Evangelical Villagers Expelled

Evangelical Huichol Christians are being forced to flee their homes in the village of Agua Fria, near Mezquitic in the Mexican state of Jalisco, after refusing to take part in some of the activities being labelled "traditional rites," including drinking liquor and using the hallucinogenic peyote.  According to an August 31 report from Compass Direct, community leaders have told the evangelicals that they are free to return if they are willing to participate in the activities.

Mezquitic authorities consider the issue a land dispute.  They maintain that the Huichol community rules require participation in the native rites in order to remain in the community.  The first seventy refugees left on August 14, walking twenty hours across the state border into Tepic, Nayarit.  They left with a single change of clothing and were forced to abandon land, crops, homes and personal possessions.  The total number of refugees is expected to reach 300.  They come from Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist and Apostolic churches.

According to reports in the La Jornada newspaper, the evangelicals fear that they will be burned alive, particularly in the context of an incident last February when the home of Hermelinda Vazquez de la Cruz was set on fire.  She managed to escape, but is now confined to a walker because of the severe burns.  The refugees are being temporarily housed in the Seventh Apostolic Church of Tepic.

Pray for safety for those living under threat.  Pray for provisions for those forced to leave and pray that they will be allowed to return to their homes.

For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in areas of Mexico, click here.

  • Country Information

    Population
    129,875,529 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Mestizo (Amerindian-Spanish) (62), Predominantly Amerindian (21), Amerindian (7), other (10)

    Religion (%)
    Roman Catholic/Syncretism (78) Evangelical (11.2) unaffiliated (10.6)

    Leader
    President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (2024)

    Government type
    Federal presidential republic

    Legal system
    Civil law system with US constitutional law influence; judicial review of legislative acts

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Mexico

    Pray that the Christians residing within these regions will exemplify the grace of God toward those who oppose them. May these believers be further strengthened and encouraged to continue faithfully sharing the Gospel and demonstrating the love of Jesus. Ask the Lord to abundantly bless and multiply their efforts, resulting in a great harvest of lasting spiritual fruit in the lives of those within their communities and beyond – impacting the nation of Mexico as a whole.

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Mexico News

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    A church service in Mexico.
    Photo: VOMC

    On April 26th, 151 members of the Great Commission Baptist Church from two villages in Hidalgo State were forced from their homes because of their belief in Christianity. These believers have experienced years of tension because of their refusal to participate in local religious festivals involving their villages' ancient tribal rituals, drunkenness and debauchery. Prior to the forced displacement, hostile community members physically attacked several of the believers, turned off the power to their homes, banned their Christian children from attending school, and committed many other incidents of intimidation and harassment. (Learn more.)

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    Photo: CSW
     

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    Photo: Wikimedia / Frankms (cc)

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  • Over 100 Christians Forced from Their Homes
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    A church building in Hidalgo.
    Photo: Wikimedia / Frankms (cc)

    For several years, community leaders in the villages of Coamila and Rancho Nuevo, which are both located within the state of Hidalgo, have been inciting trouble for members of the Great Commission Baptist Church – pressuring them to participate in festivals that go against their beliefs. In December 2022, one of the non-compliant members was admitted to hospital after being tied to a tree and beaten. Additionally, since 2018, the children of church members in these villages have been banned from attending school.

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