El Shaddai of Mike Velarde

Preserving The Faithful Within The Catholic

El Shaddai boast as the biggest Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in the Philippines, claiming to have more than 8 million members throughout the Philippines and other chapters across the world. Mariano Velarde (a.ka. Brother Mike) named his radio show "El Shaddai" which he picked from a religious booklet of cultic group.

According to Bishop Bacani, the spiritual Director Mariano Velarde, "The El Shaddai movement allows Catholics to practice their faith in an alternative way without leaving the Church" . the Filipino bishops are very rather happy" with El Shaddai's generosity. he says, Mariano Velarde "has in part contained the growth of the fundamentalist movement that was drawing away Catholics."

Name: El Shaddai -Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement
Affiliation: Roman Catholic
Founder Mariano Velarde a.ka. Brother Mike
Native of Catanduanes, Philippines
Married to certain Avelina
Children:Franklin, Rene, Sherry and Michael
Vice background: gambling and...
College course: Surveying?
Profession background: real state developer, movie producer, gambler
Ambition: wannabee Gospel singer
Turning point: $8 million in debt
Self-made title: Servant -leader
Majority of membership: low income-low education
Scheme: using celebrities and politicians as his stage props
Favorite color: cherry red, fuchsia, supernova yellow, va-va voom violet
Spiritual Director: Bishop Teodoro Bacani of the Roman Catholic
Miracle experienced: recovery from heart disease
Date founded: 1984 at his radio station DWXI as a weekly Bible radio show.
Miracle claimed: his radio program's made his listeners to be cured of their diseases. he says, that his voice had cured their afflictions.
Magical elements: El Shaddai's followers ascribe magical healing powers to eggs, bottles of water brought to rallies, handkerchiefs printed with prayers or even coconut broomstick.
Preaching style: elementary school teaching
Preaching theme: Health and wealth prosperity
Legacy: overcome poverty and live by the virtue of money
Visual perception of people about Mike Velarde: he is more of a swindler than a preacher
Preaching attire: casino dealer
Contribution requirement; 10% of one's income tagged as tithe
Anomaly: misused of the movement funds -$2,350 fined by SEC
Monthly movement income from tithes alone: $360,000 -550,000
Method of collection: Black drop boxes scattered around the venue of meetings.
Political involvement: partly a peace maker and partly a king maker
Their motto: FLU = faith, love and unity

El Shaddai The root word of sadday is obscure, which has been connected with the Akkadian sadu ("mountain") deity by some ancient theologians. Others have suggested a connection with the word "breast," and still others have seen a connection with the verb sadad ("to devastate"). The theological significance of the name, if it can be understood fully, must be derived from a study of the various contexts in which the name occurs.

The name Shaddai frequently appears apart from El as a divine title. The translation “God Almighty” is somewhat dubious since it is based on a Hebrew root sadad, which does not exactly mean “almighty”, but “to deal violently with.”

Shaddai refers to a tribal deity, a high god worshipped by the patriarchs, who were not monotheists. They usually point to Deuteronomy 32:17 and Joshua 24:2, which recorded the facts that theirs ancestors served and worshipped other gods beyond the Euphrates.

Zurishaddai [Numbers 7:36] in many ancient Egyptians documents, Shadai amni is the same as Shadai-amni the Egyptian god of the mountains. Out of its 46 appearance in the Bible, only the RSV translated el Shaddai to God Almighty.

Shaddai is one of the unknown deity and who came from nowhere but feared by the ancient Israel who did not know God (see Deuteronomy 32:17). The patriarchs were not monotheistic but served other gods (Joshua 24:2). It is true that the term shaddai or shadday is in the Bible but does not refer to God of the Bible. The God of Mariano Velarde and millions of his followers is not the God of the Bible.

By 1992, Mariano Velarde was able to pay his debt of $8 million and won a license from the government to operate a television channel. In June of the same year, a group led by a former member of Velarde's personal security contingent alleged that three months before, Velarde transferred $2.4 million from El Shaddai to a stock corporation established and controlled by him. The company, the "El Shaddai Golden Rule Corp.," will supposedly set up supermarkets and build affordable housing for followers. Velarde had begun offering shares in the company to members, before the SEC granted its approval.

Velarde says the disputed $2.4 million came out of his own pocket, from personal loans he obtained to capitalize Golden Rule Corp. He repaid the loans with proceeds from a property deal he struck with low-cost housing developer Manuel Villar, whose office confirms the tie-up. As for the premature sale of shares, the SEC in early August concluded there was no malicious or criminal intent in that action.

For all the priests and politicians that pay him homage, though, Velarde does not seem to fit the role of power broker. And for all the money El Shaddai draws, Brother Mike does not appear to be a cunning televangelist of the notorious American variety. If anything, he is most similar to a self-help guru, a preacher of positive thinking and mental healing. And like those spiritual cheerleaders, he offers a philosophy that seems sincere, if naive. That his teachings have rekindled confidence and hope among many of the poor is perhaps, in itself, enough of a miracle. El Shaddai plays a major role in Philippine politics. They argue that former President Fidel Ramos won the 1992 Presidential elections because of El Shaddai's votes. Although, some people counter this saying that El Shaddai members vote indepedently.

J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries

12/09/06