National Presbyterian Church in Mexico

National Presbyterian Church in Mexico La Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana de México A.R.
Seal of the INPM
Classification	Reformed Protestant
Orientation	Evangelical Reformed
Theology	conservative Calvinist
Governance	Presbyterian
Associations	World Communion of Reformed Churches World Reformed Fellowship^[1] Alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the Mexican Republic
Region	Mexico
Origin	1901 Mexico City
Branched from	Presbyterian Church in the United States United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Separations	National Conservative Presbyterian Church in Mexico Independent Presbyterian Church in Mexico
Congregations	6,000^[2]
Members	2,800,000^[3]

The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico (Spanish: La Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana de México A.R.) is the second-largest Protestant church, and the largest Reformed denomination in Mexico. It is present in the whole country and the entire population, and is particularly strong in the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, Nuevo León and Mexico City.^[4]

Today, it consists of more than 6,000 churches and almost 2.8 million members. The National Presbyterian Church is growing rapidly.^[5] It aims to double in size by 2020.^[6]

History and formation of the church

Early years

The beginning of Presbyterianism in Mexico dates back to 1827 with the arrival of Diego Thompson. an agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, he brought Bibles downloading in Veracruz. Pioneers of Presbyterianism in Mexico include: Dr. Julio Mallet Prevost, WG Allen, Melinda Rankin, Rev. AJ Park and Arcadio Morales.^[7]

The Beginnings

The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico was established by missionaries from the USA. Around 1872, the Southern and Northern Presbyterian Churches, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and the Congregationalist Church in the United States began working in Mexico. The Northern Presbyterian Church covered Mexico City, San Luis Potosí, Villa de Cos and in the Federal District. Later, their efforts were extended into Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Tabasco. The Southern Presbyterian Church was active in Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The first Presbyterian missionaries were Rev. Thompson and Rev. Paul H. Petkin Rev Maxwell Philips P. Mallen Ailen of the Presbyterian Church USA arrived in Veracruz. This work progressed rapidly. Rev Hutchinson stayed in Mexico City while the others moved north to Zacatecas and San Louis Potosi. The Mission in Mexico started with people who broke from the Episcopal church. Mr Arcadio Morales formed the first Presbyterian congregation in Mexico. Morales planted the Divine Savior Church, he became the first pastor of the church, in 1882 the church's membership grew to 552, it become the first congregation that can sustain its pastor. Earlier in 1878 the first 11 Mexican ministers were ordained.^[8]

The First Presbytery

On May 12, 1885 the first Presbytery, the Presbytery of Mexico City was organised. Later in 1896 a new Presbytery was organised the Presbytery of the Gulf of Mexico.^[9] In the 1890s these Presbyterian missionaries united their efforts.^[10]^[11]

Formal establishment

In 1901, the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico held its first synod with 73 churches and 5,500 members. Four presbyteries were represented from Mexico City, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, and the Gulf of Mexico.^[12]

In 1918, American Presbyterians, the Disciples of Christ and the Methodist church met in Cincinnati, and divided mission work in the country of Mexico between them. American Presbyterians took on the southern part of Mexico and the northern region became the mission field of the Methodists. The Presbyterians get the territory from Tampico to the South and South East, reduced work only the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, southern Veracruz and Quintana Roo territory.^[13] Presbyterian churches in the north were told to become Methodists, while Methodists in the south were told to worship as Presbyterians. Many churches in Nuevo Leon and Monterrey resisted and stayed in the Presbyterian fold.^[14] In Latin America–according to the Plan–the Presbyterians get Guatemala, Chile and Colombia, the Methodists get Costa Rica and Bolivia.

The National Presbyterian Church did not approve the Cincinnati Plan, considering that the national denomination has already consolidated. Rev. Leandro, who was against the Cincinnati Plan, and he and The Presbyteries of Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, was quit relations with the Southern Presbyterian Church. They feared that the Plan wants to demolish Presbyterians in the North. The Methodists protested because the Presbyterians didn't gave temlpes to the Methodist in North Mexico, but Presbyterians get the Methodist Church buildings in Cuernavaca and Toluca and Morean in the south.

