The Christian Dialogue and Representation Board of the Dominican Republic officially announced that it will change its name to the Dominican Evangelical Alliance (AEDO), a move marking a new institutional chapter for one of the Caribbean nation’s most representative evangelical organizations.
The announcement was made during the Consultations of the Americas, held May 14–16 in Santo Domingo. The event included leaders from the Latin Evangelical Alliance (AEL), including President Pastor Juan Cruz Cellammare and Chancellor Eduardo Gómez.
According to the organization, the name change was approved during an assembly held in April, after more than 10 years of operating under its previous name. The group is currently completing the legal procedures necessary to formalize the transition.
In exclusive comments to Diario Cristiano, the Spanish-language edition of Christian Daily International, AEDO Executive Director Samuel Guzmán Beltré explained that the former name originally emerged as a collaborative platform where evangelical councils and Christian institutions could come together to address issues of national importance.
“When the name Dialogue Board was created, it was intended to be a space where Christian councils and institutions could unite to address or discuss national issues,” he said.
Guzmán Beltré said the organization later recognized the need to formalize the platform legally because of cooperation agreements with the Dominican government, particularly involving social and educational programs focused on serving illiterate populations.
However, over time, leadership concluded that the name no longer accurately reflected the organization’s broader institutional role.
“We realized that the name was not helping us in national matters because when people hear ‘dialogue board,’ they even ask, ‘How much dialogue do they actually do?’ It does not truly communicate what the institution is,” he said.
He added that the new name also reflects the organization’s desire to align more closely with its full membership in the Latin Evangelical Alliance.
“To align ourselves with our membership in the Latin Evangelical Alliance, we decided to make this change,” he said.
According to an official AEL publication, AEDO represents more than 90% of evangelical leaders and institutions in the Dominican Republic, making it one of the country’s leading evangelical Protestant organizations.
The organization also maintains cooperative ties with the Dominican government through a formal liaison with evangelical churches. In partnership with Gallup, it is also preparing a national survey examining religious preferences, pastoral demographics and the economic conditions of churches and ministers.
“We are currently working through the legal process for the name change. That is the stage we are in right now,” Guzmán Beltré said.
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
