rupert Browne-Wilkinson (1889-1961).1933 (England) Supplement to the Missal: The Proper of Masses in Commemoration of Thirty-nine Beati of the Anglican Communion1933 (USA)The Kingdom, the Power, and the GloryCharles Wohlers has digitized this American adaptation of the English 'Grey Book'.1934 (USA) A Manual of Catholic Worship Based on the Book of Common PrayerThis influential, anonymous American guide is now available online.1935 (England) The Communion Service As It Might BeAO Editor Richard Mammana has digitised this private adaptation of the English 1928 Proposed BCP.1938 (Melanesia) A Book of Common Prayer Authorised for Use in Churches and Chapels in the Diocese of Melanesia AO editor Richard Mammana has digitized this significant early BCP revision, first published in 1938 under the direction of Bishop Walter Hubert Baddeley (1894-1960), seventh Bishop of Melanesia.1938 (Ceylon) The Ceylon Liturgy 'This [English-language] liturgy was originally developed in 1933, revised in 1935, and finally authorized for general use in 1938. It is based both on the Church of England's abortive 1928 Liturgy, and on Eastern forms' for use in what is now Sri Lanka.1940 (USA)Service Book for the Diocese of New Jersey (PDF).Authorised by Wallace J. Gardner, digitized by AO Editor Richard Mammana.1947 (South India) The Order of Service for the Inauguration of Church Union in South India, with the Form of Consecrating the First New Bishops and the Order of Service for the Ordination of Presbyters1949 (US)The Book of OfficesAO's Richard Mammana has digitised this successor to A Book of Offices (1914) and predecessor to the US Episcopal Church's current Book of Occasional Services.1951 (England) The Order for the Celebration of Low Mass according to the Use of the Illustrious Church of Salisbury Closely Rendered into English, Rubricated and Presented in a Usable Form, together with an Appendix of Notes Mainly Historical and Expository1953 (England) The Lord's Service for the Lord's ChildrenBetween 1922 and 1953, two hundred thousand copies of this instructed eucharist, with its coloring pages, were distributed to Church of England children. This was the last edition, with the State Prayers updated for Queen Elizabeth II.c. 1958 (England) The Interim RiteThis undated adaptation of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer Order for Holy Communion follows the recommendations of N.P. Williams’s 1928 essay For the Present Distress: A Suggestion for an Interim Rite.1959 (West Indies) The Liturgy of the Church in the Province of the West IndiesAO Editor Richard Mammana has digitised this.1960 (India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon) The Supplement to the Book of Common PrayerChad Wohlers has digitized this book published for use in the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon.1960 (Ghana) The 1960 Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church of GhanaThis BCP, available on Charles Wohlers' website, is a revision of the 1662 Prayer Book with slight modifications to reflect Ghanaian independence and local Anglo-Catholic practice.1961 (USA)A Functional LiturgyThis early effort in the revision of the US 1928 BCP was prepared by the Revd Bonnell Spencer of the Order of the Holy Cross. It has now been digitised by AO Editor Richard Mammana.1962 (Canada)The Prayer Book Society of Canada has scanned and made available online the English text of the 1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer. The French text is on Chad Wohlers's general BCP website.1962 (Canada)Canadian BCP parish resources. The Prayer Book Society of Canada has posted the services of Compline and Holy Communion from the 1962 BCP in files suitable for printing booklets.1964 (Africa)A Liturgy for Africa'The 1958 Lambeth Conference set out principles for liturgical changes for the Anglican Communion; this Liturgy for Africa was the first result of these new developments.'1965 (Nassau and the Bahamas)The People's Order of the Mass and Other Prayers'Bernard Markham (1907-1984) was Lord Bishop of Nassau and the Bahamas from 1962 to 1972; he served as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Southwark from 1972 to 1984. This publication from the beginning of his episcopate reflects the strong Anglo-Catholic heritage of Anglicanism in the West Indies.'1965 (Portugal)The Service of the Holy Eucharist Authorized by the Synod of the Lusitanian Church for Experimental Use1965 (England) A New Mass Book for the Laity Incorporating All the Most Recent Changes in the LiturgyThis Anglo-Papalist booklet is an early incorporation of the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council in a Church of England context.1966 (Wales)The Proposed Revised Service for Experimental Use. This publication of the Church in Wales is available online in Welsh and in English. A successor to this Liturgy was proposed in 1977 but failed to gain approval. A complete Book of Common Prayer for the Church in Wales was published in 1984.1966 (US)The New Liturgy 'published at the beginning of the process of revision that resulted in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church USA. While this liturgy retains traditional language, it incorporates a number of significant changes that distinguish it from its 1928 predecessor.'1966 (New Zealand)The Liturgy or Eucharist of the Church of the Province of New Zealand This liturgy marks the first movement in revisions leading to the 1989 New Zealand Prayer Book.1966 (East Africa) A United Liturgy for East AfricaThis BCP-based liturgy was prepared for use by Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravians and Presbyterians in East Africa.1967 (England) Alternative Services: First SeriesThis major English Prayer Book revision is now available online in PDF.1969 (Canada)The Qu'Appelle LiturgyThis 'early part of the process of liturgical revision that culminated in the 1985 Book of Alternative Services was published during the tenure of the seventh Bishop of Qu'Appelle, George Clarence Fredrick Jackson (1907-1990, diocesan bishop 1960-1977).'1970 (Papua New Guinea)The Niugini Liturgy 'This diocesan eucharistic liturgy was published seven years before the formal inauguration of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. Many local languages in this province have been used for Anglican liturgical translations, but English serves as a lingua franca. This is the first liturgy prepared for Papua New Guinea that departs from the traditional BCP order in several respects, anticipating changes adopted by some parts of the Anglican Communion later in the decade. The Niugini Liturgy was prepared and published by the Right Reverend David Hand (1918-2006), whose ministry in New Guinea spanned from 1946 to 2006.'1976 (Papua New Guinea)Occasional Offices, Church of the Province of Papua New GuineaThis group of liturgies is a predecessor to the current official prayer book of the Church of the Province of Papua New Guinea, which was published in 1991 under the title Anglican Prayer Book.1977 (Scotland)Scottish Episcopal Church Experimental Liturgy 1977'a transitional revision permitted for use in the Scottish Episcopal Church between the Scottish Liturgy 1970 and the Scottish Liturgy 1982'.1979 (US)The (Online) Book of Common Prayer (US)This is the official 1979 Book of Common Prayer including The Psalter or Psalms of David.Available as html.Book of Common Prayer, Version 1979'This version of the Book of Common Prayer is based on the 1979 Prayer Book, and hopes to provide you with more than just an electronic reproduction of the BCP. Wherever possible, the pages are dynamic — pulling Bible Passages from a database for insertion into the Daily Offices — and interwoven — linking various liturgies to proper prayers, anthems, and other pages or passages.' Provided by the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.Kindle BCPThe 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the US Episcopal Church is now available for purchase and use on Kindle, an electronic book device developed by Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more.The Anglican Service BookA traditional language adaptation of the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer.undated (after 1981) (Mauritius)Un ordre pour la célébration de la Sainte Eucharistie / An Order for the Celebration of the Holy EucharistUndated, in English and French, according to the use of the Diocese of Mauritius.1989 (New Zealand)A New Zealand Prayer Book / He Karakia Mihinare o AotearoaThis influential and innovative prayer book is now available in html.1996 (Nigeria)The Liturgy of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), The Order for Holy Communion or the Eucharist is available online in English.