On November 28, 1919, the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico was officially formed.

New Constitution

On July 22, 1937 a Constitution was translated by Dr. Enrique C. Thompson was approved in the General Assembly in the city of Toluca by the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico and later approved the revised edition common called the "Torres Edition".^[15]

Church developments

In the 1920s, a Ministry among the Chiapas people began first in Spanish speaking population and in 1950 an outreach among Mayan-speaking people was made, such as Chol, Tzotil, Tzeltzal indigenous groups. Today the Chiapas region is among the strongholds of the denomination.^[16] Six presbyteries work in the southern regions of the Chiapas, Oaxaca and Potosina and Huasteca, working with local people in their languages.^[17]

In 1947 the first General Assembly was organized, with nine presbyteries, and in 1972 the denomination celebrated its 100th anniversary of life. The Mexican and US Presbyterian churches agreed to a joint effort of evangelizing.

Recent status

In 1972 the church didn't needed any outside support. The INPM composed of 3 Synods and 18 Presbyteries. The church proposed a moratorium to avoid relying forigm missions to excel the National Church. The church because the Cincinnati Plan lost a lot of schools in Northern Mexico, and it broke mission efforts in Northern Mexico for decades.

In the 1990s the church had 4,800 congregations, 1,2 million members in 40 Presbyteries and 7 Synods.^[18]

By 1997 there were a General Assembly, 8 Synods and 50 Presbyteries.

National Presbyterian Church in Mexico

In Chiapas the National Presbyterian Church grew 10-12 percent annually, that means 18,000 people join each year.^[19]

Governance

Presbyterian Church in Isla Mujeres

Espiritu santo Presbyterian church

Beerseba Presbyterian Church

Playa del Carmen Presbyterian Church

Monte Sínai Presbyterian Church

The church is responsible for its own government, and is administered by ruling elders, teaching elders and deacons. The church's highest court is the General Assembly. The mid-governing is the Presbytery, currently the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico has 69 presbyteries, scattered across the country.^[20]

There are 14 synods, which are:

The First Synod
Yucatán Peninsula
Federal District
Gulf of Mexico
Israel
Showers of Grace
Center
Northeast
Chol
Tabasco
Tzeltal of Chiapas
Southeast Chiapas
Mexiquense^[21]

The latest Synod Guerrero Synod was formed on November 12, 2012. The Synod consists of 3 Presbyteries:

Pacific Presbytery with 9 churches, 11 pastors
Ebenezer Presbytery with 6 churches and 8 pastors
Maranatha Presbytery with 7 congregations and 10 pastors.^[22]

Theology

National Presbyterian Church in Cancún

The theology of the church is conservative and Creeds and Confessions represent its Reformed and Presbyterian heritage. The liturgy is a hybrid – traditional and indigenous hymns are sung, and may be accompanied by organ or piano. The guitar is frequently used, as are metrical psalms.^[23]

Confessions

Westminster Confession of Faith
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Westminster Larger Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
Canons of Dort
Second Helvetic Confession
Belgic Confession^[24]
The confession of faith of the Church of Scotland^[25]^[26]

The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin is widely used in the churches.

Creeds

Seminaries and Education

San Pablo Theological Seminary
Presbyterian Theological Seminary of Mexico
Juarez Institution
Movipres Organisation^[29]

Interchurch activities

The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the World Reformed Fellowship.^[30]^[31] In July 1995, the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Mexico and The Presbyterian church in Mexico formed the 'Alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the Mexican Republic'.^[32]

The National Presbyterian Church has a relationship with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) and the Reformed Church in America (RCA).^[33] It does not have any relationship with the Roman Catholic Church because of what it perceives as the Catholic Church's role in the conquest and oppression of Mexico and its people.^[34]

The Presbyterian Church in Chile and the National Presbyterian Church made an agreement of cooperation and planting new churches in Chile.^[35]

