Having become a little curious about the spiritual life of the Canary Islands and Spain after my recent holiday visit, I was pleased to discover that the evangelical church in the country has increased over the last 20 years. In spite of the fact that only just under 2% of the population are protestant evangelical, in 1998 that figure was only about 0.28% or thereabouts. Whilst this can be celebrated, much of the growth has come from emigration of evangelical Christians from Latin America. You also have to contrast this with the significantly larger rise of Islam through the same means – migration. The result of this is that whilst the number of evangelicals has grown, and that will carry implications for the gospel, it is not an integrated faith that is reaching native Spaniards, who are culturally/religiously Roman Catholic, but increasingly secular or atheistic. The evangelical churches I looked up on Tenerife (which we sadly weren’t able to get to) were English speaking, and so largely for ex-pat communities. So, again, not necessarily being effective in reaching native Spaniards.
Whilst all that is certainly a prompt to pray for Spain, there are correlations for our own island of Arran. Whilst we are seeing a small but steady increase in being able to reach out to island people, our gatherings are very heavily ‘non-native’. We are so blessed to have Christians from all places and backgrounds as part of the fellowship – it is no complaint, and we are richer for it – it does, however, highlight again the question about what it means to be a church that can impact the lives of people who don’t have a foundation in the gospel, and whose experience of church is very different or non-existent.
Church attendance as a whole is maybe around 3 – 5% of the Arran population. I don’t know what the numbers would look like if you could put a % on the number of people on this island who have a living, active and dynamic relationship with Christ, but sense you may have to revise the numbers down. The implications of that for eternity are staggering if you believe the gospel and take on its full implications. Does this move you? Challenge you? Awaken you?
Whilst the church has to work under God’s inspiration to engage in mission, we must also surely realise that the ultimate transformative power, whether in Spain or Arran, is the movement of the Spirit magnifying the work of Jesus to draw us to the Father. That God chooses to use us in his mission is astonishing, that he uses our prayers is humbling, but oh how we need him to come in power! Renew your work among us, O Lord!
Andrew S M Clark 