|
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN SPAIN II
©
Carlos Padilla, July 2019
Continuation of History of Christian Leadership in Spain I
Protestant Leadership and the Bible in Spanish
Antonio del Corro tells that Protestantism in Spain started in Seville in
1540 with the preaching of the already mentioned doctor Egidio, theologian
who studied in the University of Alcalá de Henares under the name of Juan
Gill, cannoning of the Cathedral of Seville, and to whom Constantino Ponce
would provide with the prohibited books of European Protestantism. Ponce was
appointed chaplain and preacher of Emperor Charles V and author of Summa de
Doctrina Christiana, until he was accused by the Inquisition. Many had gone
to Geneva, from Seville Cipriano de Valera and Juan Pérez de Pineda who
gathered with Casiodoro de Reina. Reina, Valera y Corro are the three
great. Reina and Valera are the leaders, Hieronymite monks from the
Monastery of Saint Isidoro del Campo in Seville, for the translation of the
Bible with their name, but Antonio del Corro is going to offer such gifts of
leadership to be taken into account, like his analytic mind capable of
dismantling all the battery of deviated doctrines that he tells in his
books, and in his target, king Felipe II to whom he would write a letter of
exhortation with much respect, risking his own life before the corrupted
papacy and clergy. His effort to provide all in language of the people is
remarkable, so that everyone could know the truth and of the machinations of
the ecclesiastic power in their lives. He did not only do that, he also
wrote in Ambers letters for the brotherly love amongst the different groups
of the emerging Protestantism making emphasis in the theology of the Bible,
justice by faith, the Holy Supper, defence of religious freedom. His faith
and humanist spirit and brotherly love are a great example for leaders of
great influence.
The leadership gifts in a Hieronymus monk, his love for Truth and the
Gospel, would provide that the complete Bible in Spanish would of Casiodoro
de Reina would see the light in 1569 in Basil. There had been an Old
Testament published translated by Jews in 1553 known as the Ferrara Bible,
and versions of the New Testament in 1543 by Francisco de Enzinas and in
1556 by Juan Pérez de Pineda. Then, in 1602 Cipriano de Valera would revise
the translation of Reina, resulting in the version used by the missionaries
until the XX century to evangelize the Hispanic world, version Reina-Valera.
The gifts of these leaders show a discipline capable of achieving being
resolute in their work for the glory of God, even living in the way, under
persecution, vision and faith for love to Christ and His beloved Church,
wisdom, decision, and great courage and servant work that today, recently
celebrated the V centenary of that did that the Holy Spirit guided, we enjoy
reading and studying and with which many of us have converted to
Christ. Those brave risked their lives and blessed us. Only one more current
is to be mentioned as paralleled to the Reformation in Spain: Misticism,
who's adalids were Juan de la Cruz and Teresa de Jesús. Their writings gave
light to catholicism, prisoner of
the Inquisition. Despite such a vast army of converts in Spain, of bishops,
cardinals, priests, monks and laics, the cruel opposition and dictatorial
from the Inquisition would eradicate the Reformation in Spain until the
"second Reformation" in the XIX century with some tolerance, more light and
religious freedom in both civil wars until, after franquism, the
Constitution of 1978 would provide a legal frame of true freedom of worship
in Spain, which would open the country to missionaries and of support to
raise churches and resources for leaders and for the development of
evangelism with the Bible.
Evangelical Leadership Until Today
Have evangelical leaders consolidated the “Five Solas” in
the believing Spain? The truth is that Spain had a second
reformation in the XIX century, but in the XX there are two
fundamental events: law of religious freedom in 1967 and
agreements between the state and the evangelical churches in
1992. However the evangelical leadership in Spain, since
then and until today, instead of concentrating the light of
the faith of the Bible in unity, it has dedicated to blurred
in a lack of doctrinal clarity, many denominations and a
lack of holiness and compromise, in other words of
leadership. It is possible that the evangelical church in
Spain has lost the train, that opportunity that it had of
impacting Spain before what we live today, a bipolar
society, social or idolatric Catholicism, and on the other
hand laic and laicist, enemy of Christianity and that only
seeks the pleasures of the flesh without limitations, for
what it counts with the new laws in favour. If we look back,
the regency of María Cristina, was when the first
missionaries arrived to Spain as well as the Constitution of
1869, the first that includes in its titles the religious
freedom. Methodist minister Rule, from Gibraltar managed to
open the first protestant worship place in Spain. Followed
by Graydon, serving the British Bible Society. The work of
Borrow as colporteur The Bible in Spain, valid today, had an
admirer who contributed to its diffusion in Manuel Azaña in
1921. Blanco White, Matamoros, Cabrera, Gulick and Fliedner,
all had the support of countries such as England, United
States and Germany. Many had Gibraltar as base. But remained
the neogothic temple of Cabrera and over all the work of
Fliedner, the residence school El Porvenir. The pastor,
writer, editor and tireless fighter for the cause or
religious freedom Samuel Vila had the opening of the temple
in Tarrasa in 1925. After 1936 Spain enters in the national
Catholicism of the dictatorship. But in 1957 José María
Martínez, pastor of the church in street Verdi had the
opening without the permit but having informed the governor
of Barcelona, without opposition, with a capacity of 650
people. His work in Spain has become a reference, called at
his recent death “hero of the faith” to what he would have
opposed in life. Affable, simple, humble and with great love
for the Lord Jesus Christ, he leaves an empty gap. FIEIDE
would follow (Federation of Independent Evangelical Churches
of Spain) until the Constitution of 1978 its articles 14,
16:1 and 27:1 guarantee religious freedom. In 1986 FEREDE
was created (Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of
Spain) and to represent churches and evangelical
denominations before the State; here we find will of unity
in the Christian evangelical leadership that serves the
church of Christ until today. Another Spanish evangelical
leader is José Pablo Sánchez director of “Buenas Nuevas TV
(Good News TV)” in 2 channel of Spanish TV. Great
communicator, humble and simple character, pastor of the
church Cristo Vive (Christ Lives) for 14 years and Decisión,
link to Billy Graham in Spain, evangelism and Operación Niño
de la Navidad (Christmas Child). The future of the efforts
of the evangelical leadership in Spain sees how missionaries
that were coming as “to the end of the earth” now sends new
missionaries from those who converted by the work of the
previous, converted into mission “form the ends of the
earth” because “the Word of God will not return empty”.
