Bajio Christian Mission

Honduras

History of the Church in Mexico

The Beginnings

I am going to make available two chapters of my thesis so that a History of the Church in Mexico can be available to the general public It is end noted and eventually will have a bibliography

Solo a Dios la Gloria

Bill Hoff

THE START OF THE CHURCH IN MONTERREY UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION, 1897-1910

The Christian Church began its missionary interest in Mexico in the early days of the Restoration Movement. It is reported that Alexander Campbell contributed money to sustain a colporteur in Mexico in 1824; but for seventy years the Movement had no missionary or church in the Mexican Republic.

There are many reasons for lack of outreach by evangelical churches in general, which also affected the Restoration Movement. Historically, the Inquisition sealed Mexico off from all "protestant" influence for 200 years. Even after this period, when a few "protestants" did enter Mexico because of business or political affairs, they were watched suspiciously and were even prohibited from being buried in cemeteries. Tomas Westrup, one of the pioneer evangelicals in Mexico, reports that as a boy when he and his brother were near death with typhoid fever, the priest arrived to inform their father that unless he would permit their "baptism" they would not be buried in the consecrated ground of the cemetery .1

The few evangelicals who attempted to build church buildings usually were met by fanatic priests who aroused the masses to burn or destroy the structures. Most churches met in homes and endured unspeakable persecution.

Into such a country, where the Bible was prohibited and Protestants feared for their lives, came a number of brave souls who were commissioned by the American Bible Society as colporteurs. Their work opened the way for many who were to follow. By 1895 they had distributed or sold a quarter of a million Bibles and New Testaments. 2

The entry of the Christian Churches into Mexico was to take place in Ciudad Juárez. The work was given momentum by the influence of a preacher from Houston, Texas who, because of his wife's health, was spending a few months in El Paso, Texas. His name was Jacob Caswell Mason. He discovered within the El Paso church a young man who was bilingual and possessed an intense desire to see Mexico evangelized. This youth, Merrit Lorraine Hoblit, was the first missionary sent by the Disciples of Christ-Christian Church, to Mexico. In 1895, when the churches of Texas held their convention In Gainesville, Texas, Brother Hoblit was invited to speak on the subject, "Mexico as a Mission Field." 3

In October of the same year the International Convention of the Disciples of Christ met in Dallas. During this meeting the Christian Women's Board of Missions celebrated its twenty-first reunion and received a report concerning missions in Mexico. This board sent two missionaries to work in Mexico. 4The first was M. L. Hoblit and the second was Miss Bertha Mason, daughter of the previously mentioned Jacob Mason. They began a work in Ciudad Juárez, using methods typical of that era of missions: day schools, night classes, distribution of literature, and preaching. In 1897, Mr. Hoblit, after much study, decided to start a church in Monterrey, Nuevo León, because the city had good railroad connections and communications. 5The work in Juárez was abandoned and a school began in Monterrey. His plan for the mission there, which he called "La Puerta Abierta" (The Open Door), was ambitious beyond his abilities, both financially and physically. Along with the school he opened a reading room, attempted to hold preaching services, sought to do translations, established a printing ministry, and did house-to-house calling. It is no wonder that he soon was appealing for more workers, both nationals and Americans. 6The Christian Women's Board of Missions sent help in 1900, but by then Hoblit had resigned; his work was seriously interrupted by epidemics that spread through the area, and his replacements had to begin virtually from scratch.

His replacements were the C. M. Omer family, Bertha Mason (who had worked in Juárez), and Clara L. Case. Later a national evangelist, Francisco Puebla, was sent to work with them. The major thrust remained education. In Dec-ember of 1900 they baptized an American expatriot and later two Mexican women. These became the first Christian Church members in Monterrey.

On September 14, 1901, the church was first organized;

it had eighteen members, of whom only five were Mexicans. The Omers had been forced to leave because of deteriorating health, and their replacements were Alvin and Cora Alderman, and Miss Lucille Eubank.

Alvin Grant Alderman had only a short ministry in Mexico. He arrived in June, 1901, and died on September 23, 1903. He was a victim of the terrible waves of epidemics which swept Monterrey; a problem which was not to end until yellow fever was controlled years later. His ministry was significant for several reasons: he began a publication called Llamamiento (The Call) which later became La Via de Paz (The Way of Peace), a publication which was to guide and shape the church for more than half a century; under his supervision the school enjoyed tremendous growth, increasing from 35 to 500 students; he realized the need for permanent buildings and located them in a newly developing colony where there was no Catholic opposition; 7he converted T. M. Westrup and his family to the movement which called itself "Christians Only;" finally, he received into the fellowship, with open arms, a small Baptist church in Saltillo as well as the membership of the Second Baptist Church of Monterrey when their pastor died. 8The preacher of the Saltillo church, Felipe Jiménez, and the Westrup proved to be untiring leaders who caused the Lord's church to expand even after Alderman's death.

Alderman was greatly loved by those who worked with him. T. M. Westrup said of him,

It was a great privilege to work with a person of the merit and character of brother Alderman. I am grieved that the pleasure of knowing him and sharing in his work lasted so little time. . . I have heard him classified as proud and despotic, but I can affirm that he was just the opposite. His style was assured and dignified, a man of so much experience, and capable in so many fields. He always spoke with wisdom and softness. He could smile at his errors and even at the injustice of those who attacked him. He was an ardent propagator of the gospel, without ulterior motives, simple and upright he won hearts and persuaded the understandings.

