Baptist World Alliance
– Heritage and Identity Commission
General Council – Mexico
City – 4 July 2006
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HISTORY
AND DEVELOPMENT OF BAPTISTS IN MEXICO
by Dinorah B. Mendez
with a response by Justice Anderson
© Baptist World Alliance 9 August 2006
In Mexico,
evangelical work did not arrive until the nineteenth century because the
country was dominated by Spain
for almost three centuries, and the Roman Hispanic Catholicism with its Inquisition
did not permit the entry of evangelicals. In 1821 it was consummated in the
Independence of Mexico; then the doors for evangelical work were opened,
especially with liberal governments, which saw the necessity to diminish the
influence of Catholic Church—one way was permitting that other religious
groups arrive at the country.
Antecedents
and Controversial Beginnings
There were several
important antecedents to the founding of evangelical work in Mexico. James
Thompson, the noted and Baptist colporteur of the British Bible Society made
two trips to Mexico
during the years 1827-30 and again in 1842-43. He never established a permanent
work, but he did experience some success in the sale of Bibles in the central
and southern regions of the country.(1) Another important aspect was the war
between the United States
and Mexico.
It appears the war awakened interest in sending missionaries to Mexico.(2)
With this context, I
want to talk about the first evangelical work and its relationship with the
Baptists. This is interesting because it is a controversial issue in Mexico: Which
denomination started evangelical work in this country? Who is really the
founder of evangelical work in Mexico
and what has that to do with the growing missionary presence in the country in
the 19th century? The question as to the founder of evangelical work in the
country is not an easy one to answer. Examining the evidence is sometimes like
trying to examine grains of sand—it slips through the finger of the
investigator just as one encounters something of evidence. Our first purpose is
to define as much as the historical information allows about who founded
evangelical work in the country and what relationship that work had with a
growing Baptist presence. The reason to establish this is not just for
denominational pride, but to examine, as much as the evidence allows, what the
truth is. Then and only then is it possible to define the relationship between
the beginnings of Baptist and the continuing work of the last century.
When one examines the
history books, it appears that the problem is not easily resolved. There are
many authors who follow completely the book written by an independent
missionary, basically a Presbyterian, Melinda Rankin Twenty Years with the Mexicans.(3) This book states that she
began the first real work in Mexico, in the city of Monterrey. Others follow
the idea that James Hickey was the true founder of not only Baptist work in Mexico, but
also of the first evangelical work. The majority of the former authors are not
Baptist. The majority of the latter are Baptist. The first task at hand then is
to examine these historical sources.
The first group of
historians follows the idea that Rankin began the work, arriving at the border
with Mexico
in Bronwsville in 1852. This began her work "with the Mexicans." Even
Latourette who is usually very meticulous in his investigation notes that
Rankin began the work, but that Hickey was the first "notable
worker." He does note that Hickey gathered "... a group of
believers.”(4) Goslin mentions the "episcopal work" as being an
important beginning. Gonzalez follows this same thought noting that Episcopal
Church was first. However, this work should probably be called an indigenous
catholic movement rather than an evangelical one. Moreover, Latourette mentions
that Rankin established evangelical work, but never mentions Hickey.(5)
Wheeler, who is Presbyterian, states that Rankin was the first and that Hickey
was her employee. The problem with these authors is that they follow only the
Rankin book, often ignoring other works.(6)
Cosme Montemayor,
former historian of the Mexican Baptist Convention, investigated in the
documents of the American Bible Society, Hickey's employer in the years of the
founding of the work. Alejandro Trevino in his work on Mexican Baptist History
went no further than this to prove Hickey was the founder.(7) Goslin, in a book
often cited in the history of missions, mentions that Hickey began the work,
but that Rankin was the first "notable worker." He also stated
however that the work of Hickey was a true "Baptist Movement.”(8) Is
it that easy to conclude anything? The answer is probably not available until
all details of the event can be examined.
What do the Baptist
authors say? They and others are unanimous in recognizing Hickey as the founder
of evangelical work in Mexico.
