by Bob, an Alliance worker serving in Mexico

In one region of central Mexico, less than 2.5 percent of the 26 million inhabitants know the gospel. This area is about the size of Pennsylvania and is made up of six states that share a border. In Guadalajara, the region’s largest city, it is still impossible to have a Christian radio station. Evangelical churches are few, and those that teach the gospel are even fewer. Because the influence of the gospel has largely been silent in this part of the country, it has been identified by missiologists as the “Circle of Silence.” It is also known as the “dark heart of Mexico.” 

We call it home. 

Today, thanks to you and many others who have prayed for and supported our church-planting work in Mexico, there are five Alliance churches in the Circle of Silence. On a typical Sunday, these churches have a combined attendance of 250 people, and we have performed over 115 baptisms since 2016. Your generosity and prayers have also resulted in two mission projects that are building relationships with indigenous communities long resistant to the gospel in some of the remaining hard places in Mexico. 

Early Opposition

We could not always see the evidence of God’s work in the Circle of Silence. Just five days before the grand opening of our first church in 2015, I was working on the final touches to a new cement floor when a stranger approached me and asked if I was the pastor. He then gave me one hour to vacate the premises. I protested that we had a contract and were opening on Sunday, but my words were to no avail. This man, I discovered, was a cartel manager and had taken over our rented building for his money laundering purposes. After two days of fighting, I reluctantly agreed to vacate. 

I thought I had made a colossal mistake. Had I been naïve enough to think we could just waltz into the dark heart of Mexico and start planting churches? I was crushed and bewildered. “God, how could I have been so wrong?” I asked. As I wrestled with doubt and a growing awareness of my powerlessness, God revealed His power to our little congregation. 

In just four days, we found a new place—an unfinished building with no power or water but with enough room for 100 people. The contractor had attended one of our early evangelistic events and liked what he heard, so he offered to help. With extension cords and other makeshift resources from our neighbors, we managed to open within four days for our inaugural service. 

God revealed His power to our little congregation.

Expanding Gospel Presence

Since that first service, hundreds have said yes to Jesus and 28 have been discipled into lay leaders at our five campuses. One of these leaders is a well-known guitarist who gave his life to Christ in a hotel room after a rock concert. When we met him, he and his wife lived four blocks from our new rental house and had been praying five years for a church to attend in their area. Today, he shares his testimony boldly at concerts, in television interviews, and on the radio. 

Another of our lay leaders is an indigenous woman who lives four hours south in the mountains. When she turned from black magic to follow Jesus, her testimony sent ripples through her small town. There are five indigenous groups in remote areas of the Circle of Silence who have staunchly resisted Christianity for generations. Among some of these groups, it is illegal to have a Bible, and anyone professing faith in Christ may be forcibly exiled from territorial lands (and thus separated from family and children), hanged, or even doused with gasoline and set on fire. 

Because of your generosity and prayers, our church family makes four trips a year into these remote areas to support emerging church plants in the indigenous languages. As we seek to expand gospel presence throughout the Circle of Silence, we are always conscious of the impact we can have on the five indigenous people groups in the region who are less than 1 percent Christian and have no sustainable church. 

Looking Ahead

Our priority is starting new churches, but we also need a permanent church building that can serve as a nerve center for all our ministries. We have begun construction on a sanctuary with seating for 500 and room for community development ministries. This church building will be the first owned by The Alliance in Guadalajara and will serve as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to our movement. 

The foundation, earthmoving, and steel superstructure are complete. This was 60 percent of the total cost. As we raise the remaining funds for things like windows, doors, cement, and electrical wiring, we remain hopeful that we will inaugurate the new building before 2025. But this cannot happen without the ongoing support and engagement of people who share our passion for spreading God’s love and establishing permanent gospel presence in this hard place. 

We believe the best way to evangelize in the Circle of Silence is by planting churches that multiply churches. For this reason, we are asking God to provide us with the resources to complete our construction project in Guadalajara even as we seek to open five more church campuses in the region. Although sometimes we feel as though we are asking God to do the impossible, we believe Jesus is the Head of the Church and will not be thwarted by anyone. We also believe He accomplishes His purposes through people like you. Together, we are expanding God’s Kingdom in central Mexico—from the city streets to remote mountain villages. Because of the faithful ministry partners God has brought us—both within and beyond Mexico—I’m confident we will see many more churches planted, many more discipled into leadership, and many more come to faith in Jesus in the Circle of Silence. 

Jesus is the Head of the Church and will not be thwarted by anyone.

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