500 Mexican Church Planters Celebrate 50 Years of Ministry
About 500 church planters from all over Mexico gathered in Mexico city during the last week of June to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bible League in Mexico. According to the Chicago-based ministry, church planters have established nearly 2,300 new churches in Mexico over the last 50 years.
The three-day assembly brought together church planters who have been trained by the Bible League over the past nine years. They represented about 20 Mexican ethnic groups, many coming from the Oaxaca area of Mexico. Those who were able to attend traveled long distances, some having walked several hours to reach buses that would then take them on the seven-hour trip to Mexico City.
According to the Bible League, the purpose of the event was to celebrate what God has done through the ministry and to encourage workers to continue the vision of evangelizing, discipling, and establishing new churches throughout Mexico. National church leadership from several denominations recognized the event and sent their congratulations.
Daytime sessions offered continued training and encouragement to the church planters. Evening sessions were broadcast live on the Internet and on satellite television to over 25 countries around the world. Public worship services brought 600-700 people each night, filling the worship center at a large church in Mexico City.
In 1947, the Bible League began a ministry to Mexican workers in Michigan. This grew into the Bible Leagues outreach in Mexico, working with local churches to establish nearly 2,300 new congregations to-date. In the last year alone, over 42,000 Mexicans became baptized members of a local church.