The basis for this testimony is usually taken to be the statements of Thomas
Westrup about the beginnings of the group in Monterrey. Few people have investigated
further than the writings of Westrup however.
Who was James Hickey?
From what we know of Hickey he was born in 1800 in Ireland. He arrived in the United States
and perhaps became a Baptist soon after immigrating. According to Chastain and
others, he worked in Bell Country in Central Texas,
a center of Baptist work at the time. Hickey moved to South
Texas for two reasons. First of all, he held abolitionist beliefs.
These beliefs alone would have made his work as a colporteur of the American
Tract Society in Central Texas difficult.
Secondly, he possibly already had plans to come to Mexico. He arrived in Brownsville in 1860.
Then the real
evangelical work in Mexico
begins when James Hickey began his travels to Mexico in 1860. There is an
interesting mention made in La Luz that
Hickey was in Mexico in
1853, preaching in the city of Durango.
However, the same article says he was born in 1785, a very unlikely date. John
Cheavens recorded the incident as told to him by a man in Durango
in 1902.(9) Hickey was an agent for the American Tract Society when he began
his trips to Mexico.
The Tract Society was famous for several anti-catholic tracts they published.
He began making trips selling Bibles and tracts in the states of Nuevo Leon and
Tamaulipas. In October 1862 he made his first contact with a group of
"foreign protestants" in the city of Monterrey. He arrived in Monterrey in November of the same year. In
January or February of 1863 he was named as an agent of the American Bible
Society.(10)
Where was Melinda Rankin
at the time? With a careful reading of her book it was possible to draw up a
chronological description of her activities. She arrived in Texas
in 1849, spending the majority of this time in Huntsville, Texas.
She arrived in Brownsville
in 1852. She stayed on the northern side of the Rio Grande beginning a school for children.
She begins counting her twenty years of work with Mexicans from this point. She
was apparently working with citizens of Mexican descent in Brownsville during this time. However, Rankin
never learned Spanish and worked through interpreters.
Rankin spent much of
her time returning to other states during these years. In 1853-54 she was in New Orleans and Mississippi
collecting funds for her work. Finally, in 1862 she did cross the Rio Grande working in a school in Matamoros, Tamps. In March of 1863 she left Brownsville for reasons
of the Civil War. It appears she stayed out of the area until January 1864 when
she returned to the city. But in the summer-fall of 1864 she left once again
for New Orleans.
She did not return to South Texas until May of
1865. She arrived for the first time in Monterrey
during the same month. She stayed in the city some three months. She left
again, and did not return to Monterrey
until May of 1866. Analyzing her arrivals and departures from
Brownsville-Monterrey in this way explains many of the different dates given
for her work in Mexico.(11)
With this analysis it
should be obvious that Hickey actually began the work in Monterrey in 1862. The men who invited Hickey
to come to Monterrey
deserve a mention. Hickey, in a letter to the Bible Society described the men
he found there: John Butler was an Englishman who had worked for the conversion
of another man of English descent, Thomas Westrup; Matthew Starr was a citizen
of the United States, a hat
salesman, who permitted Hickey and his wife to live in their home in Monterrey. Others
mentioned in letters or historical descriptions afterwards, were a Mr. Jolly
and Mr. Pardee. In 1863 the group of followers formed the "Sociedad
Mexicana de Evangelizaci6n," (The Mexican Evangelization Society) to
facilitate and organize the distribution of Bibles. In January 1863, they sent
a letter to the Governor of Nuevo Leon asking for the use of a public
school for their meetings. The permission was denied.(12) In March of the same
year, Hickey began preaching in Spanish in the mornings and in English at
night.
