In this article Rev. Neal Hegeman who has worked on our mission field in Mexico introduces us to the complex and recently troubled work there. He has graduated from our seminary and is to take up work under the Christian Reformed Board of World Missions in Costa Rica. Recent issues of THE OUTLOOK have contained other articles which he has written on church growth.

In the western culture we are familiar and comfortable in using statistics to analyze ourselves. In speaking about church growth we have statistics available on evangelism, transfers, memberships, natural and total Church growth. However, our pragmatic and analytical way of approaching life is not universal. Other cultures such as the Mexican and Latin American cultures, are not so statistically minded. The statistics used in this article in analyzing Church growth and the CRC mission in Mexico are statistics compiled mostly by the missionaries. Of course the missionaries consult the nationals and receive their input but the data collecting enterprise is largely the missionaries’ concern. This analysis does have data collected directly from the Mexican Christians but not as much data as is necessary to tell the whole story. The information that we will be working with is valuable and interesting but by no means are we telling the whole story.

This article will be the 1st of a 3 part series on the Mexican situation. The focus will be on the CRC mission entry, development and establishment in Mexico. Most of the information is taken from the Acts of Synod (1958–1980), CRWMB reports, personal interviews with area secretaries and missionaries, as well as 3 summers of personal involvement in Mexico.

May God bless the writing and reading of these articles so that we might better understand our missionary responsibilities with our Mexican neighbors south of the American border as well as with the Mexicans living in the U.S.A. and Canada.

Entry Stage: 1958–1964

The CRC mission work with the Mexicans started at home. Mexican migrant workers had been coming into the United States by the thousands, some coming into contact with Christian Reformed people. Migrant ministries started in the late 40’s and developed into a large-scale concern by 1958. The Classical Home Mission committees of Classis Cadillac, Grand Rapids East, Grand Rapids West, Holland, Muskegon and Zeeland sent a communication to the General Committee for Home Missions suggesting that the committee consider the feasibility of engaging Rev. J. Pott for migrant work (Acts, 1958, pg. 73). The home Churches gave at least three reasons for more extensive migrant work; this included the national scope of the work, the opportunity of exposing people to Christ and the long range opportunity to have the gospel spread to Mexico, which was predominantly Roman Catholic. The Synod of 1958 gave the Board of Home Missions the authority to employ a missionary and Rev. Pott was called. Rev. Pott had previous experience in Spanish and cross–cultural work in his service in Argentina. Rev. Pott was called to minister to the migrant groups, translate suitable literature, do promotion work, alert Churches in areas of Mexican migration, and establish and maintain contact with interested workers in evangelism work (Acts, 1958, pg. 74).

With the appointment of Rev. J. Pott the CRC Home Mission Board contacts began to increase. In the summer of 1959, workers obtained the names and home addresses of about 2,000 migrant workers. With this information in hand and the assistance of Evangelist E. Vanden Brink, Rev. Pott received permission to visit the homes of the migrant workers in Mexico. The visit lasted 2 months during which the men visited the bookstore “El Faro” in Coyoacan where they met Rev. E. Lango of the National Presb. Church and Rev. Felipe Delgado, leading spokesman for the Independent Presb. Church. Rev. Delgado gave Rev. Pott his address and correspondence started shortly afterwards. After this initial contact in the Fall of 1959, these Church leaders met again in November, 1960. Rev. H. Evenhouse was present as executive secretary of the CRFMB. Also present were the aforesaid Mexican pastors representing the NPC and IPC. The NPC was interested in assigning the CRC missions to specifically Roman Catholic areas of Mexico where Protestant work needed to be developed. The IPC was willing to give complete freedom to the CRC in their mission work, not restricting them to certain areas. After this second meeting an invitation was given by the IPC to send observers to the Assembly of the !PC to be held in Campeche, Feb. 17–21, 1961. Rev. Pott and Rev. S. Werkema attended and at the closing session a letter was drawn up addressed to the CRBFM, extending a formal invitation. Formal relations with the IPC started in July 1963 when a delegation of 5 attended the Presbytery meeting in Coyoacan.

While the initial contacts were being made in Mexico with the IPC, the CRC back home was having difficulties deciding which mission board would supervise the work: two approaches were considered. Synod of 1963 reports (pg. 308):

“In these statements we understand that the difference between the goals of the Home and Foreign Boards are quite different. The Foreign Board places itself in service of the IPC while the Home Mission Board feels the development of Mexican churches are an organic part of the CRC as its primary goal.”

At the Synod of 1963 migrant follow-up work in Mexico was placed under the Board of Foreign Missions. In return, the Foreign Board would hand over the American Indian work to the Board of Home Missions.

While the contacts were developing between the CRC and IPC and the mission boards had to decide who would be responsible for Mexico work, Rev. G. Nyenhuis and family moved to Mexico City soon to be joined by Rev. R. Greenway and family.

Though the mission work continued there was still question as to the relationship of the CRC to the IPC. Who were the Independent Presbyterian Churches? In order to understand that we will review the history of the Protestant movement in Mexico.

