Growing media attention on evangelical and Protestant churches in Spain has prompted a response from several leaders within the movement, who are calling on the media to cover evangelical communities with greater accuracy, context and respect.
The response followed several recent news reports and audiovisual productions released in Spain as evangelical Christianity becomes more publicly visible, particularly through the growth of Latin American and Pentecostal congregations. El País was among the media outlets reporting on the growing trend.
The Spanish Evangelical Alliance published an article titled Evangelicals in the Face of Growing Media Attention, warning about the risk of oversimplifying a “diverse and complex” reality through sensationalist coverage or broad generalizations.
The organization acknowledged that the increase in media attention is partly due to the numerical and social growth of evangelical churches in Spain, but noted that many reports portray isolated cases as though they represent Spanish Protestantism as a whole.
Similarly, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (FEREDE) released a statement calling for “accuracy, context and respect” in reporting on Protestant and evangelical communities. The statement was later republished by the evangelical news outlet Actualidad Evangélica.
According to FEREDE, some recent productions rely on selective portrayals that contribute to stereotypes about evangelical communities. The federation stressed the importance of distinguishing between abusive practices or specific fringe groups and the vast majority of evangelical churches that operate within Spain’s legal and democratic framework.
The organization also emphasized that Spanish Protestantism has a long historical tradition and a significant social presence. According to institutional data published by FEREDE, the federation represents thousands of evangelical churches and organizations throughout the country.
The debate comes as evangelical Christianity continues expanding across different regions of Spain. A recent report by El País stated that evangelicals grew from 0.2% to 2% of Spain’s population over recent decades, driven primarily by Latin American immigration.
Another report published several weeks earlier highlighted the growth of evangelical churches in Catalonia and Barcelona, where congregations have steadily increased over the past 20 years.
In response to these developments, both the Spanish Evangelical Alliance and Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain emphasized the need for balanced and accurate coverage that avoids broad generalizations about a religious movement made up of many traditions, denominations and cultural backgrounds.
FEREDE also reaffirmed its willingness to work with journalists and media organizations to provide reliable information about evangelical churches, their beliefs and their historical and social presence in Spain.
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