In late 1863-early
1864 there was an event that troubled the group of "protestants" that
had gathered together. In December of 1863 the group "became disturbed by
the fact that the Uranga brothers were soon to be baptized."(13) This
decision on the part of Hickey and the new believers was to change the nature
of the group. On January 30, 1864, Hickey baptized Westrup and the Uranga
brothers. That evening they formed "The Christian Church," in Monterrey. Hickey
ordained Westrup who became the first pastor of the church.(14)
The question of what
kind of group was formed however is not as easy to answer. The historical
evidence is at best questionable. The actors themselves at times left
contradictory evidence. The letters from Hickey to the American Bible Society
do not explain much about the work. However all of the people involved identify
Hickey as a "Baptist minister." Evidently, the majority of this
information comes from the testimony of Thomas Westrup. But, the work that
began in Monterrey
did not carry the Baptist name. This would have been obvious since Hickey, as
an agent of a non-denominational Bible Society, could not begin a
"partisan" work. It appears Hickey worked more for these agencies
than for any Baptist one. If he was a Baptist his convictions about Baptist
faith and practice would be clear. This is what one finds studying the reports
of the people involved. Hickey baptized the new converts by immersion. He
believed in closed communion. When the first society is undone and Thomas
Westrup and the Uranga brothers are baptized, a church is organized, and there
is more credence given to the position.
Later, when Rankin
arrived in Monterrey
in 1865, she saw the young group as "ripe unto harvest." Patterson
states that she really wanted to take the field not just harvest it.(15) It is
difficult to judge motives at this distant date, but it is obvious in her book
that she did not like the nature of the work began by Hickey and Westrup. She
disliked the idea of not having a permanent building for the congregation. When
one examines what she actually thought, it was obvious that she was concerned
more with the building of a church than any other point. She recognized that a
congregation had already been formed, what they lacked was a building. Rankin
did possibly "build the first church building" in Mexico, but she
did not establish the work or establish the first congregation.(16)
She also did not like
the idea that these new converts had already developed ideas about the
ordinances, particularly baptism and the Lord's Supper. She stated that ...
"my objective was to bring people to Christ in Mexico, and as they chose the
manner of Baptism, I had little to say about the matter." Later she also
stated that "the believers under her care had abandoned the doctrine of
closed communion that Hickey had instituted." Then the evidence shows
however that it did matter to her.(17)
Westrup did try to
answer the question of the kind of work more clearly than others. In several
places he clearly identified the work as Baptist in principle if not in name.
He could say in 1893 "I became a Baptist" speaking of his own
baptism. Or as he said "We became Baptist" after reading several
tracts about Baptist beliefs. This last statement was after the intervention of
Rankin, possibly in 1869. Westrup was invited by the American Baptist Home
Mission Society (ABHMS from Northern Baptists) to come to New
York in the same year to officially become their representative in
Mexico.
Westrup stated that while there he arranged to place everything "in
order," even his own ordination.(18) When he returned to Monterrey
in June of 1870, the churches already established in Nuevo Leon joined the
Baptist Home Mission Society. However, he admitted that he found the Baptist
work diminished by the invasion of Rankin ideas. In fact, the first group in
Monterrey had become a mixed one, some being baptized as believers and others
not; then Westrup had to reorganize the congregation.(19) Westrup has an
important place in the beginnings of Baptist work in Mexico and for the
evangelical work in general as outstanding composer and translator of hymns.
Unfortunately, due to controversies among leaders, later become a Disciple of
Christ and left the Baptist denomination.(20) After being a Baptist for 38
years, in the last seven years of his life he denied the Baptist faith, but his
contribution is undeniable.
Hickey died on December
10, 1866 in Brownsville Texas. He evidently caught pneumonia on a
horseback trip. He was buried in Texas, but
facing Mexico.
His last words to Tomas Sepulveda his co-worker were "Siga el
trabajo" (keep on working).(21) It is difficult to say if the work
established by Hickey was completely a Baptist work or not. However it is
obvious that he did begin evangelical work and produced the first evangelical
congregation. This work later became a Baptist one in both name and principles.
Hickey began the first continual work in Mexico, not just with foreigners in
an ethnic church, but winning Mexican people for Christ and baptizing them as
in a New Testament congregation. In fact, since 1870 that church was identified
as "Baptist of close communion." In the building of that church, it
says: "First
Baptist Church
organized on January 30, 1864 by Rev. James Hickey.”(22)
Development
of the Baptist Work in Mexico
In 1881 the Southern
Baptists also began work in Mexico.