Iglesia ni CristoWhy dont you look at Wikipedia. You are the end of a bell.[ɪˈgleʃɐ ni ˈkɾisto], abbreviated as INC; English: Church of Christ) is an international Christian denomination that originated in the Philippines. It was registered in 1914 by Felix Manalo,who became its first executive minister.The Iglesia ni Cristo proclaims itself to be the one true church and says that it is the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus and that all other Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic Church andProtestant sects, are apostates.INC doctrine cites that the official registration of the Church with theGovernment of the Philippine Islands on July 27, 1914, by Felix Manalo—upheld by its members to be the last messenger of God—was an act of divine providence and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the reestablishment of the Church of Christ in the Far Eastconcurrent with the coming of the Seventh sealmarking the end of days.By the time of Manalo's death in 1963, the Iglesia ni Cristo had become a nationwide church with 1,250 local chapels, and 35 large concrete cathedrals.His son Eraño Manalo became the next church leader and led a campaign to grow and internationalize the church until his death on August 31, 2009,whereupon his son,Eduardo V. Manalo, succeeded him as executive minister.In 2010, the Philippine census by the National Statistics Office found that 2.45 percent of the population in the Philippines are affiliated with the Iglesia ni Cristo, making it the third largest religious denomination in the Philippines after the Roman Catholic Church (80.6%) andIslam (5.6%), respectively.Contents[hide]1History1.1Background1.2International expansion1.3Centennial1.4Twenty-first century2Beliefs and core values2.1Bible2.2God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit2.3One, true church2.4Felix Manalo2.5Baptism2.6Excommunication2.7Eschatology and resurrection3Practices3.1Worship and prayer3.2Evangelism3.3Outreach4Administration and organization4.1Ecclesiastical districts5Architecture6Geographic distribution and membership7Social influence in the Philippines8Reception from other religions9Notes10References11External linksHistory[edit]During American colonial rule over the Philippines, there were a variety of rural anti-colonial movements, often with religious undertones,and American Protestant missionaries introduced several alternatives to the Roman Catholic Church, the established church during Spanish colonial period.Background[edit]Built in 1937, the former chapel of the Punta, Manila congregation is now an INC museumFelix Manalo, born on May 10, 1886, in Taguig, Philippines, was baptized a Roman Catholic. In his teenage years, Manalo became dissatisfied with Roman Catholic theology. According to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the establishment of the Philippine Independent Church (also called the Aglipayan Church) was his major turning point, but Manalo remained uninterested since its doctrines were mainly Catholic. In 1904, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church,entered the Methodist seminary, and became a pastor for a while.He also sought through variousdenominations, including the Presbyterian Church, Christian Mission, and finally Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1911. Manalo left the Adventist church in 1913, and associated himself with atheist and agnostic peers.On November 1913, Manalo secluded himself with religious literature and unused notebooks in a friend's house in Pasay, instructing everyone in the house not to disturb him. He emerged from seclusion three days later with his new-found doctrines.Manalo, together with his wife, went to Punta, Santa Ana, Manila on November 1913, and started preaching. He left the congregation in the care of his first ordained minister, and returned to his native Taguig to evangelise; there, he was ridiculed and stoned in his meetings with locals. He was later able to baptize a few converts, including some of his persecutors. He later registered his new-found religion as the Iglesia ni Cristo (English: Church of Christ; Spanish: Iglesia de Cristo) on July 27, 1914, at the Bureau of Commerce as a corporation sole, with himself as the first executive minister.Expansion followed as INC started building congregations in the provinces in 1916, with Pasig (then in Rizal province) having 2 locals established.The first three ministers were ordained in 1919.By 1924, INC had about 3,000 to 5,000 adherents in 43 or 45 congregations in Manila and six nearby provinces.By 1936, INC had 85,000 members. This figure grew to 200,000 by 1954.A Cebu congregation was built in 1937—the first to be established outside of Luzon, and the first in the Visayas. The first mission toMindanao was commissioned in 1946. Meanwhile, its first concrete chapel was built in Sampaloc, Manila in 1948.Adherents fleeing for the provinces away from Manila, where the Japanese forces were concentrated during the World War II, were used for evangelization.As Manalo's health began to fail in the 1950s, his son Eraño began taking leadership of the Church. Felix Manalo died on April 12, 1963.Within the span of 49 years of Felix Manalo's administration, the Iglesia ni Cristo had 1,250 local chapels, and 35 large concrete cathedrals.Felix Y. Manalo was a recognized and highly respected religious leader of the Philippines.International expansion[edit]INC Central Temple in Quezon City, PhilippinesOn July 27, 1968, Eraño G. Manalo officiated the inaugural worship service of the church in Ewa Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii—the first mission of the church outside the Philippines. The following month, INC established the San Franciscocongregation. In 1971, the church set foot in Canada. In June 1987, the US Main Office (USMO) was set up in Daly City, California to assist the INC central administration in supervising the then 11 districts of the church in the West. The first local congregation in Latin America was established in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1990. The following year, the church reached Mexico and Aruba. From 2000 and beyond, congregations rose in the Central and South American countries. The first local congregation in Europe was established in England in 1972. The church came to Germany and Switzerland in the mid-70s. By the end of the 1980s, congregations and missions could be found in the Scandinavian countries and their neighbors. The Rome, Italy congregation was established on July 27, 1994; the Jerusalem, Israel congregation in March 1996; and the Athens, Greece congregation in May 1997. The predecessors (prayer groups) of these full-fledged congregations began two decades earlier. Meanwhile, the mission first reached Spain in 1979. The first mission in northernAfrica opened in Nigeria in October 1978. After a month, the King William’s Town congregation, in South Africa was established. A congregation was organized inGuam in 1969. In Australia, congregations have been established since mid-1970s. The church first reached China by way of Hong Kong, and Japan through Tokyoalso in the 1970s. Missions have also opened in Kazakhstan and Sakhalin Island in Russia. In Southeast Asia, the first congregation in Thailand was established in 1976 and missions have already been conducted in Brunei since 1979. In addition, there are also congregations in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.In 1965, INC launched its first resettlement and land reform program in Barrio Maligaya, Laur, Nueva Ecija. INC started operating a radio station in 1969 while its first television program aired in 1983.The Ministerial Institute of Development, currently the New Era University College of Evangelical Ministry, was founded in 1974 in Quiapo, Manila and moved in Quezon City in 1978. In 1971, the INC Central Office building was built in Quezon City. In 1984, the 7,000-seater Central Temple was added in the complex. The Tabernacle, a multipurpose, tent-like building which can accommodate up to 4,000 persons, was finished in 1989. The complex also includes the New Era University, a higher-education institution run by INC.Eraño Manalo died on August 31, 2009.His son, Eduardo V. Manalo, succeeded him as executive minister upon his death.Centennial[edit]On July 21, 2014, President Benigno Aquino III and INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo led the inauguration of Ciudad de Victoria,a 140-hectare tourism zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, where the Philippine Arena is also located. The Philippine Arena, a 55,000-seater multi-purpose structure, touted as the world's largest indoor domed arena (by seating capacity), was constructed for the INC's centennial celebration on July 27, 2014.On July 27, 2014, INC celebrated its centennial anniversary at Ciudad de Victoria, with Philippine Arena as the main venue, and in about 1,180 worship buildings worldwide through