News, June 2009

News from the Churches

Evangelical Pro-Life poster campaign in Madrid Metro. Michael W. Smith well received on Spanish tour. Summer approaches and outreaches and camps begin. May 31st Global Day of prayer - prayer encounter on 30th in Zaragoza. This and more... Read on!

The Madrid pastors' fraternal, COMIMA, is currently running a Pro-Life publicity campaign in Madrid's Metro. As the government moves closer to presenting its new freer abortion law in Congress, Pro-Life groups are busy campaigning in the streets and lobbying deputies. The main lobby group, HazteOir.org is mainly Roman Catholic, although other religious groups - and non-religious people- are also taking part in its campaign. But this is the first specifically evangelical campaign of which we have heard.

Michael W. Smith's Spanish tour, during the first week of June was well received by full houses in Madrid and Barcelona. As soon as he stepped of the plane he was into a worship leaders' seminar, which preceded the Madrid event. In Madrid he was preceded by Marcos Vidal, Spain's leading evangelical singer and they also sang a duo, which was wildly applauded. His lively performance included a few bullfighter style passes!
Music tours continue this month, with the visit of the Swedish Gospel choir Joybells between 13th and 21st June. Several concerts will be held singing along side local gospel choirs.The concerts are in Valladolid, Madrid, Ibiza and Albacete. They also hold a workshop in Madrid.

In addition to an increase in concert tours, June sees the start of the summer outreach season. Early off the blocks is a Puerto Rican team which is helping the evangelistic outreach of the Brethren Assemblies in Galicia. There are several events for children and a concert between 16th and 27th June.
In July Decision is in Baeza, Andalusia (1st to 14th), moving on to Daimiel, Castilla-La-Mancha in August (1st to 14th). (More information on their web in Spanish. See report of our Baeza outreach in 2005 - baeza/baeza)
Pocket Testament League will be in Huesca (Aragon) July 13th to 26th and then in Benicarló (Valencia) August 1st to 16th.
Many other organisations and churches are organising outreach events and summer camps for their children and young people - or more seriously-minded adults. Schools officially close by 19th June, but in many cases the last week is a mere formality.
For example, a basketball camp is being held close to Madrid featuring Real Madrid deputy trainer Randy Knowles and Regal Barcelona player Daniel Santiago, both evangelicals.
Proel Spanish branch of the Summer Institute of Translators, is also holding summer courses on NT Greek and Bible translation in the cool northern town of Villablino.
We know of two English language camps for children, one in Navarre, the other in La Vera, Extremadura. The children learn English while also hearing of the love of Jesus. In Banyoles, Girona, a camp specialises in a Red Indian theme and also has North American believers to help.

On 15th June CEDIB, the Evangelical Council of the churches in the Balearics, got official word that it is now registered with the government and with the national churches' federation FEREDE. The churches have been awaiting this moment for months and now plan a celebration in September.

On 29th May, the infanta doña Elena (daughter of the King) opened the Madrid book fair and visited the stand of Librería Calatrava, the oldest evangelical bookshop in Spain, which opened in the street of that name in 1873. She was donated a facsimile of the 1602 Reina Valera translation of the Bible. The original translation (and translators) was harshly persecuted by the princess's ancestors, Philip II and III, via their highly effective religious secret police, the Inquisition. A new edition of the original has recently been printed and will get its official launch at the National Library on 16th June. Revised versions of this translation are still the most common Bibles to be found among Spanish speaking evangelicals,although the New International Version (NVI) and other newer translations are now more frequently found, particularly in Latin America.

Pray for Spain! On 16th May over 3000 believers from all over Spain gathered on the esplanade outside Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu football stadium (home of Real Madrid FC) to pray for our country. This is the second year that this event takes place. Web (Spanish)
Another day to gather to pray for Spain.. and the rest of the world... was May 30th, Saturday of Pentecost weekend. On this occasion prayer warriors gathered in the 'Place of the Pillar'(not celebrating the postal system, but a particular appearance of 'the virgin'- on a column, and the city's main square) in Zaragoza.

Future events

Clame '09, Building Bridges In November a major congress will take place in Malaga to gather Latins working among Muslims in Europe. The congress is run under the auspices of COMIBAM (Latin missions association) and the Spanish and European Evangelical Alliances.

Earlier news in bullets:

(Click at bottom to read this in full.)

On 21st May the IERE (Anglican) church in Madrid commemorated the 450th anniversary of the burning of 89 protestant believers in the first of Philip II's Autos de Fe, in Valladolid in 1569.
The new Protestant Style Book, produced by Protestante Digital was presented on 18th May. This style book aims to help the Media to understand Protestantism in a Roman Catholic dominated religious scene and increasingly secular public and media in general.
On 18th May Juan José Cortés, father of Mari-Luz (see separate article), announced he is considering entering politics.
Media: 1.5 million page clicks! During April Protestante Digital, had that many pages opened online. This brings its impact up to -and beyond- that of several daily papers.
By humble comparison, PrayforSpain has had about 10,000 to 12,000 page views per month for the past winter, fairly constant by comparison to PD's growth...
We continue to await the arrival of the new Xcathedra Content Management System, which is now virtually ready for launch, possibly before the summer. If you are interested in contributing to the new-look Pray4Spain, do let us know.
Pro Life march. On 17th May 3000 marched through Córdoba, amongst them a good number of evangelicals, to protest against the new freer abortion bill now facing the Congress.
Between 5th and 7th May the Evangelical Federation FEREDE met in Valencia to work of streamlining some of the way it works in relation to the autonomous bodies which depend on it. It also presented a declaration on the subject of abortion, as a contribution to the current debate in political circles, aimed at reforming the current abortion law. The Spanish evangelical Alliance made its own statement at the end of March.

For earlier news from the churches, click here!

Finally, more news from the churches is always available at the Protestante Digital site.

You can also listen to some reports and comment.

This week on Protestante Digital: (26th June)

Angels, demons and imaginary conflicts
Latin Americans and the key to Muslim evangelism
Del Valle formally charged with Mari Luz´s murder
Cardinal rails against ´outrageous extravagance´
Unesco holds inter-religious conference in Catalonia
Prison chaplaincy work continues
Course on drugs for worried parents

(19th)
Morning-after pill leads to moral hangover
Many prostitutes are tricked into the business
American Christian singer rocks Spanish capital
French air crash funeral ´an example to Spain´
´The principle of freedom of speech is not respected´ in Spain
Princess visits Christian bookstall
Major Baptist push in Madrid
Secretary in Mari Luz case has sentence reduced to six months

(12th)
´They are bought and sold like pieces of furniture´
Socialist leader leaves the Party over anti-Christian policies
Is there more to a football kit than meets the eye?
Only abortion law in Europe not to help women
Court ruling overturns stringent church requirements
Council lets Evangelical Church off building tax
Gypsy pastor calls for equality on noise disturbance
Jewish group complains at destruction of Jewish graveyards

(5th):
Dying for the love of a football club
Popular Party denies using ´Protestant pastor´ as term of abuse
Commemorative edition of first Spanish Bible
Mari Luz´s father may enter politics
What´s missing is...the link
Service to commemorate first heresy trial