First of all, they started supporting John Westrup (brother of Thomas), but
then when he was murdered, they sent William D. Powell in the first place to
investigate the circumstances of the murder of John Westrup. Later, in 1882,
Powell and his wife were appointed as missionaries to Mexico. They
worked very hard, organizing new churches and persuading nationals to dedicate
themselves to mission work. Southern Baptists entered to Mexico in an
era of expansion. During the government of President Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911)
nearly 15,000 miles of rail lines were built, connecting the principal cities
of Mexico
and opening vast areas to settlements. In ten years the FMB of the Southern
Baptist Convention (SBC) sent 26 additional missionaries.
At the turn of the twentieth
century Baptist work in Mexico
had reached encouraging proportions. In 1901 Northern Baptists reported 43
churches and missions with a total of 721 members. Southern Baptists reported
37 churches, 21 missions, and 1189 members. There were a number of Baptist day
schools and Baptist periodical, but denominational organization was limited to
three associations. Simultaneously, in 1901, two missionaries and a pastor were
convinced the time had come to form a Baptist convention of churches. Thus, on
September 13, 1903 forty-two messengers and some twenty Baptists without
credentials of 13 churches and one association met at the First Baptist Church
of Mexico City to organize a national convention (CNBM).
The period 1903-1910
was marked by territorial expansion. During this period the Pacific Railway
built lines along the coast. The Southern Baptist Missions provided workers,
both nationals and missionaries to plan work along this rail line and one from
Zacatecas north to EI Paso. Churches in all parts of Mexico took seriously their
responsibility for extending the work in their respective districts.
In 1905, Pablo
Rodriguez, president of the Convention, moved that body with a message on
"It is Time that the Convention Should Begin Mission Work." The next
year a Mission Board began with an offering of $610 (pesos) to look out a field
and worker. A region in the state of Michoacan called "Once Pueblos"
(Eleven Villages) was selected as the field, but a worker was not found until
1908, when Antonio Torres was employed, supplied with a horse by the
Convention, and began to visit the eleven villages. Due to disruptions caused
by the revolution, in 1912 the Convention was forced to suspend its home
mission work until 1920. Early the CNBM also began foreign mission work, when
in 1910, this Convention was invited to cooperate with Brazil and Argentina
in evangelizing Chile.
The CNBM began a monthly offering for pay the salary of a Chilean missionary.
This relation continued until 1913, when the Mexican Revolution forced its
suspension.
At the time the
Convention was organized in 1903 there were a number of Baptist schools in Mexico, some
supported by the ABHMS, and another by the Southern Baptists. Some new schools
were established between 1903 and 1910. Some institutions of Theological
Education were also started since nineteenth century as the Instituto Zaragoza
founded by Powell in Saltillo in 1889 and the Theological School founded by A. T. Watkins in 1901,
which was the antecedent of the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. Moreover,
the desire for a theological school supported by both mission boards was
expressed in the conventions of 1903 and 1904. This desire never diminished.
But the Mexican Revolution prevented the immediate realization of the
establishment of a theological seminary. However it did become a reality a few
years later, when in 1917 the Mexican Baptist Seminary was started
participating Northern, Southern and Mexican Baptists.
Among the first
publications were La Luz Bautista,
the denominational newspaper in 1885, and EI
Expositor Bautista, a Sunday school quarterly, which remain until today.
Moreover, J. E. Davis, a missionary journalist, began in 1905 with a printing
press in his home, what is now the Spanish Publishing House in El Paso, TX..
The Mexican Revolution
from 1910 until 1917 had different effects on the churches. They were weakened
by political differences among their members. Broken communication and rail
lines left many of them isolated. Moreover, the Revolution brought the destruction
of church property in some instances and the death of many innocent persons.
However, despite disruption, danger, destruction of property, loss of life and
leadership, the churches advanced on two fronts: evangelism and the
organization of a few churches.
After Revolution, the
Constitution of 1917 brought a new way of life to Mexico. It proclaimed separation of
church and state and set out on a course which was socialistic in principle.
Until 1940, the Baptist in Mexico
lived a reconstruction era under severe restrictions by the government.
