“I worship the god of our village: Saint Luke.”
This candid and direct statement, told to me by a Zapotec man during a gospel conversation, is startling and maybe a bit confusing if you have never been to this part of Mexico, but it reveals the profound syncretism and idolatry still prevalent in this region.
As a Texan who grew up just six hours from the border, at times I tell people that I feel like a bad neighbor. Mexico is so much more beautiful and diverse than I realized until I began engaging here seven years ago. The country officially boasts 68 unique indigenous languages, but there are hundreds more distinct, non-mutually-intelligible variants within the officially recognized languages. Nowhere is this diversity more concentrated than in Oaxaca, a state roughly the size of Indiana. With hundreds of small, indigenous communities tucked into mountains and valleys, Oaxaca is the most ethnically and linguistically diverse state in Mexico. While this cultural diversity is a beautiful reflection of God’s creativity, it presents real challenges to the advance of the gospel.
By God’s grace, the Oaxacan church has grown significantly over the past century, but considerable work remains. Broadly speaking, the church is still in its nascent stages. There are many pastors who genuinely love the Lord but possess little-to-no biblical training. Additionally, there are still many unreached peoples and communities, and the ongoing need for Bible translations persists.
Our goal in the Oaxaca region is to come alongside the already-existing church to help strengthen and mobilize it, so that together, we continue to reach the least-reached peoples throughout the region. To Every Tribe’s regional church planting approach and eight phases strategy have proven invaluable, and the Lord has blessed us greatly by bearing fruit through our labors.
Working with the Local Church in Oaxaca City
Currently, our ministry in Oaxaca is focused on two areas: Oaxaca City and a rural Zapotec community we affectionately call Village Q. In Oaxaca City, we are deeply integrated into a healthy local church that faithfully preaches the gospel, has a heart for the unreached, and is firmly rooted in the Scriptures.
The natural tendency of many Americans, including us missionaries, is to step into a new church, begin analyzing, and start working to implement our agenda and possibly “fix” the areas that we believe do not align with Scripture.
However, we learned repeatedly in training from experienced missionaries that it is key to take the necessary time to build trust so that true relationships can form and sustainable gospel ministry can be done together. For us, this has involved intentionally integrating into the church’s rhythms and activities, attending worship services, Bible studies, and prayer meetings while actively seeking opportunities to serve wherever we could. This pivotal time has provided the space to build personal relationships and genuine trust with both leadership and members, recognizing them not merely as individuals to “minister to,” but as partners to “minister with.” By God’s grace, this commitment to building trust has established a solid foundation for fruitful ministry, resulting in much influence within the local church. Today, we form part of the leadership at the church, regularly preaching, teaching, and leading evangelism and local church planting initiatives within the city.
Remote Church Planting in Village Q
At the same time, through relationships built at our local church in Oaxaca City, God has opened a door to begin the work of planting a church in an unreached Zapotec community located approximately an hour outside the city. Village Q has a population of about 1,800 people and had only about 15 evangelical Christians and no established church when we first arrived two years ago. True to Oaxaca’s diverse nature, people in this town speak their own unique variant of Zapotec and have their own distinct customs and traditions which are deeply interwoven with a syncretistic form of catholicism. There is no clear distinction between secular and religious life: to be from Village Q is to be Catholic. The worship directed toward Saint Luke, Mary, and various other regional saints and virgins extends far beyond mere “honoring” or “venerating”; these figures are followed, prayed to, and worshipped as real deities who possess genuine power. Those who worship these idols consciously differentiate between “our god” and “your God” when speaking with Christians, demonstrating an awareness of the theological divide.
In Village Q, we have applied the same foundational principles: meeting new people, fostering relationships, and building authentic trust. This process has proven to be slow and challenging. While the people are quick to be friendly, they are cautious around outsiders and slow to form deep friendships. Nevertheless, God has provided numerous opportunities for us to serve the community, allowing us to build trust with individuals, families, and, in a broader sense, with the community as a whole.
A notable example of God’s provision for building trust occurred last year when a wildfire erupted on the mountainside adjacent to the village. One of the local believers contacted us, requesting prayer and informing us that the men fighting the fire on the mountain needed food and water. As quickly as possible, we loaded a vehicle with supplies and traveled to the village. Upon arrival around 8:00 PM, a group of men were preparing for the next shift to combat the fire. Recognizing the need, and after a quick prayer, we decided to join them. From 9:00 PM until nearly 6:00 AM the following morning, we climbed the mountain and worked side-by-side with the men, using machetes, shovels, and other tools to clear brush and cover the fire with dirt. Tragically, the fire persisted throughout the week, and hours after we came down that morning, five men from the village became trapped and lost their lives, none of whom knew the Lord.
Yet, in the midst of this sorrow, God was actively at work. Our church in Oaxaca City became involved, and collectively, we provided food, water, headlamps, shovels, and other essential supplies to the community to aid in extinguishing the fire. We were present daily in the town square, engaging with and praying for the town leadership and others. Through this tragedy, God opened a significant door for visible service and accelerated the building of trust that might otherwise have taken years. To this day, people stop us and ask us why we climbed the mountain that night, providing invaluable opportunities to share the gospel and speak of Jesus’ sacrificial love.
God continues to open doors for us in Village Q, particularly with influential families. Our favor with the municipal president and his family has led to medical outreaches and even a public worship service in the town square this past March. Christ is actively building His church among this people group. In the last year, two people were baptized and several others are learning about the gospel and actively counting the cost of following Jesus, a cost significantly higher than what is typically encountered in the United States.
Believers recount stories of persecution endured for their faith. Until recently, followers of Jesus faced beatings and imprisonment, especially for not participating in local Catholic events. While such physical persecution has diminished, ostracization and community rejection persist. New believers may face family rejection and expulsion from their homes, losing friends and becoming objects of ridicule. In a society where community is paramount, this experience is profoundly painful.
Thankfully, the church community is growing. Weekly worship services are held in the home of one of the local believers, with attendance ranging from 15 to 25 individuals. We make a concerted effort each week to cultivate a strong community, ensuring that the church feels like family, providing a place of belonging for those rejected by their former social circles. Each Sunday, the gathering includes a shared meal, followed by worship and Bible study. This familial approach has significantly helped new people feel more connected and at ease.
Our ultimate aim is to see an indigenously-led, gospel-preaching church firmly established on the Word of God. While the journey ahead is long, we have unwavering confidence that the Lord is zealous for His glory among these people. By His grace, the church will continue to grow as more come to faith in Jesus.
Looking to the Future
Our work in Oaxaca is a testament to God’s faithfulness and the power of the gospel. The progressive entrance approach, which involves establishing a platform community as a base of operations, fostering network communities for credibility and indigenous partnerships, and then venturing into the remote community for direct church planting, has proven instrumental. The emphasis on building relationships through the eight phases in pioneer church planting guides our work, recognizing that ministry truly moves at the speed of relationships. We have seen firsthand how these phases serve as an effective framework for discerning God’s movement and responding with spiritual flexibility.
The gospel is indeed growing in Oaxaca, and the church is being established. Yet, much work remains. We earnestly request your continued prayer for the church in Oaxaca. Your financial contributions and prayers actively participate in this vital gospel work. The support we receive, in all its forms, directly fuels the advance of the gospel in Oaxaca. Ultimately, God is the primary missionary, and His plan for these regions is sovereign. Therefore, we serve as His instruments, trusting in His divine leading for all fruit and progress.
