At least 17 evangelical churches in Barcelona face the threat of closure due to local government urban development plans.
Some have already been notified by local authorities of the need to move in the face of an imminent closure. Others were notified at a recent meeting held by Consell Evangelistic de Catalunya (CEC, Evangelical Council of CEC) and expressed concern about the decision that “thousands of followers can be left without a place of worship.”
The traditionally industrial area of Santo Andreu district has several evangelical churches located on the premises and warehouses that are primarily adapted for worship.
Some of them are purchased by the congregation and others are rented, but they are all directly affected by the metropolitan reorganization plans, including extensions of railway stations and reconfiguration of the entire area.
According to city sources consulted by Spanish news website Protestante Digital, 11 places of worship have been inspected since December 2024, and were informed of irregular situations in October.
Local governments explain that there are several places of worship “without an activity licence.” This is because “the city council does not have a record of facility safety conditions as worship activities on industrial lands are not permitted in accordance with the urban development regulations of general metropolitan planning.”
A willingness to interact
In a letter sent to the church of the Catalan Evangelical Council, the evangelical institutions expressed “a commitment to protecting the rights of the church and finding solutions.”
CEC secretary Gillem Correa explained to Protestant Digital that in his first meeting with the mayor of Barcelona, he was able to express existing concerns among evangelicals about the possibility of losing a place of worship.
The city council has shown an aspiration to cooperate through the Religious Affairs Bureau, and the CEC has appreciated and expressed its gratitude for the “willingness to dialogue” demonstrated by the local government.
Correa confirmed that a meeting will soon be held, in the hopes of district managers attending, in addition to the city council’s religious committee chair.
At this meeting, the Evangelical Council calls for two things. “First, we will pause the time of adaptation as long as possible so that the church can take corrective action to legally stay up to date or find a place to move.” Second, evangelical churches “seek for financial assistance so that the church is as hurt as possible.”
The CEC also accompanies the church and advises “pastoral and legally.”
“We understand that this incident affects freedom of worship, and what characterizes the exercise of this right is that people can meet in places of worship throughout the week. Without this, there is no freedom of religion or community life,” warns Correa.
Local government sources consulted by Protestante Digital confirmed that the meeting would take place “in the coming weeks” and confirmed that it would “report on actions taken and show their willingness to cooperate in finding a satisfactory solution for both parties.”
“The church is suffering.”
While authorities in Barcelona have so far proposed “most of the churches closure of current facilities” and relocation, Correa hopes that a case-by-case assessment can be made to find the best solution.
“The church is all suffering, because they all have to move, which means difficult situations. Many people fast and pray, and are looking for the best possible solution,” notes the CEC executive director.
The evangelical body admits, “We don’t know if they have room for action because it’s a big city plan, but there’s room for support, and that’s what we’re going to sue.”
“The next meeting calls for extraordinary measures. We are facing extraordinary circumstances and we cannot leave 15 or 20 churches without a place of worship,” concludes Correa.
That is to say, the Barcelona City Council stated, “The Religion Bureau of the city’s cross-cultural department has accompanied and advised the communities that require it, and that they will help ensure that potential facilities in new places of worship that are interested in them comply with regulations for applying for a license.
Originally published by the Evangelical Focus
