Mexico, land of the Mayas and Aztecs, is a country of contrasts and color, combining ancient Indian civilizations with the rich cultural contributions of Old Spain. Modern Mexico is progressive and dynamic. The national territory encompasses tropical lowlands, magnificent mountains, arid deserts, and famous volcanic peaks.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, great Indian civilizations had flourished in Mexico. Spanish conquest took place in 1519. Independence from Spain was achieved in 1821. The 1910-1917 Revolution led to the formation of a one-party federal democracy with power centralized in the President and the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

A growing movement for economic reform and political freedom has led to accelerating government liberalization and privatization of large state-owned industries and banks. Mexico ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1992.

Oil exploration and industry development have benefited the top third of the population while poverty among the poorer two-thirds has increased. Massive national debt, inflation, and the deepening economic crisis forced the government to face up to the protectionism, unwise investment policies, unfairness of existing economic structures, rapid population growth, and blatant corruption.

For years no foreign missionaries were officially permitted in Mexico. In 1992, constitutional changes led to the thawing of relations between the Catholic church and the State and promoted fair treatment of religious minorities. These monumental changes confirmed and expanded religious freedom in Mexico.

Today, registered evangelical churches have the legal right to evangelize, to establish new churches, to purchase and own property, to hire pastors and staff, and to invite foreign missionaries to minister with them. Foreign workers related to these registered churches can obtain missionary visas which can be renewed annually without leaving the country.

Never before in the history of Mexico has there been more freedom to evangelize and plant churches.

Never before in the history of Mexico has there been more freedom to evangelize and plant churches.

In 1992, constitutional changes led to fair treatment of religious minorities. Today, foreign missionaries are officially permitted in Mexico, and registered evangelical churches have the legal right to:

• evangelize
• establish new churches
• purchase and own property
• hire pastors and staff
• invite foreign missionaries to minister with them

For more information about CAM International's influence in Mexico, visit cam-mexico.org, the CAM Mexico website.

The First Baptist Church of Monterey, founded in 1864, was the first organized evangelical church in Mexico. Between 1870 and 1880 the movement grew with the entrance of several evangelical denominations.

Church growth for the most part developed along customary lines of church planting but plodded along slowly from 1910-1936. Much of this slow growth was due to the interruptions related to political disturbances. Government intervention and prejudice against missionary work also added to the difficulty. Since 1936, the major deterrents to church growth in Mexico have been more related to historical missions than to political or social turmoil. Missions in the 1940s and 50s still emphasized the formation of institutions rather than the direct planting of churches.

CAM entered Mexico in 1955 and in 1956 a church was started in Apatzingan, Michoacan. This church continues today and has been instrumental in starting at least two churches in other areas. The first classes for the Bible School (now Puebla Bible Seminary) were held in April 1959. A large gift from Back to the Bible Broadcast made possible the first phase of construction of the Seminary's buildings during 1959.

Churches were established in Puebla in 1962; in Guadalajara in 1970, and in Mexico City in 1973, commensurate with the arrival of new personnel.

The untimely death of a young missionary produced the spark that brought Puebla Christian School (PCS) into being. By 1967 classes were offered for all CAM MK's in Puebla. PCs has been a self-sustaining institution, renting the needed facilities and paying all expenses from the fees charged.

In the late 70s, church planting formally became CAM's emphasis in Mexico. All CAM personnel assigned to Mexico directly involve themselves in church planting and development or serve at CAM institutions which support this endeavor. Due to the geographical vastness of the country, a target area was chosen in the early 80s to define CAM's ministry in Mexico. An imaginary swath 300 miles wide from north to south, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, was identified as the area within which CAM would work. This area represents only about 15% of the Mexican territory but contains at least 65% of the population.

The church of Jesus Christ is growing faster today in Mexico than at any other time in history. CAM-related works are known as Bible churches in Mexico. From 1983 to 1994 the Bible church movement (number of churches and believers) grew at a healthy rate of over 10% per year. From 1994 to 1998 the number of CAM missionaries serving in Mexico has grown by more than 70% making it one of the largest evangelical missions agencies in Mexico.

The Mexico Field has prepared a Purpose and Philosophy of Ministry statement as well as an Integrated Field strategy for CAM Mexico. The vision of CAM Mexico is "by God’s grace, to proclaim the gospel in Mexico so as to build His church through which the nation will be changed and the world reached for His glory."