A CHRONOLOGY OF PROTESTANT BEGINNINGS:  ECUADOR

by Clifton L. Holland, Director of PROLADES

(last revised on May 27, 2003)

Historical Overview of Ecuador:

Independence from Spain declared:                                                                                       1819

Incorporated into the federation of Gran Colombia:                                                                  1822

Independent republic established:                                                                                         1830

Religious freedom established:                                                                                   1896 (1915)

 

Number of North American agencies in 1989:                                                                            75

Number of North American agencies in 1996:                                                                            56        

Indicates European society*

Significant Protestant Beginnings or Events:

     1824       -    British and Foreign Bible Society colporteur James Thomson; followed by Lucas Matthews in 1828

     1888       -    American Bible Society colporteur Francisco Penzotti refused entrance to Ecuador

     1896       -    Gospel Missionary Union, USA & Canada

     1897       -    Christian and Missionary Alliance, USA (Ecuadorian Evangelical Church)

     1900       -    Methodist Episcopal Church, Foreign Mission Board

     1902-1904 – Independent Pentecostal missionaries

     1905       -    General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists (1916)

     1931       -    HCJB, World Radio Missionary Fellowship

     1935       -    Church of the Brethren (1946)

     1941       -    Child Evangelism Fellowship (1952)

     1945       -    The Missionary Church, World Partners

     1945       -    United Church of Christ, Board of World Ministries (a 1957 merger of Congregational, Christian and Evangelical and Reformed Churches)

     1946       -    United Andean Indian Mission (UAIM, a cooperative ministry of the United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church in the USA, and the United Presbyterian Church in the USA)

     1946       -    OMS International of Canada

     1947       -    Evangelical Covenant Church

     1948       -    Mission Aviation Fellowship

     1949       -    Association of Evangelical Churches of Ecuador (Gospel Missionary Union)

     1950       -    Southern Baptist Convention (now, International Mission Board)

     1950       -    OMS International, USA (1952) – Misión Interamericana

     1950       -    Inter-Mission Fellowship (an ecumenical body)

     1951       -    World Mission Prayer League, USA & Canada (Lutheran) – Misión Evangélica Luterana

     1953       -    Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA & Canada

     1953       -    General Conference Mennonite Church

     1955       -    Heifer Project International

     1956       -    Five missionaries killed by Auca (Shuar) Indians in the Amazonian region

     1956       -    International Church of the Foursquare Gospel

     1956       -    Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ecuador

     1957       -    United Pentecostal Church

     1959       -    Berean Mission, Inc.

     1959       -    Apostolic Church of the Name of Jesus

     1960       -    Episcopal Church-Anglican Church, USA-Great Britain

     1960       -    Iglesia de Cristo Misión Evangélica Ecuatoriana (a national church body)

     1960       -    Misión Nacional (a national church body)

     1962       -    Assemblies of God World Missions

     1962       -    Christian Church and Churches of Christ

     1964       -    United Evangelical Church of Ecuador (a 1964 merger of the Church of the Brethren and the United Andean Indian Mission, UAIM)

     1965       -    Campus Crusade for Christ

     1965       -    Overseas Crusades-Servicio Evangelizadora para América Latina (SEPAL)

     1966       -    Trinitarian Pentecostal Church of God (a national church body)

     1967       -    The Evangelical Confraternity of Ecuador (CEE)

     1967       -    Fellowship International Mission

     1967       -    Church of the Holy Spirit (a national church body)

     1968       -    *South American Lutheran Mission of Norway

     1968       -    Ecuadorian Evangelical Missionary Association - Asociación Misionera Evangélica Ecuatoriana (a national church body)

     1968       -    Ecuadorian National Mission, Church of Jesus Christ (a national church body)

     1969       -    Mennonite Church

     1969       -    Every Home for Christ Crusade

     1969       -    The Church of the 31 – La Iglesia de la 31 (a national church body)

     1970       -    Back to the Bible International

     1970       -    Independent Universal Church of Christ (a national church body)

     1970       -    Ecuadorian Assemblies of God Evangelical Church (a national church body)

     1971       -    Church of God World Missions (Cleveland, TN)