From 1940 through 1959
a relaxation by the government on certain church restrictions also favored
evangelical expansion. During the first decade of this period both mission
boards and the CNBM proceeded with caution. During the second decade there was
determined advanced on the part of all.
The decade between
1960 and 1970 was of expansion and evangelism. But by 1965 relations between
the Mexico Mission (MM) of Southern Baptists (FMBSBC) and the CNBM, as
represented by its executive secretary (who began with ecumenical tendencies)
were deteriorating. Moreover, the same man complicated the relationship between
the ABHMS (Northern) and the FMBSBC (Southern). Finally, such man left his
office. However, that was the beginning of disagreements between the boards and
the CNBM, especially of ABHMS, which terminated a relationship it had had with
the CNBM since its beginning. The Mexico Mission of the FMBSBC continued to
cooperate with the CNBM but under less than ideal conditions. The Convention
had reason for exasperation. Within the Convention there were multiple
programs, each with its own leadership. The Convention had its field work, some
associations had field missionaries, and the MM had its field work, programs to
some extent parallel, but not correlated. However, in 1971, the MM voted an
integration program in which, all programs of MM would be surrendered to the
CNBM.(23)
With this Integration
program, the work was blessed. From 199 churches in 1970 the number of churches
doubled twice in a 26 year period, reaching 1,116 in 1995. Moreover, in 1983
the CNBM adopted the challenge of reducing the financial support of FMBSBC
(given as a subsidy for the programs integrated to the CNBM) in 10% per year.
Thus, the CNBM received the last subsidy in 1992, reaching a self-supporting
condition. Additionally, the same year the Convention voted on the important
goal reaching 2000 churches self-supported by the year 2000. During 4 or 5
years since, the average growth was the organization of one church per week.
However, the rate of growth has not been consistent in such a way that by year
2000 the number of churches reached was approximately 1,500.(24)
Actually, the CNBM has
adopted the continental evangelistic program promoted by UBLA called "Hay
Vida en Jesus" with the emphasis on planting new churches. Now the goal is
to reach 10,000 churches by 2010. So, in theory the current projects of Baptist
work in Mexico
are optimistic, but the question is how healthy, stable and strong are the
churches and is the CNBM able to accomplish the goals in an integrated and
positive way.
Formation
of Mexican Baptists Identity
Since the beginnings,
Baptists in Mexico
have had problems defining their identity. As mentioned above, the first church
did not have a Baptist name from the beginning even though its doctrines and
practices were Baptist. This happened due to the commitments of the founders
such as Hickey and Westrup to non-denominational agencies. Thus, that
congregation had to fight for its identity against Presbyterian influence.
Later, Westrup himself abandoned the Baptist identity to lead the Disciples of
Christ work.
Another difficulty was
the conversion of one prominent missionary to the Roman Catholic Church. He was
Guillermo H. Sloan, one of the first pastors of the First
Baptist Church
in Mexico City
and founder of the Baptist periodical La
Luz in 1885. This fact was initially an enormous scandal because the
Catholic clergy tried to use it to cause discredit to Baptists and evangelicals
in general. However, nobody followed in the steps of Mr. Sloan, and as time
passed by the issue was forgotten. In any case, considering the religious
context in Mexico,
Catholicism has been the natural opposition to Baptists and all evangelicals,
it is relevant to mention this event.
In addition to the
natural fight against Catholicism, there was another menace to a healthy
identity for Baptists in Mexico.
In this case, it was not the Roman Catholic Church itself, but a movement
coming from the USA
called "Landmarkism" which was brought by some of the missionaries
during the first stages of Baptist development. This movement was the Baptist
equivalent of the Catholic idea of supporting an ecclesiology of only one true
church. There is evidence of these ideas in the Baptist literature and of their
influence even until recent years.(25) This could be considered as another
impact of the Catholic context of Mexico on Baptist identity in the sense that in
order to oppose the Catholic persecution they might have adopted a similar
concept of the church showing the idea that the real true church was the
Baptist one. It would be a Catholic corruption by adoption or assimilation.
