Defending
the faith for fifty years
Madrid, May 16th, 2006.
The Evangelical Defense Commission (EDC) has just
celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was set up in 1956 with
the active support of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance and
virtually all evangelical churches in Spain, as the
organization to defend the Protestant cause in a time of
persecution and obstruction under Franco’s
‘National Catholicism’. Today, the Federation
of Evangelical Organizations (FEREDE), the EDC’s
successor, represents evangelicals in legal dealings with
the State.
The four principal groups involved in the formation of the
EDC were the Anglican Church, the IEE
(Methodist/Presbyterian), the Evangelical Alliance and the
Baptist Union. The aim of the EDC was to defend
Protestantism against a confessional regime which
persecuted all forms of dissidence, including non-Catholic
religious groups. Over the years, the EDC saw church
buildings re-opened which had been shut by Franco, and a
gradual recognition by the authorities. The passing of the
Law on Religious Liberty in 1980 was another step forward,
but it still requires some effort to ensure this is put
into practice in all areas of Spanish life. Today there is
an opportunity for Christians to work with the State and
other institutions so as to create a peaceful, just and
stable society, based on solid, democratic values.
The Evangelical Alliance was re-constituted after the
Spanish Civil War but realized that they were not doing
enough in the legal sphere of things, which is why they
supported the founding of the EDC. Very quickly it was seen
that the Commission needed a full-time Secretary, and José
Cardona was chosen. Martínez said the choice was inspired:
“His professional training, his tenacity and his love
for evangelicals and evangelical work in Spain made him the
ideal person to take the defense of Spanish Protestants
forward. It would be hard for us to over-estimate how much
the cause of religious freedom owes Mr. Cardona.”
Cardona led the movement right into the days of its
transition into the FEREDE.
Only one of the four founding delegates, Juan Luis Rodrigo
of the Baptist Union, is still alive today. Martínez said
that he hoped the celebrations, ‘apart from
glorifying the God of history, would appeal to the
responsibility of Spanish evangelicals to maintain the
unity of the Spirit, lived out through respect and
cooperation.’ A celebration of the 50 years was held
in a central Madrid church on May 17th.
Source:
eMision, Ferede Editing: ACPress.net