The town of Benidorm doesn’t enjoy a good reputation. Fuelled by stories of out-of-control parties, most people avoid it when choosing a holiday destination. The truth, however, is far more complex – but we will leave that to the travel writers. What concerns us is the gospel.
In the summer of 2021, just after I had finished a year as President of the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, and with the support of the large church I pastored, my wife Maggie and I moved to Benidorm to serve the Lord in this unique place. Today, I pastor the only English-speaking evangelical church in Benidorm, called The English Church.
The church was formed in the 1980s by Christians from a Baptist church in southern England. Seeing the growth of package holidays and thousands from the UK flocking to Benidorm, they started summer outreach work, but quickly saw the need for a permanent gospel presence to minister all year round to the growing expat community. (At one time almost 1,000 people were emigrating weekly from the UK!)
So, The English Church was formed to be a permanent witness to the power of the gospel. We gather in a rented building and meet weekly for prayer, Bible study, communion, men’s and women’s groups, and for our Sunday service. The challenges and opportunities are endless, but our numbers, influence and witness are all growing.
We never know who is going to walk through our doors. Over the years we have had numerous ‘drop ins’ with spiritual questions and often deep trauma in their lives. One lady in her early 40s arrived at our Friday morning communion service and at the end came forward and gave her life to Christ. She has since been baptised, grown hugely in the Lord and is amazing in her grasp of truth and enthusiastic witness to others – as a result, her mother came to Christ and her grandmother also attends regularly.
We have also held special outreach events and got to know local businesses. Thousands flock each year to Benidorm’s famous ‘Strip’ area, full of bars and cafés and seedy establishments. Challenged by the immense need and complete ignorance of gospel truths, we are regularly on the streets with gospel literature and engaging in conversations – we’ve had over 500 in the last year. We seek to follow the example of the apostles in Acts, who reasoned, discussed and debated in the marketplace, challenging ungodly worldviews and presenting Christ as mankind’s only hope – but this is not without opposition. Drugs and immorality are rife, and our presence is not welcomed by some, resulting in a degree of persecution.
There is a great need in Spain for pastors to open and expound Scripture, for a conservative, evangelical witness amongst the many expat communities all across the country. Many come to live in Spain for reasons of history or health. There is often trauma or heartbreak from the past, but sometimes just lethargy and apathy, isolation and loneliness, even among so-called professing Christians. A vibrant local church is vital.
