News, August 2007

News from the Churches

Remar celebrates 25 years rescuing drug adicts. Decision outreaches cancelled due to lack of permissions. Pocket Testament League cancels plans due to family illness. Vademecum goes online. Evangelical Hospital in Barcelona gets overhaul, Terminal 4 interconfessional prayer room opens at Madrid airport. While 74% of Spaniards claim to be Catholics, only 48% believe in God! Anglican summit in Madrid. This and more... Read on!

Remar a ministry to drug and other substance adicts is celebrating its 25th anniversary. It began as a number of individual centres began to recognise the need for coordinating the immense work which was developing among these needy people and their families. Rehabilitation centres sprung up all over the country and later all over the world, making use of rehabilitated people to spread the good news to those who knew all too well the bad news. Over the years Remar has developed its own denomination, as those rehabilitated and their families gathered together to worship the Lord. It was often hard to integrate these people into more 'middle class' type churches. Other well-known evangelical rehab groups are Betel (WEC) and Reto (Teen Challenge), as well as several individual centres.

Decision has had to cancel its outreach activities planned for July and August due to lack of permissions for the proposed activities. With town councils in disarray due to the May elections, despite applications for permissions in february, the councils were unable to come up with the required signatures. In addition to directly evangelistic events, the Decision outreaches include Basketball 'clinics', help with cleaning up streets and parks, blood donorship, etc.. All these need some kind of authorisation, if not facilities. It is hoped the postponed events may take place next year.

Pocket Testament League has also had to cancel plans for summer outreaches, due to serious illness in the family.

For both PTL and Decision, this is the first time in 30 years that summer outreach has been cancelled.

Other summer activities are now nearing their end, including Operation Transit, summer camp programmes and other activities.

The Vademecum, Spain's oldest and most revered directory of churches has gone online. To find a church or other evangelical outfit near you click here!

The Evangelical Hospital in Barcelona is undergoing a profound renovation. This includes leadership, legal structure and relationships with the churches, but also includes plans to find a new location to build a hospital which will continue to serve the needs to the large and growing evangelical community in the greater Barcelona area.

Religious surveys in Spain turn up odd results: at least one third of those who consider themselves Catolics do not believe in the existence of God. The survey, held by the BBVA foundation (related to a big bank), produced these results, which are not as startling to those in the know as one might expect. But at least people are getting a little more honest with themselves and survey takers; in 2002 there were 80% who considered themselves Catholics. But most revealing is that of those who do not subscribe to a specific religion only 33% do not believe in God!

An interconfessional oratory has opened in the new Terminal (number 4) at Madrid Airport. It is available close to the Madrid-Barcelona shuttle gates from 7am to 11 pm and at other times by special request. The Madrid Evangelical Council is hoping to get permission for a full time chaplain to be installed soon. The old oratory, in Terminal 1, is currently being rebuilt along with much of the terminal. If you are travelling through the airport with time on your hands, why not drop in... and pray for Spain?

5 Archbishops and some 100 bishops took part in an Anglican meeting in Madrid in mid-July. The objective was to work on projects across the Globe, mainly sponsored by Holy Trinity church, Manhattan, the world's richest parish (it apparently owns one third of the island). It is undoubtedly the last major encounter of Anglicans before their world council, the 'Lambeth Conference' next year.

For earlier news from the churches, click here!
For other news from the churches we remind you that Protestante Digital is likely to keep going until late July, when they will take their turn for a summer break.