     1971       -    Damascus Christian Church

     1972       -    Church of the Nazarene

     1972       -    World Baptist Fellowship Mission

     1975       -    Baptist Bible Fellowship International

     1975       -    Latin America Mission – Minamundo (a student ministry)

     1975       -    Compassion International

     1975       -    Mission to the World, Presbyterian Church in America

     1975       -    Evangelical Methodist Church of Ecuador (a national church body)

     1975       -    The Glory of God Council of Pentecostal Churches (a national church body)

     1975       -    Free Methodist Church of North America

     1975       -    Philadelphia Church in Ecuador (a national church body)

     1976       -    World Gospel Crusades

     1978       -    Lutheran Frontier Missions

     1978       -    Ecuadorian Prison Association – Asociación Carcelaria Ecuatoriana

     1978       -    World Vision International

     1978       -    Tele-Missions International

     1979       -    Christians in Action

     1979       -    Body of Christ Christian Church (a national church body)

     1980       -    Pentecostal Evangelical Congregation (a national church body)

     1981       -    Evangelical Prison Crusade Association of Ecuador - Asociación Crusada Evangélica Carcelaria del Ecuador

     1982       -    Church of God of Prophecy

     1982       -    Lutheran Bible Translators

     1982       -    Rosedale Mennonite Missions

     1982       -    Youth for Christ, USA

     1982       -    The Word Christian Church – Iglesia Cristiana Verbo

     1982       -    EUNICE Evangelical Church of Ecuador – Iglesia Evangélica EUNICE del Ecuador (a national church body)

     1984       -    Latin American Council of Churches – Concilio Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI)

     1985       -    Calvary International

     1985       -    MAP International (1979)

     1985       -    Christ for the Nations – Cristo al Mundo

     1987       -    Lutheran World Service

     1988       -    Baptist Mid-Missions

     1989       -    Global Outreach Limited

     1989       -    SIM International (a merger a various mission agencies), USA & Canada

     1989       -    Team Expansion, Inc.

     1989       -    Liebenzell Mission of Canada

     1990       -    Holt International Children’s Services

     1990       -    Baptist International Missions

     1990       -    World Servants

     1991       -    Mission to the World, Presbyterian Church of America (Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ecuador)

     1991       -    Christian Reformed World Missions - Christian Reformed World Relief

     1991       -    Trans World Radio

     1992       -    InterVarsity Mission

     1993       -    Walk Thru The Bible Ministries

     1996       -    Servants in Faith & Technology

 

Date of Origin Unknown:

 

                        Brethren Assemblies (Plymouth Brethren) of Canada

                        Christian & Missionary Alliance of Canada

 

 

NOTES:

(1)        Dates listed indicate the earliest recorded ministry or in case of discrepancies, the date most frequently indicated.

(2)         A 1942 dispute with Peru caused a loss of over half of Ecuador's Amazonian territory (Glover and Kane 1960:388).

(3)        The United Andean Indian Mission is a cooperative ministry of the United Brethren, Presbyterian USA, Presbyterian U.S., and Evangelical and Reformed Churches (Kane 1975:461).

(4)        North American Agencies include U.S. and Canadian.

SOURCES:

(1) Daryl L. Platt, "Who Represents the Evangelical Churches in Latin America? A Study of the Evangelical Fellowship Organizations." Pasadena, CA: an unpublished Doctor of Missiology Dissertation, School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary, June 1991. Used by permission of the author.

(2) PROLADES (Latin American Socio-religious Studies Program), international headquarters in San José, Costa Rica: www.prolades.com, prolades@racsa.co.cr

(3) Washington Padilla J., La Iglesia y los Dioses Modernos:  Historia del Protestantismo en el Ecuador (Quito, Ecuador:  FTL y Corporación Editora Nacional, 1989).

            (4) Dayton Roberts and John Siewert, editors:  Mission Handbook of U.S. and Canadian Christian Ministries Overseas (MARC 1989).

            (5) John A. Siewert and Edna G. Valdez, editors: Mission Handbook of U.S. and Canadian Christian Ministries Overseas (MARC 1997).