The Comunidad Cristiana (Christian Community) of Burgos, Spain, started in 1974 as an evangelistic movement among young people, under the leadership of Luis Alfredo Diaz, a Christian artist from Uruguay.

In 1978 José Gallardo came from Belgium, where he was pastor of the Spanish Mennonite Church. With other Christians from Burgos he founded the Communidad Cristiana of Quintanadueñas, a village 16 km. (10 mi.) north of Burgos. Since then it has been a center for the rehabilitation of drug addicts and delinquents. A wooden toy manufacturing enterprise was also started (later incorporated under the name Association of Christian Communities for the Rehabilitation of Marginal People, ACCOREMA) as well as a prison ministry. This Christian community is also part of the communities of Burgos, where Dennis Byler was one of the pastors in 1987. Dennis, with his wife Connie and three children, were sponsored by the Mennonite Board of Missions (MC) and the Shalom Covenant Communities. In 1987 the Christian Communities of Burgos consisted of three congregations with a total of 200 baptized members with strong ties to the Mennonite church.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p.169-170. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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