From Persecution to Freedom: A Journey of Faith, Courage, and Triumph
They tried to bury him. They didn’t know he was a seed.
Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone in the life of our dear brother, Lowell Menorca II, who, together with his two young children, celebrates becoming a Canadian citizen.
For those who know his story, this is no ordinary celebration.
Years ago, Lowell and his family fled the Philippines, seeking safety from threats, intimidation, and persecution following his courageous stand against the leadership of a powerful religious institution, the Iglesia ni Cristo, or Church of Christ.
The Timeline
April 2016: Arrival
Lowell steps onto Canadian soil for the first time as an asylum seeker.
What was supposed to be a one-hour interview became one of the longest interrogations of an asylum seeker in the history of Canada, a case that would become a landmark in the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). Ten hours of intensive questioning to verify the authenticity of his claims.
To the immigration officers, his story seemed like something you only see in the movies, something impossible to believe. But as the evidence began to appear in documents, and even publicly captured online, the impossible became more probable with every page.
Until, in the end, the senior officer in charge looked him in the eyes and spoke words that would be imprinted in his memory forever:
“You came to the right country, son…”
The Long Wait
Imagine being in a foreign country, all alone, with even your own relatives afraid to be seen with you. Navigating immigration procedures, desperately fighting against time to ensure the safety of your family, who are still in hiding in Asia.
The Hearing
A refugee board hearing normally lasts about 3 hours per case, with a decision ready at the end. Lowell’s was unprecedented: three full days, with police escort, followed by one year of waiting for the decision. The nature of the case demanded it, involving a seemingly harmless global church organization that the Immigration and Refugee Board member would eventually find to be so troubling that the Board permanently etched it into the written record of its decision, stating:
“The INC will have both the means and the motivation to seriously harm or kill the claimant if he were to return to the Philippines.”
2017: Protection Granted
Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board granted him protection, recognizing the grave danger he faced and the inability of the authorities in his homeland to guarantee his safety.
After Protection: The Persecution Only Intensified
Even when Canada declared Lowell Menorca a Protected Person, the persecution did not stop. It only intensified, from all fronts.
Libel cases had already been filed against him in more than forty courts across the Philippines. Now the legal attacks followed him across the ocean: lawsuits in the United States and in Canada, filed by a powerful, wealthy, global church organization with the means to keep them going for years.
Imagine being on the receiving end of that. This organization was so bold that it even sued the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and the case dragged on for six years. Slowly, Canada came to realize how far this church would go to silence its critics and the truth.
And at every turn, the cases failed. In the United States, courts threw out the church’s actions against its critics, and the lawyer who sued Lowell eventually walked away from his own case. In Canada, on February 7, 2025, the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba dismissed the church’s suit against the CBC, calling it “an abuse of the process of the court” and ordering the church to pay costs. When the church appealed, the appeal was dismissed in May 2026.
Truly a David and Goliath story for modern days.
Today: Citizenship
The man who once sought refuge in a foreign land can proudly call that land home. And beside him stand his children, whose futures can now be shaped not by the fear their family once endured, but by the freedom, security, and opportunities that lie ahead.
No Shortcuts
Nothing in this story was ever the easy or comfortable way in. No shortcuts. No expedited timeline. Everything was based on God’s perfect timing, as it has always been for God’s chosen soldiers.
What a beautiful reminder that those who seek to silence the truth do not always have the final word.
Power may intimidate. Authority may be abused. Injustice may prevail for a season. But no earthly institution can forever imprison the human conscience or extinguish the courage of those who refuse to surrender it.
Brother Lowell’s journey reminds us that standing for what is right is not always easy. Sometimes it comes at an unimaginable cost. It may mean losing one’s home, community, livelihood, and everything once familiar.
But there are victories worth waiting for, and blessings that make the long and difficult journey meaningful.
Today is not simply about receiving Canadian citizenship. It is about a family finding a place of belonging, a father witnessing a brighter future for his children, and a courageous man seeing another chapter of his life unfold in peace.
To those who continue to struggle against injustice, take heart.
Your present circumstances need not determine your final destination. Never surrender your conscience, your compassion, or your pursuit of truth.
Congratulations, dear brother Lowell, and congratulations to your precious children!
May Canada always be a place of peace, opportunity, and belonging for your family. May the years ahead bring healing, happiness, and countless blessings.