live video feed. The week-long celebration consisted of pyro-musical displays, worship service led by Manalo, oratorio, musical presentation, theatrical play, quiz show, and evangelical mission.For the worship service conducted for the INC centennial, INC secured two Guinness World Records for the largest gospel choir with 4,745 membersand largest mixed-used indoor theater for the Philippine Arena with 51,929 attendees.On July 26, 2015, INC capped their centennial year through different activities such as International Unity Games, worship service led by Manalo, and Closing Centennial Celebration which were held at Washington D.C. USA, and the Philippine Arena.Within the span of six years (2009-2015), the church has added 3,100 new ministers, 1,513 new graduates of Bachelor of Evangelical Ministry with additional 8,896 current ministerial students, and more than one million new officers. INC has also established 25 new ecclesiastical districts, 337 new local congregations, 318 new local extensions, and 170 new group worship services. The church has built 665 new worship buildings, 297 barangay chapels, and 1,863 congregations doubled in membership as part of its centennial projects.Two main offices (Burlingame, CA, USA; Heathrow, London, UK) and 35 administrative infrastructure projects were also inaugurated in the same period.Twenty-first century[edit]INC worship building in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe first INC School for Ministry outside the Philippines was set up in Sacramento, California in December 2013. On November 4, 2014, Manalo inaugurated the new main campus building of the INC's College of Evangelical Ministry. The seven-floor edifice which is located at the New Era University grounds costs more than Php 1 billion or US$21 million.On April 25, 2015, coincided with the dedication of the 600-seater worship building in Daegu, South Korea, Manalo led the oath-taking of 729 newly graduates of Bachelor in Evangelical Ministry as new regular evangelical workers. It is by far the largest batch of evangelical workers in INC history.During the mid of 2015, internal conflicts challenged the century-old church. It was when Felix Nathaniel "Angel" Manalo, the brother of current executive minister Eduardo Manalo, and their mother, Cristina "Tenny" Manalo, the widow of former executive minister Eraño Manalo, uploaded a video to YouTube alleging that the INC administration had threatened their life and that there has been a mass kidnapping of ministers. The Iglesia ni Cristo, however, denies the claims of kidnapping and has expelled Angel and Tenny Manalo for what they have described as creating schism in the church and power grabbing.On October 4, 2015, INC, through Viva films, conducted the world premiere of Felix Manalo, a film depicting the origin of the INC and the life of its first executive minister, which was held at the Philippine Arena. The premiere broke three Guinness world records for the largest audience in a film premiere, the largest audience in a film screeningand the largest paying audience for a film premiere with 43,624 attendees.On December 31, 2015, INC shattered three more Guinness world records for their new year celebration. These are the records for the longest line of sparklers lit in relay, the most sparklers lit simultaneously, and the largest fireworks display. INC broke the record of Norway of 540,382 fireworks with 750,000 pieces of fireworks which lasted for an hour.Beliefs and core values[edit]Iglesia ni Cristo believes that it is the true church established by Jesus Christ in the first century, and that its registration in the Philippines is the fulfillment of biblical prophecies that Jesus Christ's church would re-emerge in the Far East.Because of a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe INC's doctrines asrestorationist in outlook and theme.INC, however, does not consider itself to be part of the Restoration Movement nor any external religious organization. The Iglesia ni Cristo deems Christian religious organizations outside INC to be "children" of the "apostate" Roman Catholic Church.The church stresses its independence, saying that it is not a denomination or sect of any of the major groupings and is neither affiliated to any federation of religious bodies, nor itself an assembly of smaller religious organizations.Bible[edit]The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that the Bible is the only book inspired by God, and the sole basis of all their beliefs and practices.God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit[edit]The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that God the Father is the Creator deity and the only true God. INC rejects the traditional Christian belief in the Trinity as heresy,adopting a version of unitarianism. They believe that this position is attested by Jesus Christ and the Apostles.The church believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of Godand the mediator between God the Father and humanity,and was created by God the Father. God sanctified him to be without sin, and bestowed upon him the titles "Lord" and "Son of God". The church sees Jesus as God's highest creation, and denies the deity of Jesus.Adherents profess Jesus' substitutionary role in the redemption of humankind. He is believed to have been "foreordained before the foundation of the world", and sent by God "to deal with sin". Members "are saved by Christ's blood" who died because of his "self-sacrificing love".INC believes that the Holy Spirit is the power of God and also not a deity, being sent by God the Father and Jesus Christ to guide God's people.One, true church[edit]Iglesia ni Cristo flag (the colors represent faith, hope and love while the seven-branched candelabrum or menorah represents the church in the Bible)The Iglesia ni Cristo believes that it is the one true church founded by Jesus Christand was restored by Felix Manalo in the last days. They believe that the first century church was apostasized in the 1stor 4th century due to false teachings.INC says that this apostate church is the Roman Catholic Church. Meanwhile, its reestablishment is seen as the signal for the end of days.They believe that the Iglesia ni Cristo is the fulfillment of the Bible verse, Isaiah 43:5, where "east" refers to the Philippineswhere the Church of Christ would be founded.INC teaches that its members constitute the "elect of God" and there is no salvation outside the Iglesia ni Cristo.Faith alone is insufficient for salvation.The Iglesia ni Cristo says that the official name of the true church is "Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo (in Tagalog)". The two passages often cited by INC to support this are Romans 16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you"and the George Lamsa translation of Acts 20:28: "Take heed therefore . . . to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood."Felix Manalo[edit]Felix Manalo is said to be the restorer of the church of Christ, and "God's last messenger" (sugo in Tagalog).INC says that Manalo is the "angel from the east", mentioned in Revelation 7:1–3 who started the INC at the same time that World War I broke out. This period according to INC is referred to as the ends of the earth (cf Is 41:9-10; 43:5-6) the time when the end of the world is near, even at the doors (cf. Mt. 24:3, 33), which began with the outbreak of a war of global proportions (cf. Mt. 24:6-7)Felix Manalo is from the Philippines, which they say is in the ‘center’ of the Far East.The ‘four winds’ in Revelation 7:1-3, they say refers to World War I and the four angels are the four leaders known as the big four (Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Vittorio Orlando) who they say worked on the prevention of the war.Manalo is also portrayed as the fulfillment of several passages in Isaiah and other books of the Bible.Manalo's titles are "ravenous bird from the east" (Isa. 46:11), "worm Jacob" (Ps. 22:6-7), "one shepherd" (John 10:16) and "the last Elijah" (Mt.17:10-11; Mal.4:5).As the one who established the INC, Manalo was the chief administrator, chief theologian and spiritual leader of the church.As such, he was the ultimate authority in all aspects of the church, and effectively "the foremost Biblical authority for all humanity and the divinely designated leader of a reestablished church of Christ in the modern world."Baptism[edit]The church believes that baptism is done by immersion baptism or Believer's baptism by adults in water, and that it is necessary that people be baptised in the Iglesia ni Cristo to become disciples of Jesus Christ.The church rejects infant baptism. Newborn children of members are instead dedicated to God through a congregational prayer, led by an ordained minister of the INC.People who wish to be baptized in the INC must first submit to a formal process