By DONAVIE GUD
Bulatlat.com
Jessa Rebenito, 39, spent nearly his entire life in Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI). He was only five when he was introduced to the church in Samar. Little did he know that the very place his family moved to when he was a child would one day become the community he would serve as a priest.
He entered the priesthood in 2014 and now serves as priest of the Parish of Our Lady of Salvation in Jinamoc Basey, Samar. He is also part of the Diocesan Council in Diocese of Samar where he helps implement church rules and programs.
Jessa’s devotion to the IFI church extended beyond his hometown. When he moved to Manila for work after college, he remained committed to his faith, attending service at the national church of the IFI.
Connecting with the church for so many years deepened his understanding of the IFI’s ministry and mission.
For Jessa, this commitment is personal. As a proud trans man practicing his priesthood with the IFI, he witnessed the church’s affirming stance on gender equality as he did not encounter any forms of discrimination.
“That is the teaching of Christ, to share your life to the life of the marginalized,” he said in Filipino.
The IFI was established in 1902 as a response to the Filipino’s struggle against Spanish colonialism. Defined as a revolutionary church by Jessa, he said that the IFI believes that religion should be connected with the lives of people as well as society.
“It takes a stand, participates, and pushes forward peace and justice in the society,” he said.
The IFI also welcomes women priests in their church.
Aster (real name withheld due to request), a woman priest, ordained in 2016, began her involvement in church when she joined the youth camp during her high school year. It is where she started to have a grasp of the identity of the church and what it means to be a member of this community.
“At first, I did not really know what the church stands for. I was just attending–just wanting to be closer to God, to be more religious, to nurture my spirituality. That’s all. But as I became more involved in parish works, I started to see its true mission and ministry–the deeper meaning of Christian service,” she said.
The essence of service began to sink in for the woman priest when she served as the youth leader back then. At this point, she joined protest actions involving different causes. Today, she serves in the national church of the IFI where she is tasked in facilitating their programs.
When asked about the reason why she continues to fight, especially for gender justice, she said that it is what she learned from the church and she wants to put it into practice.
“As a Christian, that is my mission, my mandated mission–to continue the work of God, of our Lord Jesus,” she said.
Beyond faith, she also continues her work because she hopes for a society that welcomes everyone.
“It is not just about faith; but your hope of seeing acceptance in people. You want to feel that people are accepted, that they’re not being singled out, that there’s no discrimination,” she said.
She believes that all churches are called by God to serve the people and they should welcome everyone from all walks of life. Jessa also wants the churches to become a sanctuary for everyone–just as he has experienced being welcomed by the church as a trans man priest and someone who has a girl partner for six years.
For the IFI priests, acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in the churches has made progress but still needs improvement to better achieve true representation.
“I hope that many members of the LGBT community become bishops in the IFI,” the woman priest said.
Jessa hopes that more churches will welcome the LGBTQIA+ community.
“We must continue to embrace the LGBT community because they belong–they are part of us. We are all created in the image of God,” Jessa said. (RTS, RVO)