Other doctrinal problems have been related to the
Ecumenism and Charismatic movements. In relation to the Ecumenical movement as
has been mentioned some things happened in the middle of the twentieth century
when some leaders tried to involve the CNBM in ecumenical programs. However, Mexican
Baptists have been much more conservative than Baptists in other countries
about relationships with Ecumenism. The problem has been that the ecumenical
trend as perceived by Baptists in Mexico means a danger to a healthy
ecclesiology because of the strong emphasis on local church inherited from
landmarkism. In consequence Baptist churches in Mexico have practiced closed
communion and closed membership. On the other hand, to practice open communion
for Baptists in Mexico
would mean opening the door to the sacramental view of the church, supported by
Catholicism, its traditional religious opponent. In addition, this position has
been reinforced by the experience that when churches have opened membership to
people of other denominations the common result is the loss of Baptist identity
of those churches.
In relation to the
Charismatic movement, the enormous and fast growth of charismatic churches has
been impressive for many Baptists in Mexico. Then, in an effort to
obtain a similar rate of growth, many churches, especially those led by pastors
with at least questionable motives, (such as only obtaining quantitative
results), have started to introduce characteristic traits of Charismatic
churches such as the worship style, the emphasis in the Holy Spirit doctrine
and His gifts, with the resultant changes of denominational identity. The
problem has been a lack of a healthy teaching about the Holy Spirit, giving
priority to the emotions and experiences over the biblical authority on these
matters.(26)
Another kind of
difficulty has been related to structural and administrative issues. Obviously,
these problems have also a doctrinal side but this aspect is less evident,
however not less important in special reference to the Baptist identity in Mexico. In
general, the doctrinal issue under jeopardy is the sociological principle
distinctive among Baptists. There are two aspects derived from this principle
which are suffering distortion or deviation of Biblical teachings. In first
place, at the local church level, the problem is being expressed in
hierarchical and autocratic leadership of many pastors, who in practice if not
in words, deny the biblical doctrine of believers' priesthood. Some
consequences are the elevation of some leaders over their congregations as privileged
clergy claiming special illumination from God and special understanding of the
Bible, so that they are practicing a manipulating leadership instead of a
servant leadership. In fact, many churches are giving up the celebration of
administrative meetings, and eliminating the practice of congregational
government. In a second level, this same trend is being manifested in
denominational structures emphasizing the interdependency among churches in
detriment to the autonomy of local churches, arguing an acritical unity or more
precisely a kind of uniformity. Lately, there has been a strong pressure on the
churches to adopt the criteria, vision and projects of the leadership instead
of the leaders seeing themselves as servants that follow the vision that the
churches should establish.
All of this has
produced a lack of interest and cooperation in the denominational structures.
In the past few years the number of churches supporting the Convention’s
work has diminished year by year. For instance, churches participating in the
last two annual meetings were 232 in 2004 and 191 in 2005; and churches
offering were 529 in 2004 and 522 in 2005.(27) Thus, in spite of the optimistic
projects mentioned before, the current situation of the CNBM is critical as
very few churches are committed to participate because of this lack of taking
them into consideration and more importantly because of the sense that the
Baptist identity is being deviated or even betrayed.
Conclusion
Even though this is
only a brief sketch of Baptist History and Identity in Mexico, it
gives us an idea of the great past of our denomination. Mission
work has been a priority since the beginning. Thanks to this emphasis many
churches have been organized in all the territory of our country. Of special
concern has been the mission work among the ethnic groups. However, it is
necessary to intensify missionary efforts because there are still many Mexicans
in need of the Gospel message.
Another area of great
impact at the beginning of the Baptist work in Mexico was in the field of
Education. Many schools were supported by the first Baptists being a
significant contribution to Mexican society. These efforts were slowly
disappearing due to restrictive politics, but as new laws in Mexico are
being established, this should be an important project for Baptists today or in
the near future. Other contributions in the social area have been several
hospitals, student homes and university work as well as agricultural projects
to help specially in ethnic and rural areas. However, at the present only one
hospital has remained. Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce this kind of
project which involves more effectively our professionals in faithful Christian
service with impact in the surrounding society and its multiple needs.
In the field of
Theological Education, the CNBM supports partially only two seminaries.