Above all, may your story continue to inspire others to stand courageously for truth, even when the road is lonely and difficult.
For evil may have its season, but it need not have the final victory.
With heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to God for bringing you and your family this far.
Hopefully the next CBC Documentary will be in the works soon. In the meantime, let us continue to spread the truth worldwide and use the power of the internet and social media to shine a light against the evil works of darkness:
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/canadian-dead-philippines-church-iglesia-ni-cristo/
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.4901355
~ Antonio Ramirez Ebangelista
“They tried to bury us…they didn’t know we were seeds.”
“Unlike you, I don’t have power or money, but what I do have is a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you tell the truth now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will expose you.” – A.E.
Philippine Daily Inquirer Article: “Antonio Ebangelista writes Philippine Daily Inquirer, Warns Iglesia Elders”
Question adn Answer: Q & A with Antonio Ebangelista
The CHOICE is always UP TO YOU : “The Red Pill. The Blue Pill”
Contact Information:
Official Email: incsilentnomore@protonmail.com
Official Blog: http://www.incsilentnomore.com
Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/antonioebangelistapage
Official Instagram: @antonioramirezebangelista
Official Twitter: @AEbangelista01
Official Reddit Account: u/AntonioEbangelista
#iglesianicristo #inc102 #inccentennial #centennial #inc4life #incootd #incfashion #icmedianews #inctv #net25 #incmedia #increview #fymfoundation #mycountrymenmybrethren #kabayankokapatidko #incselfiechallenge #incwikileaks #sanggunian #radelcortez #gerrypurification #junsantos #gliceriosantosjr #rolandoesguerra #benefridosantiago #rodelcabrera #biensantiago #erdzcodera #ernestosuratos #mattpareja #antonioebangelista #silentnomore #iglesianicristosilentnomore #onewithevm #accessthetruth #iglesianicristoblogspot #mandirigma #spiritualwarriors #arneltumanan #babylynmanalo #jojodeguzman #TJOrosa #GPSantos #SergieSantos #AnnieSantos #incradio #angelomanalo #churchofchrist #Johncollado #orthodoxpriest #angelmanalo #lottiehemedez #36tandangsora #sirkular #circular #proudtobeINC #sherlock #thetakingofroviccanono #PhilippineRedCross #RichardGordon #andrewE #philippinearena #christmasdaygames #pba #oilfracking #southdakota #standingrock #violieedrosalan #roviccanono #bairanfamily #australiasilentnomore #mandirigmanomore #maribelmetano #spiritualbusinessmen #rommelsanpedro #regaladodelosreyes #isaiassamsonjr #aidtohumanity #inc #lingappamamahayag #lingapsamamamayan #incinafrica #stampedeinafrica #venerationforevm #evmministers #felixvillocino #dannypatungan #farleydecastro #rodrigoduterte #jameswhite #joeventilacion #incfakepriest #incfakenun #nonoponce #newsanjosebuilders #joseacuzar #nureauofcustoms #teddyraval #dollytoledo #mandirigmanomore #episode2 #thepawnnameddolly #justiceforlitofruto #litofruto #incwhistleblowersreport #diplomaticpassport #dfa #gemmamanalo #stf #evmsalaysay #angelomanalo #newbreedofdefenders #felixvillocino #danilopatungan #jonathanledesma #sterlingcañete #inchinirang #incmurderers #inccriminals #rommelsanpedro #carmelitasanpedro #evmobsession #accessthetruth #fakevideos #isaiastsamson #junsamson #remnantfew #chrisbrown #incextortionist #maligayadevelopmentcorporation #mcconchielaw #faithweaponized #rappler #ramonang #philippinedailyinquirer #canada #immigrationandrefugeeboard #ericrankin #cbc #specialenvoy #duterteseelshissoultothedevil #epifaniolabrador #ferdinandmarcosjr #bongbongmarcos #philippinericehoarding #ferdinandmarcosjr #sarahduterte #incrally #incpolitics #incunity #nationalrallyforpeace #golddagal #incvscbc #canadianbroadcastingcorporation #rvymedicielo #icc #internationalcriminalcourt #rallyfortransparency #exiglesianicristo #reddit #blessedarethepoor #canadiancourtofappeals #seventeenyearsofdynamicleadership #freeangelmanalo #onewithgodandchrist