taking at least six months. Once someone officially registers with their local congregation, the person is given the status of being a Bible student (Tagalog: dinudoktrinahan) and taught the twenty-five lessons concerning fundamental teachings and its beginnings in the Philippines. These lessons are contained in the doctrine manual written by Eraño G. Manalo entitled "Fundamental Beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo". This book is given to ministers, evangelical workers, and ministerial students of the INC. Each lesson is usually thirty minutes to one hour in length. After hearing all the lessons, the students enters a probationary period (Tagalog: sinusubok) during which they are obliged to attend fifteen once-a-week group prayer meetings, where they are taught to pray and are guided in their adjustment to the INC lifestyle. When the sixth month comes, students who have been active in attending the twice-a-week worship services and whose lifestyles are in accordance with INC doctrines are screened before being baptized. During the screening, they are asked questions about the teachings of the church.Excommunication[edit]Members who are not living in accordance with the doctrines taught in the INC are admonished. Those who continue in violation of INC doctrines after being admonished are excommunicated or expelled from the INC and thus lose salvation, and therefore, the church does not believe in the perseverance of the saints. Certain violations, such as eating blood,being absent for too long without any solid reason during worship services, or marrying or having a romantic relationship with a non-member may result in mandatory excommunication.Eschatology and resurrection[edit]See also: Christian eschatologyINC believes that a person is composed of a body ("vehicle"), soul ("individual") and spirit ("life" or fuel). Members believe that when a person dies, his/her body and soul both die and go into the grave where both will remain until the Second Coming of Christ, whereas the spirit will go back to God. Upon Christ's return, all dead servants of God, from the time of the patriarchs up to the last days, would be resurrected to join living faithful and loyal INC members. They will be rewarded by living in the Holy City or New Jerusalem, together with God the Father, and Jesus Christ. After 1,000 years, a second resurrection would occur, and non-INC members will experience second death which is the Lake of Fire (Dagát-dagatang Apóy).The church believes that God set a day where He will judge all people. They believe that this day is also the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.INC divides time into three eras: the era of the Patriarchs from creation to the birth of Moses, the era of the Prophets from the birth of Moses to the birth of Jesus, and the Christian era from the birth of Jesus to the Last Judgment. Adherents believe Felix Manalo to be the last messenger of God in the Christian Era.Practices[edit]Worship and prayer[edit]The church conducts regular worship services, one during the week, and one during the weekend, conducted in the local languages (providing sign language interpreters and translators in some congregations). It consists of singing of hymns, prayers, studies of the bible, collection of voluntary offerings, and benediction.Both God the Father and Jesus are worshiped.The ministers of every congregation in a given worship service use the same sermon outline prepared by the executive minister. Deacons and Deaconesses guide worshipers to their seats and collect voluntary offerings.The singing of hymns is led by the locale's choir. The first hymnbook, termed as Ang Himnario ng Iglesia Ni Cristo, which consists about 300+ songs, was published in 1937. Children worship services (Tagalog: Pagsamba ng Kabataan or PNK) are held every weekend. They use similar lessons as the standard worship services taught using the Socratic method(question and answer).The church teaches that willfully forsaking the worship service is a grievous sin,thus members are expected to attend the congregational worship services twice a week without fail.The church encourages its members to make prayer a part of everyday life. Thus, prayer before various activities, such as taking meals and going to sleep, are commonly practiced.Prayers recited in rote repetition are not observed.Evangelism[edit]INCTV Channel-49 and INCRadio 954 kHz, the official religious channel and radio station of Iglesia ni Cristo.Since February 1939, the church has been publishing Pasugo(English: God's Message) in both Tagalog and English.As of 2010, the God's Message Magazine also features a Spanish section and in 2012 it has alsoGerman and Japanese sections. Felix Manalo wrote its first editorial where he stated the publication's purpose, including the propagation of the faith.Issues contain articles which detail INC doctrines and refute doctrines which it considers as heresy, such as the Trinity.It also features information on church history, educational programs and missionary achievements, including lists and photographs of newly dedicated chapels. In 2001, it had a monthly circulation of 235,000 copies.For the year 2009, there were more than four million copies of Pasugo distributed worldwide.In the Philippines, through the Christian Era Broadcasting Service International Incorporated (CEBSI Incorporated), INC broadcasts programs that discuss Bible teachings over the radio and television. These programs are aired by about 60 other radio stations all over the Philippines (i.e. INC Radio- DZEM 954kHz) and several more in the US and Australia. INCTV-49, as well as major cable stations in the Philippines and some channels in the US Direct TV ch 2068, telecast the INC’s religious programs. These programs can also be seen in the Internet via the website www.incmedia.orgINC holds religious gatherings called evangelical missions regularly which aim to attract more followers. On February 28, 2012, INC held its largest Philippine-wide evangelical missions simultaneously on 19 sites across the country.In Manila site alone, more than 600,000 people attended the event.On April 13, 2013, INC launched Lingap-Pamamahayag under its project Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko (English: My Countrymen, My Brethren), which incorporates outreach missions to its evangelical missions.On September 26, 2015, INC held its first worldwide evangelical mission at the Philippine Arena as the main venue and in 2,125 sites throughout the world through video conferencing. It was officiated by INC executive minister, Eduardo Manalo.Outreach[edit]On November 19, 1981, INC has launched the Lingap sa Mamamayan (Aid To Humanity) Program. The program aims to provide relief goods, health care, and other services to the needy, especially those who are afflicted by calamities and disasters. It also provides seminars for disaster preparedness, first aid, and family planning. Other humanitarian activities such as blood donation and community clean up drives were also conducted in different parts of the world where the Iglesia ni Cristo is established.Felix Y. Manalo (FYM) Foundation, the INC's arm in executing the Lingap sa Mamamayan and other related programs, was formally registered in the Philippines on February 4, 2011, and in the United States on May 17, 2012. The institution is also recognized in Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Russia.INC also established the Unlad International, Inc in 2012.It is the INC's arm in providing sustainable livelihood to its members.On July 7, 2012, the INC Lingap sa Mamamayan was conducted in the slums of Parola in Tondo, Manila and was awarded three Guinness world records for breaking records in the most people involved in a dental health check, the most blood pressure readings taken in 8 hours and the most blood glucose level tests in 8 hours.On February 15, 2014, INC bagged another two Guinness world records when they conducted a worldwide charity walk simultaneously on 135 different sites scattered in 29 countries. INC holds the records for the largest charity walk on a single venue when 175,509 members of the church finished the 1.6 km walk in Manila; and for the largest charity walk in 24 hours (multiple venues) when a total of 519,521 participants finished the charity walk in different parts of the world. The proceeds were used for the housing and livelihood projects of super Typhoon Haiyan survivors.On February 22, 2014, INC conducted another Lingap sa Mamamayan at its first resettlement project in Barrio Maligaya in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija. Coinciding with the barrio's 49th anniversary, INC bagged another world record after setting the record for the most number of hunger relief packs distributed within eight hours. A total of 302,311 hunger relief packages were given.On March 