However, the institutions and schools to train leaders have multiplied regional
and locally. The challenge in this area is that such training meet the minimal
standards of healthy doctrinal teaching, especially with Baptist identity, as
well as an integral formation for future leaders in all areas such as spiritual
formation, moral character, academic excellence and effective strategies for
his/her specific ministry.
Finally, another area
of challenge at the present is related to the relationships with the Mexican
government. The new laws established in 1992 have given legal character to all
churches in Mexico.
Positive consequences are the possibility that churches may have properties, as
well as liberty to establish educational or other social projects and to have
access to mass media. However, there are also negative potential results as
violations to the principle of separation between the state and the church. For
example, now the government requires that churches be registered giving all
kind of internal information about its members, properties, and financial
states. In addition, for Baptists, the way in which the Government relates with
churches is contrary to our principles because its model is the Catholic
Church, which means it tries to manage all denominations, approaching them as
hierarchies not knowing our reality of local and autonomous churches. This
approach has been a great temptation for some denominational leaders of getting
unauthentic power. Then, the challenge is to avoid assimilation by our context,
rejecting concepts and practices of the cultural system contrary to our
Christian identity. Baptists in Mexico
need a more transformational cultural approach in order to produce impact and
influence changing our society with the biblical values and the gospel message
of the God's love.
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Chastain,
James Garvin. Thirty Years in Mexico. EI Paso, TX.: Baptist
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John. "Una Entrevista Interesante," La Luz Bautista. (First
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GonzaIez,
Justo L. Historia de las Misiones. Buenos
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McAleer,
Miguel "Hickey el Fundador." Mexico: STBM, 1995.
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Frank W. A Century of Baptist Work in Mexico. EI Paso, TX.: Casa
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Rankin,
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"EI Faro". 1958.
Slack,
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John, Ed Principios por Tomas Westrup. Monterrey. N.L., 1948.
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Thomas M. "La Primera Iglesia Bautista en Monterrey," La Luz Bautista, (First
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Notes:
I Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of the
Expansion of Christianity, vol. 5: The Great Century: The Americas.
Australasia. and Africa.
(Grand Rapids.
MI.: Zondervan Publications, Co.. 1943), p. 110: Justo Gonzalez. Historia de
las Misiones (Buenos Aires. 1970), pp. 333 ss.: Tomas S. Goslin. Los
Evangelicos en America Latina (Buenos
Aires: La Aurora, s.f.), pp. 37 ss.
2 James Garvin Chastain, Thirty Years in Mexico
(EI Paso, TX.: Baptist Publishing House. 1927).98-99, 125.
3 Melinda Rankin, Veinte Aftos entre los Mexicanos (Mexico:
Casa de Publicaciones "EI Faro". 1958).
4
Latourette, History, p. 110: Latourette does not even use a source other
than Rankin. For that reason his paragraph is generally confusing.
5
Latourette, History, p. 115.
6
Gonzalez, Historia de las Misiones. pp. 404-05; Reginald Wheeler, Modem
Missions in Mexico
(Philadelphia, PA.: Westminster Press, 1925), p. 92.
7
Cosme Montemayor, Hickey EI Fundador (Mexico, 1962), p.3; Alejandro
Trevino. Historia de Los Trabaios Bautistas en Mexico (EI Paso. TX: Casa
Bautista de Publicaciones, 1939). pp. 34-40.
8
Goslin, Los Evangelicos, pp. 96-7.
9
John Cheavens. "Una Entrevista Interesante." La Luz Bautista, (First
series), August 21.1902, p. 124.
10 Jolm Westrup, ed. Principios oorTomas Westrup (Monterrey. N.L,1948). pp.
4,11,29,37,44; T.M. Westrup. "La Primera Iglesia Bautista en Monterrey.” La
Luz Bautista (First series). December 7, 1893, p. 194.
11 Rankin. Veinte ADos, pp. 60-61, 87-11l;
Latourette, History, p. 112: Gonzalez. Historia, p. 406.
12 Montemayor, Hickey el Fundador, p. 20.
13 Ibid., pp. 19-20: Westrup. Principios. p.
15.