Needs of the Different Leaderships and Three Solutions
“Some believe in prophecies and other don’t,
Some preach the faith and others love,
One talks in tongs and other shows off virtue,
And the world dies, dies, dies without seen the light”.
With the words of the song “Nada Especial (Nothing Special)”
from the evangelical leader, pastor and singer Marcos Vidal,
we can resume the problem of lack of focus and of leadership
of the Spanish evangelical church in Spain. But some will
say that, that is a critic about the work in a national
level, when we can concentrate towards the local level. We
have seen over the history of the Spanish evangelical
leadership different styles according to the time. We will
now concentrate in analyzing those that are more recurrent,
their defects and three possible solutions. Instead of just
accepting the syncretism of the plurality of all the
denominations, we must focus in love “which is the perfect
link”. We have left the primitive leadership behind, which
use to pastor the church in a simple way at the beginning
and had the supervision of the apostles, and even then they
still had problems that we can read in the Letters.
Heresies, flesh, lack of humbleness and of mortification of
sin. Soon the church of the Middle Ages would corrupt in its
abuse of power and the lack of the Bible. After the
imposition to death in time of the Reformation. And in the
last centuries the appearing of the different movements that
exclude the previous, until the current denominations. If we
observe Pentecostalism it usually points out the gifts and
prosperity, and on the opposite the reformed to
traditionalist, and in the mean time the church dies and
the testimony is short, missionaries receive less support
because the energy is lost in internal disputes to all
levels, elders and members. Some for not focusing to the
sheep and others for wanting to rule before time, they offer
an appalling testimony that goes far from the key: “Seek
first the Kingdom of God”.
The three solutions are base on three gifts which every
leadership must have: humbleness, mortification of sin and
love. The local church, governed by a group of elders who
supervise each other so that no one falls, nor abuses power,
nor preaches heresy, is a warrant of a holy congregation in
Christ. If they live in prayer, spend time together in
mutual help and Bible study, are truly humble and truly give
glory to God and love the brethren, they may truly bless
their city and people of God that live there. Only this way
they may confess their sins one another and seek strategies
to mortify sin. But love is the king of leadership “...but
the greater of all is love” (1 Co. 13:13), that Sanders
calls the master peace of the Master based in Marc 10:43:44
to be a spiritual leader and servant. It is imperative that
everyone looks in his heart if he so much loves Christ as to
give his life for His beloved Church; if he so much loves
the brother as to follow the model of Christ being a leader
who is a servant, as He washed the feet of His disciples
(John 13). Avoid the abuse of leaders that call themselves
apostles who live from donations without serving the church
through these filters of proof and capability, gifts,
humbleness, holiness, erudition, following the model of 2
Peter 1:5-7 adding to faith, virtue, knowledge, self
control, patience, mercy, brotherly kindness and love.
Conclusion
Our trip through the history of the evangelical leadership
in Spain concludes with many advances and having seen what
the first brothers experienced, the guide and legacy of the
apostles and the fast deterioration of the priesthood who
abused the power over the people of God. Got to the
ignorance of the Bible, but love for the Word and the Church
came in the Reformation. After that type of leadership of
ferrea doctrine and Biblical base came the denominations and
their lack of focus. Today, in Spain we count with FEREDE,
have had leaders like José María Martínez and there is a
generation of youth that prepare to succeed them like Will
Graham. To them we must legate the spirit of loyal servant.
Before closing we must provide three solutions to the
government of the present church. Congregationalism provides
democracy but blocks leaders of new vision. Presbyterianism
blocks the people and only the elder rule. Episcopalism is
for the bishops and monarchy is papal, but it can also be
seen in Baptists, as Rick Warren tells. Two last references
about spiritual leadership of servant that have been of
blessing to me help me close. Billy Graham tells how he
would submit to the approval of the leaders he served.
Blanchard and Hodges conclude that the servant leader must
place the kingdom of God first in all his work, which gives
glory to God and provides a focus centred in the blessing of
the church for which Christ died.
|