14, 2014, after conducting a worship service in Tacloban, Leyte, INC executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo, led the groundbreaking ceremony of the EVM Self-Sustainable Community Rehabilitation Project in Sitio New Era, a 3000-hectare property of the church in Brgy. Langit, Alang-alang, Leyte. The project which costs more than one billion pesos includes at least 1000 housing units for the survivors of super typhoon Haiyan. Garments and dried fish factories, and eco-farming project are also included to provide livelihood to the community. More than 150,000 hunger relief packages were also given which contains 3 kilos of rice, canned goods and instant noodles aside from the free medical and dental services conducted that day.On January 23, 2015, Manalo inaugurated the livelihood and housing project.On November 9, 2015, Manalo inaugurated a community project for Kabihug tribe, an indigenous group in Camarines Norte. The project is situated in a 100-hectare land which includes 300 housing units, calamansi orchard, ecological farm, dried fish factory, garments factory, clinic, learning center, and an INC worship building.Administration and organization[edit]Iglesia ni Cristo has had three executive ministers (Tagalog: Tagapamahalang Pangkalahatan) that lead the church administration in overseeing the faith of the members. Eduardo V. Manalo, as the current executive minister, serves as the church's leader, and, in this capacity, manages the administration of the church.Along with other senior ministers which comprises the Church Economic Council (Tagalog:Lupon ng Sanggunian), the executive minister forms the Central Administration of Iglesia ni Cristo .All church ministers and evangelical workers are male, however, there are numerous female church officers. Ministers are encouraged to marry for the purpose of obeying the command to marry and multiply, and to become effective counselors to church members with family-related problems.The Central Office in Quezon City is Iglesia ni Cristo's headquarters. The central office is one of several structures inside the central office complex. It houses the permanent offices of the central administration and some of the church's departments. It is here where about a thousand INC professionals and volunteers hold office. Built in 1971 for ₱ 22 million (US$473 thousand), the building is currently estimated to be worth ₱1 billion (US$21 million).It was located in Maniladuring its early years, then in San Juan, and later in Makati, before moving to its present site. INC also has two main offices outside the Philippines; in Burlingame, California, USA and in Heathrow, London, United Kingdom.Ecclesiastical districts[edit]Administration and ministerial work are delegated into ecclesiastical districts (termed divisions until 1990) which are led by district ministers (formerly, division ministers).Ecclesiastical districts comprise 15 to 70 congregations (referred to as locales) on average.All locales were directly managed by Felix Manalo until 1924 when the first ecclesiastical district was organized in Pampanga.INC oversees 128 ecclesiastical districts, 101 in the Philippines and 27 more districts throughout the world:Hawaii-PacificPacific NorthwestNorthern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaWestern CanadaEastern CanadaNorthern MidwestSouthern MidwestNortheastern SeaboardMid-AtlanticSoutheastern SeaboardArabia EastArabia WestChinaJapanQatarSouth KoreaSoutheast Asia ISoutheast Asia IITaiwanUnited Arab EmiratesNorthern EuropeSouthern EuropeUnited KingdomAfricaAustralia EastAustralia WestArchitecture[edit]INC worship building in San Jose, CaliforniaIglesia ni Cristo church buildings primarily serve as places of worship and are used for other religious functions. These are described by Culture and customs of the Philippines, a book published by Greenwood Publishing Group, as structures "which employ exterior neo-Gothic vertical support columns with tall narrow windows between, interlocking trapezoids, and rosette motifs, as well as tower and spires." There are multiple entrances leading to the main sanctuary, where males and females sit on either side of the aisle facing a dais where sermons are made. The choir loft is located behind the dais, and in larger churches, a baptistry with pools for immersion baptism is located at the back of the church.Meanwhile, Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita, an anthropologist from Ateneo de Manila University,said that INC churches can be uniquely identified for "its exuberant use of fanciful forms and ornaments [and a] brilliant white facade whose silhouette is a cusped Gothic arch or a flattened Saracenic arch."The distinctive spires represent "the reaching out of the faithful to God."Prominent architects, such as Juan Nakpil (a National Artist of the Philippines for architecture) and Carlos A. Santos-Viola, had been involved in designing INC churches while the Engineering and Construction Department of INC, established in 1971, oversees the uniformity in design of church buildings.INC worship building in Montclair, CaliforniaThe first chapel was built on Gabriela Street in Tondo, Manila in 1918, fashioned out of sawali (woven leaf panels), nipa and wood, typified the style and materials of the early chapels. After World War II, INC began to build concrete chapels, the first of these in Washington (Maceda), Sampaloc, Manila completed in 1948. Next came the chapel and former official residence of the executive minister in San Juan, Rizal (now San Juan City, part of Metropolitan Manila). The complex in San Juan was designed by Juan Nakpil.The Central Temple which opened on July 27, 1984, can accommodate up to 7,000 persons, and cost about US$2 million was designed by Carlos A. Santos-Viola.The Central Temple features octagonal spires, "fine latticework" and ribbed windows. Recent buildings are variations on the designs of the Central Temple. These are designed to accommodate 250 to 1,000 persons while larger churches in Metro Manila and provincial capitals can accommodate up to 3,000 persons.INC churches outside the Philippines which were acquired from different religions undergo intensive renovations to meet the standard of their worship services.Since most of INC churches abroad were acquired from different religions, there is significant variation from one house of worship to another.Geographic distribution and membership[edit]Countries and territories with official INC presenceCountries and territories with no official INC presenceAccording to the official INC website, the Iglesia ni Cristo membership comprises 114 nationalities. It maintains 5,545 congregations and missions grouped into 128 ecclesiastical districts in the Philippines and 102 other countries and territories.Catholic Answers, a Catholic apologetics group, estimated INC membership to be at least 3 million members worldwide.In 2010, the Philippine census by the National Statistics Office estimated that 2.45% of the Philippine population is affiliated with the Iglesia ni Cristo, making it the third-largest religious denomination in the country after the Catholic Church and Islam, respectively.Social influence in the Philippines[edit]Felix Manalo's birth site was recognized in the Philippines as a National Historical LandmarkEver since former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon created a lasting friendship after asking Felix Manalo for advice, the INC has been known for its strong social influence.INC members are noted for bloc voting in Philippine elections,with conversion turn-out between 68 and 84 percent of its members voting for candidates endorsed by its leadership, according to comprehensive surveys conducted by ABS-CBN.This is in part due to their doctrine on unity. Recent estimates say that the INC can deliver a minimum of 1.37 million members of voting age (61% of 2.25M based on 2010 census).INC vote seems to be only significant in close-run elections, noting that some INC-supported candidates lost in the election. BusinessmanEduardo Cojuangco Jr. lost to Fidel Ramos in the 1992 Philippine presidential election.In 2010, Iglesia ni Cristo declared support for Benigno Aquino III and Mar Roxas for president and vice president respectively. Aquino won the election but Roxas lost to Jejomar Binay.The support of the INC was reportedly sought out for passage of the bill for the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. In 2008, the INC and the Catholic Church were pitted against each other when health advocate RH Advocacy Network (RHAN) sought the support of the INC to counter the firm opposition of the Catholic Church and former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo to the bill.Representative Janette Garin of the first district of Iloilo said the INC's stand could determine if the bill gets passed in the