Almost five centuries after the leaders of the Spanish Inquisition drove Lutherans out of Spain, a Lutheran presence was restored. In 2000, a Lutheran family in Toledo, Spain, partnered with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina (IELA), to lay the foundation for a Lutheran church in Spain. An Argentinean missionary from the IELA was sent to lead outreach efforts, and a second arrived in 2002 to build upon his work, establish a congregation and extend outreach into other areas of Spain.

With the financial and logistical partnership of LCMS World Mission, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spain (IELE) was planted and recognized by the Spanish Government in 2004. The first Spanish pastor of the IELE was installed in October 2010.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spain (IELE) maintains a congregation in Asturias (northern Spain) and mission posts in Andalucía, Madrid and Catalonia. Several members of the church attend pastoral programs in order to provide the IELE with new pastors for the future. The IELE is a confessional church with solid Lutheran foundations and open to promote relationships with other confessional churches worldwide.

• Gustavo and Rosana Lavia

The Lutheran mission in Spain is currently carried out by two Argentinean missionary families, through a partnership between the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Spain (IELE), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina and the LCMS.

Your support of mission projects in this country go towards providing for the basic day-to-day needs of these two missionary families, so that they may live in Spain and minister among the Spanish people, who are largely unfamiliar with the Lutheran church and unreached by the pure Gospel of salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

The missionaries in Spain are training others, members of the IELE, in various levels of theological education, so that they may be better-equipped to serve as laypeople and/or ordained pastors. Mission project funding provides materials and for travel expenses associated with the training. The Argentinean missionaries report a genuine and growing interest among the new Spanish Lutheran community in the service of the church through leadership roles and are thankful for the training they’ve received thus far. The first Spanish pastor of the IELE was installed in October 2010.

There are no current mercy projects in this country. For more information on mercy work in the LCMS, contact  us at 888-THE-LCMS (888-843-5267) or infocenter@lcms.org .