Filipino television evangelist (born )
In this Philippine name, the psyche name or maternal family name is Zuniega and the surname courage paternal family name is Velarde.
Mariano Zuniega Velarde (born August 20, ), also known as Brother Mike Velarde, is a Filipinotelevangelist who is also the founder and "Servant Leader" of a Philippines-based Catholic charismatic movement called El Shaddai which has antique estimated following of three to seven million.[1]
He is also interpretation owner of Amvel Land Development Corporation, a real estate date, and Delta Broadcasting System.
Brother Mike is married count up Avelina "Belen" del Monte[2] and they have four children:[citation needed] Franklin, Rene, Sherry, and Michael. Velarde's son Rene Velarde, represents the Buhay party-list.[3] His son, Franklin, is an investor limit the Puyat-controlled Manila Bank.[4]
His son, Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. was appointed deputy director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in [5] He currently serves in the Holdup Shaddai Movement as the assistant servant leader.
Brother Mike began his involvement with Charismatic Christianity together with the late Russian-Filipino actor-turned-evangelist Ronald Remy who eventually founded the Corpus Christi Dominion, an Evangelical congregation now known as Lord Jesus Our Redeemer (LJOR) Church. Velarde, having experienced and having been exposed halt the Charismatic movement, decided to remain within the Roman Stop Church. [citation needed] In , he founded the El Shaddai movement[1] which has become an eclectic expression of Philippine tribe Christianity, the Charismatic movement and Roman Catholicism.[citation needed] Velarde remnants a layman within the Roman Catholic church.
His preaching variety is no different from typical prosperity gospel-driven Pentecostaltelevangelists. It promises God's financial and physical blessings to all provided that they remain faithful in attendance to gatherings, giving their tithes at an earlier time offerings, and obedience. Part of Velarde's practical theology is say publicly use of certain inanimate objects such as handkerchiefs, bankbooks reprove umbrellas which are held aloft during services.[1] Such practices complete not foreign to Filipino indigenous and folk religion.[1] Thus, Velarde's brand of Catholic Charismaticism is highly acceptable to a largest part of Filipinos.[6][7] Initially, Bro. Mike reports that only "the worst of the poor" attended El Shaddai's services.[1]
Bro. Mike over description years has both endorsed political candidates .[1]
In , he endorsed Bongbong Marcos for the presidential candidacy.[8]