ABOUT US
Meet the Weatherlys
We met while we were both attending Central Bible College, and working at Assemblies of God World Headquarters in 2008. We quickly became friends, and about a month later started dating. Adam was invited to help Bethany’s parents, Missionaries Bernie & Brenda Smith, with some media resources where they serve in Togo West Africa. During that trip, Adam asked Bernie for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Bernie tested him by making him wait 4 days, and by having him preach in a local Togolese church before he gave his answer. On Christmas day 2008 we got engaged. Just 6 months later, on June 26th, we were married.
God called us to serve at International Media Ministries (IMM) for our first term as missionaries. While at IMM we worked to create the Heritage Project. It was during that time God really laid on our heart to reach Spaniards. Our Area Director posed this question, “If the rapture were to happen today, would Spaniards even notice? Would the missing Christians even make a difference in daily life?” This completely broke our hearts. After that, we were asked to transition to Global University in Spain where we would help by preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible and media concepts, and creating resources.
Global University in Spain
Global University in Spain (GUs) is an evangelical Christian University located in the heart of Madrid. GUs reaches those who want training when the local college can’t help through…
Reaching into prisons around Spain to evangelize and disciple prisoners
Reaches Spaniards living outside of Spain who live in other parts of Europe.
Curriculum for every phase of the Christian walk, from new believers all the way to doctoral-level education.
Providing biblical and theological training to Gypsies in Spain. Born again Spirit-filled Gypsies make up one of the largest Pentecostal group in the country.
Providing pastoral training for men and women called to preach and teach. Generally, these are believers who cannot break-away from work and family commitments to attend Bible College. Many are already serving in ministry.
Operating learning centers for Spanish-speakers in many parts of Europe. People enroll and study through the centers in classroom setting as well as through traditional distance education methods.
Serving the local church and the Christian community through courses on evangelism, discipleship, and leadership, teaching through learning methods that do not require boarding or residency.
OUR FIELD
We serve the people of Spain through Global University by preaching, teaching, and creating.
ABOUT SPAIN
Capital: Madrid
Area: 195,364 square miles
Population: 46.6 Million
Ethnic Groups: Multiple mixes of Mediterranean & Nordic races, along with North Africans, Arabs, and Refugees.
Languages: Castilian Spanish (official), Catalan, Galician and Basque
Agriculture: Grains, olives, grapes, citrus, and vegetables
Industry: Machinery, metals, textiles, tools, shoes, vehicles, processed foods, and tourism.
SPANISH HISTORY
Early Phoenicians gave Spain its name, calling it “Span,” which means hidden or remote land. Roman legions took two centuries to complete the conquest of Spain, which became final in the 1st century AD. Vandals (a Germanic tribe) and Visigoths entered Spain from the north in the 5th century and settled there. Because of its proximity to Northern Africa, the southern parts of Spain came under Muslim control for many centuries. Spanish Muslims—called Moors—and Christian kings fought over Spain for many decades. Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a Christian knight, organized an army and drove most of the Moors from Spain during the medieval period. In 1492, the final Moorish stronghold in Spain was conquered.
An age of Spanish exploration and conquest began soon after, with the Spanish Armada ruling much of the open seas. However, storms destroyed the Armada and the Spanish Empire went into decline. Modern times have seen Spain at the center of other major world events. From 1939 to 1975, Francisco Franco, a fascist dictator, controlled Spain. When Franco died, Spain became a democracy.
Although Catholicism has been present in Spain for many centuries, the Pentecostal Movement entered Spain in the 1920s. Swedish missionaries pioneered a church in Madrid, the capital, in the 1930s, and other missionaries soon followed. When Civil War broke out in 1936 all missionaries were forced out. Anti-evangelical sentiments continued after the war, hampering further evangelism efforts. In 1950 in the city of Ronda, Pentecostal ministers, Roman and Carmen Perruc, discovered a group of Pentecostal believers who had survived the war and subsequent persecutions. This group became an Assemblies of God church. The national organization of the Assemblies of God in Spain was formed in 1963.
SPANISH CHURCH HISTORY
Though small, the Pentecostal Fellowship in Spain is growing. Evangelism to children, evangelism literature, and correspondence courses have touched tens of thousands in Spain. Several regions of Spain have no Pentecostal work and many congregations are without fully trained pastors. The people of Spain and the church there need continual prayer. The Assemblies of God in Spain report the following statistics: 200 – 300 ministers, 200 churches, and outstations, 20,000 members and adherents, one Bible school with two extension programs serving a total of 69 students. The Assemblies of God in Spain are developing a program of foreign missions with missionaries in Romania, North Africa, Peru, Equatorial Guinea, and also programs of aid in Ecuador, Cuba and the Honduras.
THE MOVEMENT TODAY
Think You Can Help Out!
Our ministry happens through churches and people like you, who want to help share the love and hope of Jesus Christ around the world. If you would like to help us continue the work we are doing, please click the link below to make a one time donation or click the Donate Now button at the top of the page and set up a recurring donation.
Thank You! to our Ministry Partners who are faithful in supporting us through prayer and financial giving.