MCGI Cares’ Quid Pro Quo Theology and Transactional Faith Practices

In the Members Church of God International (MCGI), a pattern of transactionalism is increasingly evident where charity, membership care, and political alliances are wielded not as good works, but as strategic currency.

Lugaw and Fiesta ng Dios Prospecting: Targeting the Middle Class

MCGI’s “Libreng Almusal” or lugaw drives that were promoted across social media and UNTV targets middle-income neighborhoods, not impoverished zones. Organizers often collect names, distribute flyers, and invite attendees to local services, turning free porridge into a recruitment tool for financially capable prospects.

A volunteer from MCGI Cares serves free lugaw and water to a passerby, part of a campaign designed to attract middle-income recruits seen as future financiers of the group’s charity arm.

A particularly revealing case emerged from MCGI Qatar, where a full-scale Mass Indoctrination session was launched but reported zero visitor turnout. In response, the District Servant reportedly issued stern reminders to members, compelling them to produce attendees under threat of spiritual consequence.

According to multiple testimonies, members were instructed to gaslight visitors during Fiesta ng Dios (FND) by implying they had already eaten the banquet provided. This guilt-driven tactic was justified by suggesting that refusal to attend the indoctrination would imperil their souls. The language mirrored MCGI’s broader theology of quid pro quo salvation, where spiritual blessings are portrayed as transactional, and attendance is conflated with divine approval. What should have been a freely received message of faith turned into another conditional contract in MCGI’s growing inventory of coercive evangelism tools.

The Dalaw-Tupa Divide

Marketed as a form of shepherding, Dalaw-Tupa (Sheep Visit) targets inactive members for re-engagement. But internal sources and former workers confirm the unequal treatment of members.

Local servants are dispatched to visit poor or rural brethren. In contrast, no less than Daniel Razon himself, often accompanied by his family or celebrities like Zoren Legaspi, visits affluent or socially influential members with guitars, rondalla teams, and cameras in tow.

What should be a sacred act of care now resembles a donor reactivation campaign.

MCGI Cares' Strategic Police Donations

In recent years, Kuya Daniel Razon has made frequent publicized donations to various police stations across the Philippines ranging from solar-powered street lights to medical missions and logistics support. While these acts are framed under public service and civic responsibility via his media platform UNTV, critics argue they form part of a pattern of institutional lobbying rather than pure altruism.

Kuya Daniel Razon poses with local police officers after pledging long-term institutional support—part of MCGI’s ongoing effort to solidify alliances with law enforcement through strategic donations and public partnerships.

The timing of such donations often coincides with increased public scrutiny of MCGI Cares' internal finances, labor practices, or media controversies. This has led former members and watchdog groups to question, Are these donations a form of goodwill or a soft bribe for future protection?

When religious leaders routinely donate to armed institutions especially while their own organization faces regulatory summons and mounting scandals, the question is no longer about generosity. It’s about strategic alliances dressed up as charity.

Bagong Henerasyon: Political Shield or Partner?

MCGI’s open support for Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Partylist, led by Roberto Nazal Jr., has raised serious concerns over religious-political entanglement. BH officials have attended MCGI events, and BH’s political machinery received media coverage via UNTV .

In return, sources suggest MCGI benefits from access to legislative favors, insider connections, and protection from regulatory intervention.

Transactional Theology in Context: Justified Self-Preservation?

The urgency behind these alliances may now be coming into sharper focus.

In recent months, MCGI Cares has faced a string of compounding scandals, including:

• Regulatory scrutiny over its handling of donations, payroll deductions, and fund solicitations within a captive audience;

• FDA bans on certain health and wellness products sold to members under its captive market economy;

• Charity irregularities, where Ministers and charity directors are reportedly siphoning donation income for travel perks and personal benefits;

• Financial pressure from a mass exodus of members, reducing income from collections and "target collections"

  
  

In this context, the strategic courting of police and politicians may not be mere outreach, it may be institutional self-preservation.

Disclaimer: This report is intended for educational and investigative purposes. Claims are based on publicly available information, testimonies, and academic theory. We invite MCGI to issue a clarification or response.