This week marks a historic moment for Latin American missions. Comibam has been holding its first continental conference from April 22nd to 25th in Panama City, Panama since 2017. The event will soon continue to Coala 3.0.
At a rally in Busan, Coala 2.5 South Korea last year, Christian Daily International, along with Alan Matamoros, the assistant director of Costa Rica and veteran missionary, was reminded of the need for a journey of Latin America’s missions and deeper collaboration between global Southern leaders. Matamoros also worked on the gathering with a speech tracing the historical, theological and cultural foundations of Latin American missions. This is a movement shaped by pain, resilience and a deep commitment to sharing the gospel across cultures.
From margin to country
Matamoros began his speech in Busan by talking about his early involvement in the missions of San Jose and Costa Rica, and his early involvement in serving the Muslim world for over 20 years. His personal story is closely intertwined with the rise of Latin American missions from regions once considered mission fields, and what is now increasingly engaged as mission forces.
“To understand how the Latin American churches were globally involved in God’s mission,” he said.
During the early 20th century, during the famous Edinburgh Missionary Conference in 1910, Latin America was deliberately excluded from missionary efforts by Western institutions deemed “already Christianized.” It was not until the 1916 Panama Conference that Protestant Mission efforts were officially launched in the region. A century later, things changed dramatically. According to the Latin American Evangelical Alliance, evangelicals currently make up 27% of the region’s population.
“The gospel has taken root among marginalized people,” said Matamoros, “change family, values, society from below. That is the context in which our mission movement emerged.”
Comibum and the birth of the Continental Mission Vision
By the 1980s, Latin American leaders were already praying and dreaming of their global role. That vision came to fruition in 1987, when more than 3,000 participants from across the continent gathered in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the first Comibum Conference.
“It was a week of worship, prayer and vision casting,” recalls Matamoros. “Finally, we declared what became our motto: “Latin America, from Mission Field to Mission Force.”
Since then, Comibam has been active in 25 countries and has developed into a robust network of networks that coordinate training centres, mission institutions and local churches. Today, an estimated 30,000 Ibero-American missionaries serve interculturally in more than 200 countries and territories, and dozens of unreached groups of people.
Their ministries range from church planting to biblical translations to professional service in areas that are difficult to access from humane outreach.
A clear mission spirit from the Global South
Through both his interviews and speech, Matamoros emphasized that Latin America’s contributions to global missions exceed numbers. “Each culture brings something unique,” he said. “We may not have that much money, but we bring trust, joy and a way of life that connects well with the many cultures we serve.”
In particular, Latin missionaries have found resonances in Muslim and Indian contexts. There, expanded family values and community of relations are essential. “We live the same lives as the people we are reaching. We don’t come from places of power or privilege. It makes a difference.”
Matamoros also emphasized the importance of coming from a politically neutral country. “No one knows where Costa Rica is,” he joked. “But it often works in our advantage. We, like our friends who bring good news, are not recognized as part of our global agenda.”
Coala: Platform for South-to-South Mission Collaboration
A shorthand for Christ in Africa, Latin America and Asia, Kora was formed as a space for global Southern leaders to build trust, share strategies and identify together God’s mission. According to Matamoros, the early stages of koalas have focused on building friendships and laying the foundations for long-term partnerships.
“Phase 1 was for both the individual and the minister to understand each other,” he said. “In Bangkok, we have issued a declaration of intent. In Panama, we aim to move from conversation to concrete collaboration.”
Coala 3.0 is expected to focus on three core areas: mobilizing next-generation mission workers, promoting short-term global exchange experiences, and developing long-term joint projects in strategic mission fields.
“The field is ripe, especially in South Asia, which remains the least reached region, according to the Joshua Project and other agencies,” he said. “But the church is there. Korah is not suppose we will bring all the answers, but we work with people who are already on the ground.”
Rethinking the global mission structure
Koalas are firmly rooted in the global South, but Matamoros was open about his complicated relationship with the West. “Koala do not exist to separate themselves from the other bodies of Christ. That’s impossible and stupid,” he said. “But something needs to be changed.”
He shared his frustration with seeing dynamic African and Latin American leaders silence at international conferences, and was overwhelmed by the dominant voices from the global north. “Too often, we remain quiet, not because we lack ideas, not because we lack resources, but because we don’t speak English either.”
Even logistical issues such as linguistic interpretation reflect deeper force dynamics. “Why do global South participants wear headsets all the time?” he asked. “There’s a better way to technology today. Create an environment where everyone feels like they belong.”
Matamoros thinks that koalas are the bridge. This is a safe space for the global South to be stronger and ultimately more confidently engaged with global partners. The movement remains temporarily closed to Northern participation, but he foresees a future in which true partnerships will be possible.
The obstacles and the path ahead
Despite the growth of the movement, challenges remain. Matamorus has mentioned several names. The need to update training to meet the demands of cross-cultural and theological needs of inadequate support systems for missionaries, financial sustainability, and the need to update training to meet the demands of cross-cultural and theology.
In response, some Latin movements are pioneering creative support models such as shared mission funds and bi-professional strategies. For example, amid the Argentina economic crisis, Comibam launched the SOS Argentina Fund, maintained by offerings from the Hispanic Church in the United States, made up of undocumented immigrants.
“Instead of returning home to missionaries when support was gone, I asked, ‘What can we do together to keep them?'” Matamoros said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s how we are faithful.”
Another pressing need is to mobilize a new generation. “I was 18 when I was involved,” he said. “Now I’m not that young anymore. I need a fresh wave of young Latino leaders to take the mantle.”
A call to prayer and partnership
When he finished his speech in Busan, Matamoros offered five important prayer points to the Latin American mission movement.
To allow local churches to embrace a global mission as part of their identity and send at the expense of workers.
Live and share the gospel that has not reached for more missionaries who deal with current numbers.
For interacting with diaspora communities and those who have not reached all religious blocs.
Because of the continuous theological reflexes shaped by the experiences, pain and journeys of Latin America.
For a new generation of leaders who will pass on missionary duties to the future.
“We’re in the season of transition,” he told Christian Daily International. “The North needs to learn that it doesn’t always lead the parade, and the South needs to overcome that anxiety and find its voice.”
With Comibam and Coala 3.0 rolling out in Panama this week, churches around the world can look forward to it. What began as a movement from the margin helps define the future of the mission, not just as a geography, but also as a change in how the body of Christ lives in the great committee.
