A small church
finds a neighborhood home in a rented
house.
Churches in
Spain are small,
averaging less than 50 mem-bers.
Liebenzell
missionaries assist Spanish
churches by provi-ding additional
ministries such as children's programs.
Children and adults listen to a
story
at the "Bible Bus" in Torremolinos.
Spain
The culture and society
of Spain remains closely tied to the Catholic Church,
which has influenced the country for centuries. For much
of the twentieth century, Catholicism was the only
officially sanctioned religion. Religious freedom was
finally granted in 1992. But as that freedom opened the
door for evangelism and church planting, it also lead to
rapid secularization.
Government statistics list 96% of Spaniards as Roman
Catholic – but only about one-third claim any kind
of active church involvement. For the majority of
Spaniards, Catholicism consists of following traditions
and practicing "social piety". Superstition
plays an important role, reflected by the fact that there
are five times more fortunetellers in the country than
priests. Many people tend to be indifferent to God, while
others are more skeptical, especially towards Protestant
Christians. There is a fear that involvement in other
religious groups will jeopardize the salvation guaranteed
by the traditional Catholic faith.
Spain has its share of social problems along with this
religious indifference. Unemployment is higher than
average for European Union nations, especially among the
youth. Alcohol and drug abuse are also well above
average. According to some statistics, Spain has the
highest rate of AIDS among EU member nations. Gambling is
also a national passion, and the government is dependent
upon the revenue it provides.
Because of the centuries
of Catholic dominance, less than 1% of all Spaniards are
evangelical Christian. Roughly nine out of ten Spanish
towns or villages of more than 5,000 people do not have
an evangelical church. In spite of government guarantees
of religions freedom, Protestant congregations still find
much opposition as they attempt to rent or purchase
buildings, or receive permission for community
activities.
Liebenzell began work in
Spain in 1996. Workers have ministered
mostly in the southern coastal area of Spain, involved
primarily in evangelism, church planting, discipleship
and retreat ministries. In some cases, the work has been
to help existing churches grow with community outreach.
In other cases, church planting work is underway in areas
with no gospel witness.
Marbella is an exclusive tourist town in Spain's
"Costa del Sol" region. The area has four times
more inhabitants during the summer months, including many
of Spain’s wealthy and prominent people. Liebenzell
missionaries work with a small existing congregation,
conducting small group ministries and evangelism
outreach.
Málaga serves as a hub for ministry activities in
the region. The "Bible Bus" makes weekly visits
in several communities. A Spanish evangelical website, LamparaEs.com, receives over 100 inquiries each day,
from all over the world.
Torremolinos, between
Málaga and Marbella, is also mostly a forest of hotels,
bars and tourist shops. The local flea market provides
missionaries with opportunity to contact people,
distributing Bibles, books and other literature.
In Montilla and Grao de Castellón, Liebenzell
missionaries partner with the European Christian Mission
International
(ECMI). Discipleship and evangelism ministries focus on
helping growing churches reach maturity to call a Spanish
pastor for full-time service.
Near Seville, Liebenzell missionaries partner
with Fundación ABRE, Alianza Biblica de Restauración Evangélica. Church planting work is conducted in Olivares, a town
of about 8,000 people with no evangelical church.
Prayer Requests:
• Evangelism and church planting ministries
in southern Spain
• Literature, Internet and radio ministry
• Work with South American immigrants
Recent News:
• Cuban Student at Al-Andalus Bible College (18 Apr.)
• Spain Impact Team (12 Dec., 07)
Back to
the Liebenzell world map of mission fields.