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 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 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.