Mexico is predominantly Roman Catholic. When the Spanish came in 1519 they forcibly exchanged Roman Catholicism with the existing Indian religions. The transition was not complete, for even today one visibly sees the carry–over of Indian animism into Roman Catholic worship.

The Protestant witness traces back to 1824 when John Brigham pioneered mission work mainly through the distribution of Bibles. Bibles and Protestant witness also trickled into Mexico from across the Texas border and in the harbor cities. As a whole, Mexico was resistant to the Protestant movement.

The first denomination to establish itself was the Baptist Church. The Anglicans followed as well as several denominational agencies. The first Evangelical Church in Mexico was organized in 1864 (Thiesen, A Survey of World Missions, pg. 359).

The Presbyterian Church became involved by 1872 and 3 distinct groups were involved in bringing the gospel to the Mexican people. Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. (commonly known as “Northern Presbyterian”), Presbyterian Church, U.S. (commonly known as “Southern Presbyterian”), and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. In 1901 the First General Synod was organized by a group of Presbyterians. By 1947 the mainline Presbyterian Church, known as the National Presbyterian Church had 117 ordained ministers, 200 lay workers and about 100,000 members.

On January 14, 1950, the !PC (Independent Presbyterian Church) was formed and included 6 ministers, 4 elders, and 9 evangelists. Due to authority and personality conflicts these Christians left the NPC. In reviewing the history of the IPC, the CRC Synod made the following conclusion:

“The group is not schismatic, has never desired to be and has no intention of manifesting itself as such. The group did not break away as a group, but arose out of the union of congregations and ministers who at various times and for various reasons left or were excluded from their communion” (Acts, 1964, pg. 196).

The existence of the IPC is representative of Protestantism in Mexico. It is strongly individualistic and authoritarian in leadership. It is evangelistic and zealous to grow. The IPC was willing to work with t he Protestant counterparts from the US.

While the CRC was working out its relationship with the IPC some North American Churches went ahead and started mission work in the Northeastern part of Mexico. The Mexican Boat Mission began in the fall of 1960. Mr. Gus Cooper and Mr. AI Tucker became active in this field in 1961 and they found a working situation around the city of Tampico, located on the Gulf of Mexico. Their task was to reach the Mexicans via literature distribution, evangelistic preaching and personal contacts with the use of a boat to travel the harbors and rivers.

Other members of the CRC were involved in Mexico through para-church structures. There were the Wycliff Bible Translators who started in 1935 with whom several CRC members worked. The World Home Bible League was also becoming interested in Mexico and the CRC members supported that agency. Many others, though unrecorded in statistics, have visited or volunteered in Mexico, contributing to the spread of the kingdom there.

Observations

The entry of the CRC into Mexico was marked by several interesting factors.

1. Migrational factor. The CRC did not first go to the mission field but the mission field came to the CRC. The CRC acted responsibly in the light of the migrant possibilities and they became aggressively involved. 2. Home Church involvement: The Home Mission Board stated the ministry to the migrants and they did so on the request of certain classes whose churches were in contact with migrants. Knollwood of Kalamazoo carried the home church involvement to the extent of directly supporting the Mexico Boat Mission. 3. Pioneering Leadership. Many Christians contributed their leadership gifts to the Mexican work. These men of God not only served as pioneers to Mexico but God used them to reach out throughout Latin America. Characteristic of these men was their personal piety, devotion to God’s Word, zeal for the extension of the kingdom and vision for the Church of Jesus Christ. The mission was fortunate and blessed in being able to work with gifted Mexican leaders such as Rev. F. Delgado. 4. Openness of a National Church group: The CRC was eventually invited to work with an existing evangelical group in Mexico, the IPC. The NPC was having her difficulties with North American missionaries who were importing shades of social gospel and neo-orthodoxy. The IPC was ready, however, to work with the CRC. As it turned out it was in the Lord’s Providence, for the NPC asked most of her North American missionaries to go home in the early 70’s. Being invited to work with the IPC and not being able to secure working visas or papers as missionaries, the CRC came as a guest and would hopefully work as friends. 5. Intra-ecclesiastical tensions. When the Lord builds His house there is always a lot of house cleaning to do in the denomination. We have to reform to God’s program. The CRC had to redefine their missionary board policies and programs. Did t he CRC want to build her own Churches in Mexico, or help to build Mexican churches already in existence? 6. Faithful Mission Boards: The mission boards did not side-step the opportunity through neglect and isolation of the migrant field but both boards pursued their call and responsibilities to the benefit of the mission of the CRC. 7. Association with a Mexican-born Church. The IPC is a national body which was born in Mexico and must stay there. It was not as if it was born in the States and if troubles arise it could be transplanted back to the States. Even if the missionaries withdraw, the Church will continue. After the initial entry into Mexico the statistics reveal a very small Christian community.

Communicants  750

Baptized  767

Total  1517

Organized Churches  12

Unorganized Churches  20

Missions  30(?)

Seminary Teachers  2

Bible Institutes  0

Bookstores  1

Ordained missionaries  2

Unordained missionaries  2

Volunteer workers  0

In the following article we will explore the development of the CRC mission in Mexico and the IPC.