House of Representatives. She said the opinion of the Iglesia ni Cristo is “important” in determining the fate of House Bill 5043.On June 12, 2009, former Philippine president Arroyo approved Republic Act No. 9645, an act that declares July 27 of every year as "Iglesia ni Cristo Day", an official national working holiday, in recognition of INC's exemplary feat of leading its members towards "spiritual enlightenment" and good citizenry. The act is a consolidation of House Bill No. 5410 and Senate Bill No. 3281.In the last quarter of 2013, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) had issued 100-Peso banknotes with an overprint of the Centennial logo of the INC to commemorate its 100th founding anniversary. The commemorative banknotes were printed, distributed and circulated throughout the country.On July 2, 2014, Philippine president Aquino made a proclamation through Proclamation No. 815 to declare the year 2014 as "Iglesia ni Cristo Centennial Year". The proclamation was issued to "enhance public awareness" on the contributions of INC to national development.On July 24, 2014, the Philippine government, through the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, installed a “national historical marker” inside the INC Central Office grounds along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City. With the historical marker installed inside the INC Central Office, the site has now become part of “historical ground” recognized by the Philippine government which mandates its preservation.Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism described INC as a "most powerful union" in the Philippines.Meanwhile, Al Jazeera, a Doha-based broadcasting network, described INC as a "state within a state", saying that it is "an autonomous entity of its own, taking care of its members in remote areas where government presence is scarce, and plugging the gaping hole in terms of basic services that remain woefully lacking in many communities in the archipelago". Furthermore, it was described that the INC "have expanded their influence beyond their membership, and so the group today can be considered to be at par with political parties or national political groups." The inaugural ceremony of INC's Ciudad de Victoria according to them resembled a state visit more than a simple religious gathering.Reception from other religions[edit]Karl Keating, the founder of Catholic Answers said in 1990 that the INC engages in anti-Catholicism and anti-Protestantism in its God's Message magazine. Keating views the church as being built on a set of anti-Catholic doctrines, and that their lessons, as well as their God's Message magazine are dedicated more to debunking Catholic and Protestant beliefs and doctrines than to explaining their own positions.Let Us Reason Ministries, an online apologetics research group, has challenged the Iglesia ni Cristo's doctrines that one can only receive salvation if they are a member of the INC, and for saying that the INC has the sole authority from God to interpret and preach the Bible, while other religions do not.They also say that the Iglesia ni Cristo fallaciously misinterprets Biblical passages in order to suit their doctrines.In a 1984 issue of the Iglesia ni Cristo's God's Message magazine, authors quote Charles Caldwell Ryrie's commentary in his Ryrie Study Bible on John 1:1 as being an example of a Protestant theologian supportive of their nontrinitarian doctrine that Jesus Christ is distinct from God. However, Ryrie has stated that the quotation was taken out of context, and that he believes in the Trinity.Meanwhile, the Members Church of God International, another Christian denomination based in the Philippines, has had a history of conflicts with the INC.

The Website Awesomejelly.com provides the IQ estimates for thirty of the U.S. presidents (see below). They give only “Awesome Jelly” as the source.This kind of estimating IQs of people from the past has been done before. Awesome Jelly does not explain it, but I know that it is done by studying the individual’s biography, paying attention to his or her early education and what he or she accomplished at what age. Then averaging the IQs of children (who have taken IQ tests) who have made comparable intellectual achievements at the same age as the historical target. Then the researcher takes into consideration what the historical person accomplished in later life. (Often, this is used to downgrade the person’s IQ – not fair IMO – but, in this case, all of these people became president of the United States, so that is quite an accomplishment.)Caveats: I do not know whether these are valid estimates, and I have to wonder why they (whoever they are) left out fifteen presidents.So, before I comment on Awesome Jelly’s conclusions about the thirty they chose, I would like to mention just three of the most glaring omissions they made:First, James Madison. His IQ was undoubtedly north of 160, possibly north of 170. He mastered Latin before he was 16 and mastered Greek in college. For his post graduate study (no degree) he studied philosophy and Hebrew. He read Latin and Greek for his own edification for the rest of his life. He was highly detail-oriented and came to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 with an outline for a constitution under his arm. Since nobody else had had such foresight, his plan became the working outline for the eventual document that was hammered out.Second, James Garfield. His IQ must have been north of 150, at least. Although he was reading at age three, Garfield was held back by his family’s poverty. He worked his way through school and started at the college level when he was already 20. He made up for lost time, though. After bachelor studies and an M.A., he taught college level courses and became the school’s principal. (Most sources will tell you he was a college president, but biographer Woodrow Wasson says his school was not accredited until after he served as its chief administrator; so, the title he actually held was “principal.”) The courses he taught included English, Latin, Greek and German. Later he became a member of the board of trustees of his alma mater. Not satisfied to just sit on the board, he took an active part in designing the curriculum.Garfield also served as a state senator and then a U.S. congressman, elected to the latter office during the Civil War, while he was still in uniform with the rank of major general. He had BTW already passed the Ohio bar in 1860. Garfield’s first and only case was pled before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1867. (An amicus brief, I believe.) His side won the case.Garfield’s career has much in common with a Ginsu Knife infomercial: There’s more! Garfield belonged to an obscure Protestant sect in which there was no formal training for the clergy; consequently, any member of the sect could give sermons, and if someone gave a lot of sermons and was well-received, they were essentially regarded as clergy. Garfield gave a lot of sermons, and he became popular with many congregations, although he may or may not have ever had a flock of his own. (If so, it was brief.) The tragic ending is that Garfield was president for just a few months before he died from an assassin’s bullet. No one knows whether all that promise would have led to a great or a disappointing presidency.Third, Herbert Hoover. He was an average student who only excelled in mathematics and did so poorly in other subjects that when he was admitted to Stanford, it was on a probationary basis because of his poor aptitude in English, even though he did get some enjoyment from reading literature. He became a geology major and studied engineering, graduating at 21 with an A.B. in geology. While still an undergraduate, he had worked on government geological surveys of Arkansas, California and Nevada.Now here are Awesome’s choices and my comments:John Quincy Adams 175. There is no doubt that he was brilliant. He was a Harvard graduate who spoke several languages fluently. He was a lawyer, an eloquent orator, and a skilled diplomat. In his first official diplomatic posting he was the interpreter to Francis Dana, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia. Adams was barely 15 at the time. (This was based on his knowledge of French, not Russian; all of the Russian officials, including the tsar himself, were fluent in French.)Thomas Jefferson 160. That low? I think everyone can accept, without further ado, that Jefferson, the multi-lingual lawyer, architect, and statesman who wrote the Declaration of Independence, was at least this smart. He studied Latin, Greek, and French from the age of nine and mastered the classics in his teens. When he was admitted to the bar at 24, after five years of concentrated legal study, he automatically became one of the most knowledgeable lawyers in