Mike Velarde | |
|---|---|
| Title | Servant Leader |
| Personal | |
| Born | Mariano Zuniega Velarde August 20, 1939 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Spouse | Avelina del Monte (m.1964) |
| Children | 4 |
| Profession | Real estate developer |
| Institute | El Shaddai |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | San Dionisio, Parañaque, Metro Manila |
| Period in office | 1984–present |
| Profession | Real estate developer |
Mariano Zuniega Velarde (born August 20, 1939), better known as Brother Mike Velarde, is the founder and "Servant Leader" of a Philippines-based Catholic charismatic movement called El Shaddai which has estimated following of three to seven million. He is a famous televangelist in the Philippines.[1]
He is also the owner of Amvel Land Development Corporation, a real estate company, and Delta Broadcasting System.
Bro. Mike is married to Avelina "Belen" del Monte[2] and they have four children:[citation needed] Franklin, Rene, Sherry and Michael. Velarde's son Rene Velarde, representing the Buhay party-list, is the richest party-list congressman with a net worth of P30.9 million.[3] His son, Franklin is an investor in the Puyat[who?] controlled Manila Bank (total assets of P7.57 billion).[4]
His son, Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. was appointed deputy director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in 2019.[5] Now, he serves in the El Shaddai Movement as the assistant servant leader.
Bro. Mike began his involvement with Charismatic Christianity together with the late Russian-Filipino actor-turned-evangelist Ronald Remy who eventually founded the Corpus Christi Community, an Evangelical congregation now known as Lord Jesus Our Redeemer (LJOR) Church. Velarde, having experienced and having been exposed to the Charismatic movement, decided to remain within the Roman Catholic Church.[citation needed] In 1984, he founded the El Shaddai movement[1] which has become an eclectic expression of Philippine folk Christianity, the Charismatic movement and Roman Catholicism.[citation needed] Velarde remains a layman within the Roman Catholic church.
His preaching style is no different from typical prosperity gospel-driven Pentecostal televangelists. It promises God's financial and physical blessings to all provided that they remain faithful in attendance to gatherings, giving their tithes and offerings, and obedience. Part of Velarde's practical theology is the use of certain inanimate objects such as handkerchiefs, bankbooks and umbrellas which are held aloft during services.[1] Such practices are not foreign to Filipino indigenous and folk religion.[1] Thus, Velarde's brand of Catholic Charismaticism is highly acceptable to a majority of Filipinos.[6][7] Initially, Bro. Mike reports that only "the poorest of the poor" attended El Shaddai's services.[1]
Bro. Mike over the years has both endorsed political candidates .[1]
In 2022, he endorsed Bongbong Marcos for the presidential candidacy.[8]