Recent issues

At its 2011 General Assembly, the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico voted to end its 139-year relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) because it disagreed with its decision to ordain gay and lesbian ministers. The mission partnership between these churches was also dissolved. In the same General Assembly, the Mexican church voted against the ordination of women ministers.^[36] The church excluded a women minister from the National church roll in 2013 ordained by the Communion of Presbyterian and Reformed Communion in Mexico, because differences in ways the Bible is read and understandings of women's role in the church.^[37]

Missions

National Presbyterian Church's flag

National Presbyterian Church in Mexico work together with the Presbyterian Church in America(PCA) in mission in the US-Mexican border ministry and in the Southern part of the country as well as in the capital city of Mexico, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Acapulco.^[38] ^[39] ^[40] Some Christian Reformed missionaries cooperate and work for the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico.^[41]

Symbols

Anthem

The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico has the hymn Sovereign Lord of the Words, authored by Félix Gómez, as its official anthem.^[42]

Flag

The INPM has its own flag.

blue means the Church is under the dominion of Mexico.
white means salvation through Christ alone
the red cross symbolises the redemptive work of Christ.

The flag is placed on platforms or in temples, with the Mexican national flag on the right and the Presbyterian flag on the left.

References

External links

Religion in Mexico

Abrahamic

Christianity

Catholic

Orthodox

Protestant

Adventist	Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mexico

Evangelical	National Presbyterian Church in Mexico Presbyterian Reformed Church of Mexico National Conservative Presbyterian Church in Mexico Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Mexico

Pentecostal	Church of God

Historical	Anglican Episcopal Church in Mexico Baptist Methodist Church in Mexico Lutheran Mennonite Quaker

Nontrinitarian

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times)
Jehovah's Witnesses in Mexico

Other

Ethnic/Folk

Mexicayotl
Neopaganism
Santa Muerte

Others

Buddhism
Hinduism
Sikhism

Lists

Members of the World Reformed Fellowship

Africa	Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church Christian Reformed Church in South Africa Egliese Protestante Reformee du Burundi Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ivory Coast Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Malawi Evangelical Reformed Church in the Eastern Republic of Congo Reformed Churches in South Africa God's Healing Ministry (Lagos, Nigeria) Igreja Presbiteriana de Angola Mission Voile Déchiré (Abidjan, Ivory Coast) Mount Zion Presbyterian Church in Sierra Leone Presbyterian Church in the Eastern Republic of Congo Presbyterian Church in Uganda Presbyterian Church in Sierra Leone Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa Reformed Presbyterian Church in Africa (Uganda) Reformed Presbyterian Church in Africa (Rwanda) Reformed Presbyterian Church of Uganda Sudanese Reformed Presbyterian Churches

Asia	Aashish Presbyterian Church (Zone Koshi, East Nepal) Biblical Reformed Churches in Myanmar Christian Reformed Church in Nepal Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Myanmar Presbyterian Church of the Philippines Grace Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh India Reformed Presbyterian Church Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church Peace Church Bangladesh Presbyterian Church of India Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh Presbyterian Church of South India Presbyterian Free Church of Central India The Protestant Church of Ambrohimazala-Firasiana Reformed Church of India Reformed Church of Nepal Reformed Community Churches in Myanmar Reformed Evangelical Church of Myanmar Reformed Presbyterian Church of India Reformed Presbyterian Church in Myanmar Smyrna House of Prayer Church in Bangladesh United Reformed Church in Myanmar United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan

Europe	Associated Presbyterian Churches Free Church of Scotland Evangelical Reformed Baptist Churches in Italy Lithuanian Evangelical Reformed Church Protestant Reformed Christian Church in Croatia Protestant Reformed Christian Church in Serbia

North America	Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Christian Reformed Church in North America L'Église réformée du Québec Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States) Evangelical Reformed Church in America International Peacemaking Church of Christ, Raleigh, NC Reformed Baptist Churches in North America Presbyterian Church in America United Christian Church and Bible Institute, USA

Latin America	Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Peru National Presbyterian Church in Mexico Presbyterian Church in Bolivia Presbyterian Church of Brazil Reformed Bible Churches of Trinidad and Tobago Reformed Church of Latin America United Church of Christ in Colombia

Oceania	Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand Presbyterian Church of Australia

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