Mission History
ELCA Companions in Mexico
The origins of the nine to eleven Lutheran church bodies in Mexico vary. Some emerged from the mission work of churches like the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (Sínodo Luterano Mexicano), some from already established Lutheran bodies in Mexico (Iglesia Luterana Mexicana), some from the World Mission Prayer League, and others from local efforts that have been in contact with the ELCA predecessor bodies (Mexican Mission). There is also a German Lutheran church that relates to some Lutheran bodies.
This phenomenon is not necessarily unique for Lutheran bodies. Other Protestant bodies are equally splintered, in part because of the dominance of the Roman Catholic church, the only recognized church by the Mexican state. Protestant churches register and receive official status as Religious Associations, not as churches. Many cooperative efforts have been started without achieving a strong Protestant expression. Organizations like the Latin American Council of Churches have found it difficult to interest the Protestant churches in participating with one another in ministry and mission. Presenting a unified face to stand in front of the Roman Catholic church, with all its political and economic power, seems not to be a priority for Protestant churches.