the colonies.John F. Kennedy 160. He must have actually taken the Stanford-Binet IQ test when he was a boy because the headmaster of his private high school wrote, “Jack is not as able academically as his high IQ might lead us to think.” He was also tested for aptitudes by the Johnson O’Connor Human Engineering Laboratory in Boston. He was a late bloomer, coming into his own during the last two years of college when he wrote a term paper that was later turned into the book “Why England Slept.” He excelled in multiple sports, worked at the student newspaper, and also joined clubs. He graduated cum laud. If he and Jefferson truly had comparable IQs, I am reminded of the time JFK hosted a dinner in honor of Nobel Prize winners, and he quipped that it was the greatest gathering of brilliant minds at the White House since Thomas Jefferson dined alone. According to Awesome Jelly, JFK alone was a sufficient match for Jefferson.Bill Clinton 159. His grandparents taught him to read and count at three. He did well in school, winning awards and graduating fourth in his high school class. By age ten he was interested enough in politics to watch gavel-to-gavel convention coverage of both the major parties on television. After seeing JFK speak in Washington, DC in 1963, he decided to become a politician and afterward ran for and won offices such as high school student council member. He also seriously studied the saxophone and formed a trio with friends. Clinton continued running for office in student government at the college level. He was recognized as a bright student and earned a Rhodes Scholarship and then a scholarship to Yale Law School.Jimmy Carter 156. He was a good student who loved to read history and literature. He was active in sports, particularly basketball. Later in his education, he also studied dance and public speaking for a time. In his higher education, he transferred from school to school before landing at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. There he excelled in electronics among other courses and launched a career in the navy which he thought would be his career. He graduated fifty-ninth out of 820 classmates. He later taught electronics and went to submarine school where he graduated third in a class of 52. The navy sent him back to college to study nuclear physics and then assigned him as engineering officer on a nuclear submarine. With the death of his father, he resigned from the navy and took over the family farm, which he improved by applying scientific techniques. He became involved in local politics, which led step-by-step to a long political career. After being renewed in his faith in his forties, he read the entire Bible from cover to cover several times, not only in English but in Spanish.Barrack Obama 155. He went to pre-school in Hawaii before moving with his mother and her second husband to Indonesia. There, from ages six to 10, he was mostly being taught in the Indonesian language, but he was being systematically home-schooled in English. (Much ink has been spilled about how much Indonesian he ever acquired or later retained. It is not unusual for children to forget a first language, let alone a second one, when they have spent most of their late childhood and all of their adulthood in a different language community.) Moving back to Hawaii and eventually to the mainland of the U.S., Obama continued his education in private schools. There he may or may not have been an indifferent student who associated with slackers during his high school years. He acquired a mentor during his teens, when his grandfather introduced him to Frank Marshall Davis, a former Chicago journalist who had a profound if not final influence on Obama’s political philosophy (and possibly on the future president’s choice of Chicago as a second hometown). Beginning when he was 18, he attended two colleges on the mainland, graduating at 21 with a degree in political science. (He had made his first public political speech when he was 20.) He then worked for several non-profit groups involved either in research or community activism. Much later, he did a summer internship at a law firm. At 29 he graduated from Harvard Law School, apparently either in the top 15 or 10 percent of his class. He had also been a member of the school’s law review, serving consecutively as its editor and president.Franklin D. Roosevelt 150. He was brought up in luxury with private tutors and private schools. He learned to speak French and German while living in Europe with his parents. (This is almost not remarkable because young children are apt to learn any language to which they are exposed for a period of time.) A B and C student, he was well-liked by his teachers and he won a Latin prize. He was involved in football and boxing and managed the baseball team. In college, he was active in clubs, sports, student government, and the school newspaper. He attended law school but passed the bar before graduation. (It was not until the 1920s that more of those who passed the bar were law school graduates rather than those who were still in school or had never formally studied law.)Millard Fillmore 149. He was apprenticed to clothmakers at an early age because of his family’s poverty. He learned to read and write but only read the Bible for many years. He then discovered the library and began to educate himself, learning a new word from the dictionary every day. At 19, he began attending an academy where his female teacher was only a year older than himself. He became her favorite student because of his eagerness to learn. He then became a teacher himself before apprenticing himself to a lawyer. He eventually passed the bar and went into practice. Those who worked for him as law clerks said that he would sometimes hold classes and that he was very good at teaching the law.Andrew Jackson 145. His mother wanted him to become a minister and saw that he got a basic education. He was able to read well by age nine, but he never liked school and his spelling and grammar were always poor. However, he took full advantage of the system of legal apprenticeship and became a lawyer at 20 and later became a county prosecutor. His military career began when he was 13, during the American Revolution. He saw some action but his most lasting memory was of being a prisoner of war for two weeks in 1781. Because of the war, Jackson lost his immediate family and was orphaned at 14. He later served in state militias and rose to the rank of major general.Donald Trump 145. He was apparently an “unexceptional student” but excelled in sports, especially golf and football. Because he was unruly, his parents sent him to military school during high school. There he did well in sports and became a cadet captain. He worked for his family’s business while attending two colleges, the second of which is regarded as one of the best business schools in the U.S. and from which he earned a B.S. in economics.Grover Cleveland 144. He was the son of a minister who died when the future president was 16. Cleveland later described his religious upbringing as a “strengthening influence.” Home schooled to the age of 11, he attended two schools thereafter, where he was hard-working but not considered all that bright; however, he founded a debating society in high school. He worked odd jobs throughout his teens. Then he had to quit school and go to work when his father died. His older brother got him a job teaching the blind. He only did this for one year. After turning down a private scholarship that was contingent on his entering the ministry, he went to work for an uncle who was a stock breeder. The job involved editing a breeder’s handbook, and his uncle also got him a job as a law clerk, paving Cleveland’s way toward becoming a lawyer, which he did at age 22.Theodore Roosevelt 143. He developed an early interest in zoology, was a prolific taxidermist, and even wrote a learned paper on insects when he was nine. His wealthy parents took him to Europe where a tutor taught him German and French. In college, he excelled in sciences, German and philosophy but did poorly in Latin and Greek. He belonged to many academic clubs and excelled in boxing. