Spanish evangelical group adopts church planting strategy targeting 100 new congregations by 2036

Leaders of a Spanish evangelical church federation have approved a long-term church planting strategy aimed at establishing 100 new congregations across Spain over the next decade, with a particular focus on regions that currently have little or no evangelical presence.

According to reporting by Evangelical Focus, around 270 pastors, missionaries and church representatives gathered in Cullera, Spain, from April 23–26 for the annual assembly and conference of the Federation of Independent Evangelical Churches of Spain, known by its Spanish acronym FIEIDE.

The federation, which includes more than 100 congregations and mission points across Spain, used the gathering to launch a national initiative under the slogan “One hundred churches, one mission.” Organizers said the goal is to double the number of FIEIDE-affiliated churches by 2036.

The strategy emerged from discussions about evangelical outreach in parts of northern and inland Spain where some towns and counties have no evangelical church presence, Evangelical Focus reported.

FIEIDE President Francisco Mira presented the creation of the “Antioch Fund,” a financial initiative intended to support church planting and collaborative mission projects over the next 10 years. Delegates approved the proposal during the assembly sessions held April 23 and 24.

Founded in 1957 by a small group of churches, FIEIDE describes itself as an evangelical federation that affirms the Bible as the inspired Word of God while allowing diversity on secondary doctrinal issues within its confession of faith. The organization says its member churches remain autonomous in governance but cooperate through shared ministries, regional structures and national initiatives.

Spain remains historically Roman Catholic, though secularization has accelerated in recent decades. Evangelical Protestants remain a minority religious community.

Conference sessions focused heavily on discipleship, evangelism and models for local church multiplication. Speakers examined examples from the New Testament church, including Jerusalem, Antioch and Thessalonica, according to Evangelical Focus.

One major theme was the use of small groups as a way to build relationships with non-Christians and encourage local outreach. Marcos Zapata addressed the topic in a video presentation, while Thomas Schech, director of the German mission organization Allianz Mission, spoke about cooperation between churches and the development of a shared national vision for mission work.

Alongside the church planting discussions, the conference highlighted several existing FIEIDE ministries, including the Evangelical School of Theology and its “Dual Programme” for pastoral training, as well as “Misión Posible,” a recent youth discipleship and evangelism initiative that reportedly drew about 500 young participants.

Rubén Miyar, FIEIDE’s coordinating secretary, told Evangelical Focus that participants were encouraged by discussions about evangelism, small groups and examples from churches in Germany.

“We have once again challenged ourselves regarding the mission focus we wish to prioritise as a Federation,” Miyar said, according to the publication.

FIEIDE is expected to mark its 70th anniversary in 2027.