14
Westrup, Principios, p. 45: Westrup. "La Primera Iglesia
Bautista," p. 194; Montemayor. Hickevel Fundador, pp. 21-22;
Trevino, Historia, p. 26
15
Frank W. Patterson, A Century of Baptist Work in Mexico (EI Paso. TX.: Casa
Bautista de Publicaciones. 1979), p. 29.
16
I believe much of the problem stems from the fact that she wanted to
"build the first church." In Spanish the word "templo" or
building is used. In English it would probably be "church." which can
mean either one.
17
Patterson, A Century. p. 29.
18
Patterson, A Century. p. 30.
19 Chastain, Thirty. p. 102.
20 Patterson, A Century, p. 70.
21 Miguel McAleer, "Hickey el Fundador."
(Mexico: Seminario Teol6gico Bautista Mexicano. 1995), p. 8.
22 Patterson, A Century, pp. 26-27.
23 Justo Anderson,
Historia de los Bautistas. Torno III: Sus Comienzos" Desarrollo en Asia. Africa v America
Latina (El
Paso, TX: Casa Bautista de Publicaciones, 1990). pp. 57-61.
24 James B. Slack, et.al. Church Growth Strategy
Study of Baptist Churches
and Conventions in Mexico (Mexico: CNBM,
ApriI1997), 54-55.
25
Anderson, op.
cit.. pp. 44-45.
26 Alejandro Zamora
Alfaro, "Nuestra Identidad Bautista," (Mexico: Iglesia Bautista Estrella
de Belen. 2006). 3-11.
27 Libros de Informes de las Reuniones Anuales
de la CNBM, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Response to Dinorah Mendez' Presentation
History and Development of Baptists in Mexico
by
Justice Anderson
When one considers the
vicissitudes, challenges, and issues Mexican Baptists have had to overcome in
their 150 year history, it is remarkable that today they count on approximately
1500 churches with an estimated membership of over 120,000. Like many other
Baptist communities, their growth has come in spite of external opposition and
internal controversy. Dinorah, in a kind and gentle manner, has mentioned some
of these, which at the time of their occurrence were certainly not "kind
and gentle."
For instance: A militant
Roman Catholicism, another Spanish Christology, an anti-Clerical secularism, a
long and bloody, but authentic Mexican Revolution that soon fell into a
dictatorship, vestiges of European and North American colonialism, the USA
Civil War and abolitionist movement, interdenominational strife,
missiological paternalism, ecclesiastical Landmarkism, rival Baptist Mission
Boards from divided North American Baptists, territorial regionalism, different
missionary philosophies, personal conflicts among missionaries, vestiges of
sacerdotalism, sacramentalism, and ecclesiasticism in local church polity,
autocratic leadership, and in recent years theological liberalism, conciliar
ecumenism, and charismatic Pentecostalism. Their proximity to the USA, and
Mexico's role as a buffer state between the two Americas, have forced Mexican
Baptists to overcome not only their own cultural challenges, but also those
occasioned by their imported missionary cultures. Now let me respond
specifically to several items in the paper:
1, James Hickey deserves his title: Founder of Mexican
Baptists. Why?
2. Tomas Westrup was truly
a Baptist by conviction after his encounter with Hickey, but ultimately became
of victim of inter-denominational strife and local church controversy.
3. The church formed in Monterrey
was an authentic Baptist
Church from the first.
4. Conflicts and defections among foreign
missionaries.
5. Landmarkism of the early missionaries sowed seeds
of autocratic exclusiveness.
6. Present impact of ecumenism and Pentecostalism.
7. SBC missions returning to unilateralism which is
damaging integration of work.
Positive contributions
of Mexican Baptists:
1. Bible publishing and hymnology.
2. Popular education through schools.
3. Missionary outreach to sub-cultures and
cross-cultural missions.
4. Faithfulness to church-state separation.
5. Promotion of theological education through Seminary
and Bible Institutes.
As Dinorah says,
"Mexican Baptists need a more transformational cultural approach in order
to impact our changing society with biblical values and the Gospel
message."