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magnum cum laud, and was twenty-first in a class of 177. He started law school but lost interest, never becoming a lawyer. Although well versed in the Bible, he was fired from teaching Sunday school at an Episcopal church when he was about 20, after the rector found out that he belonged to the Dutch Reformed denomination.George H.W. Bush 143. Raised in luxury, he went to the “best” schools where he was academically a late bloomer, although he was very popular, joined clubs, and played several sports, becoming exceptionally skilled at baseball. His education was interrupted, however, by World War II. He joined the navy on his eighteenth birthday and rose from the bottom of the enlisted ranks to lieutenant, and became a naval aviator, at 19, the youngest in service at the time. At 20, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for completing a combat mission that nearly cost his life. In college he bloomed, especially in his last two years, graduating with honors.Abraham Lincoln 140. He lived on the frontier where, as he once said, anyone who knew a word or two in Latin was considered to be a wizard. One-room schoolhouses provided education limited to the basics, and only when there was a teacher available, which was infrequently. Nevertheless, Lincoln was a voracious reader, and educated himself beyond most of his peers. (Once, he spent a summer doing physical labor while memorizing Euclid’s geometry – not doing one by day and the other by night, but simultaneously.) Lincoln was self-taught in both surveying and the law. He passed his state’s bar by age 27 and became a successful attorney.Lyndon B. Johnson 140. He learned to read by four but hated school and had a checkered academic career. He was a member of an award-winning debate team as a senior in high school. After high school, he traveled on the cheap and worked at manual labor. Returning to education, he attended teachers’ college, where he did well in history and political science but poorly in math and science. He was again on the debate team and was active in student politics. At 20, he managed someone else’s winning campaign for a state senate seat, at the same time that Johnson worked as a student teacher. He graduated at 22 and worked as a high school teacher, focusing on debate and public speaking. He later studied law for a year.George Washington 140. Surprisingly little is known about his education. His father, who died when the boy was 11, had sent his older children to school in England, but George remained in Virginia. Skilled in math, he became a professional surveyor at 17. At 20, he inherited his brother’s estate and successfully ran it for the rest of his life. At that same age, he began serving in the Virginia militia, launching another life-long career.Gerald Ford 140. He worked his way through school, graduating near the top of his high school class and in the top quarter in college (on a partial scholarship). His best subjects were math, science, history and political science while Latin was his worst. He excelled in sports in both secondary and higher education, and he worked as an assistant college football coach before attending a top law school from which he graduated at 27.George W. Bush 139. Attending private schools and an Ivy League University, he was an average student by his own description. He engaged in sports and joined clubs. Rejected by law school, he attended business school instead and earned an MBA, making him the only presidents to earn this degree. He was popular and was elected president of his fraternity. (He had a talent for remembering the names of people after meeting them only once, even in a large group.)James Monroe 139. He did well in Latin and math and was admitted to college at age 16. When the American Revolution began while he was pursuing higher education, Monroe dropped out and joined the Continental Army. From ages 18 to 19, he rose from lieutenant to major. He was later made a lieutenant colonel. At the end of the war, he studied law under the personal tutelage of Thomas Jefferson.Dwight Eisenhower 132. He grew up exceptionally poor, always having to work, and was not an exceptional student, although his favorite high school subjects were history and math. He played football both in high school and college. College was the U.S. Military Academy where he excelled in engineering and some other classes, but graduated sixty-first in a class of 164. His military career might have gone nowhere but for a general who took an interest and pushed him to attend the Staff and War colleges. At the former, he graduated first in his class.Richard Nixon 132. As a boy he had to help out in the family business, but he managed to be a diligent student. He made his mark as an excellent high school debater and public speaker, representing the West Coast in a national contest. He graduated from high school first in his class. Active in clubs in college (including captain of the debate team and member of the second string in football), he graduated second in his class. He was president of the student body in college and president of his graduating class in law school, which he attended on an academic scholarship. He graduated third in his class at law school at 24.William McKinley 130. He was president of his high school debating society. Within a year before he would have graduated from college, he first became ill, and then an economic depression forced him to go to work to help support his family. At the outset of the Civil War, the 18-year-old enlisted as a Union soldier, rising from private to major over the war’s four-year duration. His commanding officer, the future President Rutherford Hayes, noted that he was promoted not only for his courage but also for his outstanding gifts as an administrator despite his youth. He became a lawyer after the war, and was a powerful congressman and governor of Ohio before being elected president.Ronald Reagan 130. He was reading at age five and earned As and Bs in elementary school. His high school grades were mostly Bs and his college grades fell to the Cs, admittedly on his part because he focused on sports and other extracurricular activities. These activities included football, basketball, track, swimming, debate, drama, yearbooks, and student newspapers. He was student president in high school and student council president in college. He worked his way through school, doing various jobs including lifeguard.James Buchanan 129. Despite having one eye that was near-sighted and the other far-sighted, Buchanan read voraciously and graduated from college before becoming a lawyer at age 21. He did well scholastically but was penalized for getting into mischief, although the nature of his disciplinary infractions has never come to light.Zachary Taylor 129. A diligent student, Taylor nevertheless received only a basic education and could not spell to save his life. He became an infantry officer when he was 24 and remained in the army until shortly before he was elected president, having risen to the rank of general.Harry S Truman 128. Though he never went to college, Truman was a hard-working if not brilliant student in high school, he did best in history and Latin, taking four years of the language. He also learned to play the piano well. During World War I, he rose to the rank of major in the U.S. Army. He attended law school for two years after the war and was a B student. As well as working a number of sales and clerking jobs and running a small business that failed, he was elected as an administrative judge three times and rose in politics from there, eventually being elected a U.S. Senator.Calvin Coolidge 127. He was a late bloomer who muddled through school until his junior year at Amherst College when he suddenly started excelling in many subjects. (But not in physics for which he got a D!) In his senior year he won a national essay contest. Though he is remembered by the nickname “Silent Cal,” it should be remembered that what he did say was often pithy, not to mention funny; he was chosen by the Amherst Class of 1895 to deliver a traditional humorous speech called the Grove Oration. He was admitted to the bar in 1897 (age 25), and he soon ran for and was elected to local offices, and later state offices leading to the governorship.William Taft 126. He was a consistently good student, graduating second in his high school class and second at Yale University. He went to law school and passed his bar exam shortly before commencement. He was 23. He is the only president also to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court.Andrew Johnson 125. He did well for a tailor’s apprentice who never spent a day in school. A friend gave him a book of speeches and he taught himself to read a little. It was his wife, however, who taught him to write and do arithmetic. (They married when he was 18 and she was 16, the youngest marriage age for any first lady.) Despite this inauspicious education, the young tailor ran for and was elected to local and then state offices.Ulysses S. Grant 120. He was an above average student in high school and had an aptitude for mathematics. He got an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and though he was fearful that he would fail at the rigorous curriculum, he managed to graduate twenty-first in a class of 39. The U.S. Army had as little confidence in him as he had in himself. Nevertheless, and somewhat to his own surprise, he made a successful career in the service.