www.nextwaveonline.com
News
Spain: the Son in the sun
18 January 2001
Spain has a long secular history of pioneering and world conquest.
Yet after hundreds of years of Christian witness, the nation today lacks a strong evangelical presence. The evangelical and charismatic church is small and, for the most part, not very resourceful.
But there are some Christian leaders in Spain who are committed to seeing that change!
There is one growing conference that mobilises Christians to present a relevant and empowering witness for Jesus across Spain.
Held in the Costa del Sol region which is renowned as a tourist mecca, the annual conference is one of the few cutting edge spiritual events in this part of the nation.
It is the brainchild of a father-son team from Sweden who have put down deep roots in Spain and established a thriving group of churches in the nation.
Mal Fletcher was invited to speak at this year's event which saw a strong call to sacrifice, prayer and influence.
Mal's co-speaker was pastor Alberto Salcedo Penaloza, leader of Bolivia's Ekklesia churches, where a truly remarkable national awakening is underway.
Since 1986, the church in the capital La Paz alone has grown from just 150 members to over 20,000 active participants every Sunday! Hundreds of other churches across the country are working together and having a strong influence in national affairs.
Bolivia was once a colony of Spain but God is turning the tables of history. He is bringing a seed of awakening from a small nation of just 9 million people to stir a sleeping giant!
Next W@ve is investigating the possibilities for holding its annual network meetings in this part of Spain in 2002-3.
www.nextwaveonline.com