Project: ES0001-65013

There is so much hunger for the pure water of the Gospel in Spain! That is why the LCMS is sending two alliance missionaries to assist the Spanish Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELE) in Spain.

Rev. Isaac Machado from Venezuela and Rev. Alisson Henn from Brazil serve as pastors alongside the small but growing IELE, providing essential pastoral care, preaching, and teaching, and serving as your spiritual home when you are in Spain. In our IELE churches, the pure gospel of Christ is proclaimed to over 120 members gathered in regular divine services and outreach in key locations across the country, including Madrid (Emanuel congregation), Seville, Alicante, and Cartagena, with preaching outposts and outreach extending further, including Toledo, Barcelona, Logroño, Galicia, Asturias, and beyond. These congregations and communities are served by 9 faithful deaconesses, and 3 deaconess students are currently being trained to serve the church at large. The IELE adheres faithfully to the Book of Concord of 1580, holds Scripture as the inspired Word of God, practices closed communion, and upholds biblical theological positions—sharing the same confessional foundation as the LCMS. Our church bodies are connected through the International Lutheran Council (ILC).

Many people in Spain are expressing interest in becoming Lutheran in regions where no churches yet exist, such as the Canary Islands. Both pastors travel extensively to serve these dispersed communities. A key demographic of the IELE includes immigrants from Latin America, who find comfort and spiritual guidance in having pastors from familiar cultural backgrounds.

The LCMS alliance missionary program, which sends pastors from partner churches to assist smaller Lutheran bodies worldwide, is essential in this region. The 2023 LCMS convention affirmed and encouraged expansion of this program, which currently supports around 20 missionary families. The program has become a vital part of LCMS international mission efforts by increasing pastoral capacity and enabling outreach to more people and places.

Spain offers a rich historical background—once the heart of global Catholicism, it now presents exciting opportunities for gospel proclamation in a land that largely missed the Lutheran Reformation. For example, our Lutheran brothers and sisters in Toledo—one of the great capitals of the Inquisition in the Middle Ages—began holding divine service in 2020, starting with a small community mostly of Venezuelans and Peruvians.

Contemporary Lutheran Reality: Challenges and Opportunities

Spain presents a challenging spiritual landscape marked by significant secularization and a decline in traditional Christian affiliation. Catholicism, historically dominant, has seen steady losses, and overall religious practice remains low. Many Spaniards identify as non-religious, atheist, or agnostic, with practicing believers forming a minority. Church attendance is minimal, and projections indicate a continued decline in institutional Christianity amid a highly secular society.

Mission Work: Bright Spots in a Challenging Landscape

Despite these realities, the LCMS—through alliance missionaries and partners—is actively supporting the IELE in proclaiming the gospel and planting churches. God has begun a great work among us, drawing lost sinners to the pure teaching of repentance and remission of sins.

More info in the story of Roy S. Askins | Photography by Erik M. Lunsford | Summer 2025

Project ID : ES0001-65013

Online Giving: www.lcms.org/givenow/spain-foro

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Planting Churches in Spain

Checks should be made out to: LCMS Memo line: ES0001-65013

Mail to:
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Mission Advancement
P.O. Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861