News, January 2008

News from the Churches

Mari Luz Cortés, 5 year old daughter of a gypsy pastor in Huelva, went missing on Sunday, 13th of January. She just nipped out to the sweet kiosk in the street for a packet of crisps. Police are still searching for her. Huelva is just across the border from the Algarve, where British girl Madelaine went missing last May. Could there be a link? No one dares say. The gypsy Filadelfia church is Spain's largest evangelical denomination. Her father is holding up a good testimony, despite the circumstances and media coverage. Demonstrations in 21 cities on 22nd January saw thousands calling for her return.

Pastor Marcos Zapata has been attacked in El Mundo, the daily paper, for presenting Biblical teaching on sexuality. His assertations that the Bible encourages heterosexual activity and this only within the bounds of marriage, is suggested as being an attack on those who believe otherwise, particularly the 'Gay' community. The Evangelical Federation and Evangelical Alliance are meeting to work out any defence needed in this case, which highlights one area in which evangelical opinions are apparently in conflict with recent changes in the law. 7000 have signed a petiton in his favour. It is, of course, very easy to be distracted by one type of 'sin', when in reality all sin is condemned by God and evangelicals are among the few these days to recognise this, which is primarily a spiritual issue. Above all, Spanish evangelicals want to be known for their tolerance of other belief systems, whether these recognise the existence of God or not, as well as holding clear beliefs themselves. For centuries, evangelicals were under attack from the Catholic Church's Inquisition. Now, on the eve of an election campaign, which is likely to be hard fought, evangelicals who have traditionally favoured those also under attack from the Catholic Church and the right wing, may find themselves pushed to swing the balance in the opposite direction. But perhaps that is what right of centre El Mundo is actually aiming at...

España Intercede (Intercessors for Spain) are calling on prayer partners to join them in a partial six week fast for Spain. Lent has been brought forward to coincide with the after-Christmas slimming season and begins on 13th January. Of course they invite you to join whenever you can. The suggestion is that you fast for one meal a day, or one day per week, using the meal times to pray. This is the third year this New Year fast has been arranged.
Meanwhile, the Evangelical Alliance will again hold their United Week of Prayer between the 6th and the 13th of January. Meetings are being arranged in many cities.

A new inter-church open air ministry in Seville's city centre is uniting efforts to reach the capital of Andalusia. Under the title Reacciona Sevilla, the outreach aims to emulate the effective work of Kilómetro Cero in Madrid's Puerta del Sol.

Congress President Pablo Simarro

Arrival at the Congress

7th December. Agua Viva (Living Water) has finally got the go-ahead to prepare a pavillion at the Zaragoza Universal Expo next summer. The group which has previously produced the Pavillion of Promise in Expos such as Seville '92, Hannover and Lisbon, had been one of the first to request a pavillion in the 2008 Water Expo. But from the outset, the organisers were set against allowing religious groups access. Now -last week it was confirmed-, they have changed their mind and from 14th June to 14th September, 2008 an evangelical pavillion will present the Living Water to a thirsty world. They have been acknowledged as a 'nation', so the pavilion's leaders say we must now act as a Holy People'! 6 million are expected to visit the Expo, including 4.5 million Spaniards. Volunteers are now being sought to join the pavillion team.

The Bible Society has just launched a DVD Bible in Spanish sign language.

The Catalan Generalitat has announced it plans to regulate 'places of worship'. Although we are unsure quite what this entails, it is intended to provide guidelines on what kind of building can be used as a place of worship and to limit the powers of town halls to set their own standards. One of the problems is that evangelicals and muslims have found it very difficult to find suitable buildings at reasonable prices in many places and end up renting shop front 'locals' which are often barely suitable.
Meanwhile, some local authorities demand that the churches fulfil the requirements for a discotheque or theatre, providing all kinds of facilities and sound proofing which is rarely found in mediaval Catholic Church buildings! It remains to be seen whether this regulation will be a step forward or just force non-Catholics onto the streets. This is a situation which has happened all too frequently in the recent past. The most recent was that of the 'Good News' church in Aluche, Madrid. Despite having existed for some 25 years, the neighbours have grumbled and local authorities refused to give the place a licence. Indeed, early on they had to use a 'big top' tent on a piece of land temporarily granted by the authorities, but then had to leave when the council refused planning permission for the building. A licence for the current building has also never come, giving rise to the current expulsion.
Other recent cases involved a church with over a century of history in the north and that of Oleiros, in A Coruña, mentioned further down these lines. It is about time this discrimination came to a stop in a so-called democracy with freedom of religion.

For earlier news from the churches, click here!
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