The work the Lord granted him among us was brief but important. . . the brother died while he was still young. He would have enjoyed seeing the development which there has been of what he began, and what a pleasure it would be for us to have him here stimulating and directing this workÉ. 9

To this day Alderman is regarded with awe and almost reverence in the churches of Monterrey. He truly gave his life for the evangelization of Mexico.

The death of Alderman would have been the death of the Christian Church work in Monterrey, except that the Lord and he had raised up men capable of carrying on. One of these was T. M. Westrup.

Westrup is a case of divine intervention which placed the correct man in the correct place at the right time. Tomas Martín Westrup was born in the Stepney District of London, England on April 10, 1837 to the John Westrup family. The family was involved in a floor mill and bakery business in England. When Tomas was fifteen, his family moved to Mexico to work for a wealthy land owner named Sr. Diez de Sollano. Tomás' father was to construct a flour mill for him in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. However, because of financial difficulties, Sr. Sollano did not construct the mill. (Reportedly he had lost a fortune gambling in Europe. Nonetheless, the family is still prominent in San Miguel). 10

In those days schools were scarce in the central part of the Republic and Tomas was unable to attend; but he was an avid reader, and the local priest placed the entire church library at his disposition. 11

During Tomas' four years in San Miguel de Allende he became well acquainted with Don Andrés Carrillo, owner of the only drugstore in the town. This man, a religious liberal, had decided never to marry because he would have had to submit to a priest to do so. Sr. Carrillo owned a copy of the Bible in an obscure Spanish version, which Tomas read carefully.

Tomas' early religious convictions can probably be traced to Sr. Carrillo as much as to his father's stern teaching in the doctrines of the Church of England or his mother's Calvinistic influence. 12

By 1860, Tomás had arrived in Monterrey, Nuevo León, where he had found employment as a bookbinder. One year later his family followed him. Tomas' father was firm in maintaining a family altar and always had hymns and exhortations with his children, and printed sermons for them to read. Two years after his arrival in Monterrey, he became acquainted with John William Butler, an Englishman. Tomás recounts,

I took a Roman Catholic position in controversy with him, basically to find out his abilities in this field, and found him to be well prepared in the Bible and ready with its texts. I had not yet begun to preach nor attack the papacy; but such conversations with Butler awoke in me the desire to do so: without a doubt the time had come in which the Lord would have me begin. But I was ignorant as to how to begin. . . He (Butler) informed me that in Matamoros there lived a Baptist minister, an old man, James Hickey, who like himself was a refuge from Texas because of the hatred against abolitionists. He suggested that I encourage Hickey to come to Monterrey, which he said would be easy because Hickey was very much in love with the idea of preaching to Mexicans. A brief correspondence brought this brother to Monterrey in November, 1862. 13

Hickey and his wife were to play an extremely important part in the founding of an evangelical work in Monterrey and In leading Tomás into service as an evangelist. 14 Hickey went to Monterrey without help or economic support from any church. Arriving in Monterrey he discovered a box of Bibles, Testaments, and tracts left by a Methodist minister, and became a colporteur of the American Bible Society.

In January of 1863, a group of foreigners in Monterrey solicited permission to form an evangelistic society and begin worship services in a public school building. Among the signatures on the petition were those of Juan Westrup, his son Tomas, James Hickey, John Butler and eighteen others. 15 On January 21, they received a reply from the government to the effect that it was legal for "protestants" to worship, but there were no buildings available for their use. The "Iglesia Cristiana" (Christian Church) notified the governor in a letter dated May 8, 1863, that they would be holding services on a permanent basis at #25 Iturbide St. Hickey preached, and by the end of the year two Mexicans and Tomas Westrup were baptized. This move destroyed the evangelistic society aforementioned, because the members were, for the most part, believers in infant baptism. 16 Now the church, which was probably the first protestant church in the Republic with Mexican members, had five members: Hickey and his wife, the Uranga brothers, and Tomas who was elected preacher. 17 By 1864, Hickey had baptized a dozen candidates, and his disciple Tomas had baptized twenty more.

In June of 1865, Miss Melinda Rankin arrived. She was about forty years old and had worked previously in a border mission school. She was sent out by the American Board for Christian and Foreign Missions. Miss Rankin was bitterly condemned by Westrup for trying to subvert and steal members from his congregations. It would be interesting to hear the other side of the story. Tomas Westrup was probably correct in his observations; but he certainly lacked charity in his proclamations.

Hickey, who by some was called the "apostle of Mexico," passed away In 1866. He died at age sixty-six during one of his trips to the border to obtain Bibles and literature. His remains are in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Brownsville, Texas. 18 His widow and an agent of the American Bible Society returned to Monterrey and asked Tomas to take over his job. 19

As representative of the Bible Society, Tomas Westrup was well traveled. He made many expeditions into northern and central Mexico, visiting such places as San Luis Potosí, Durango, and Zacatecas. While his tales of evangelism and persecution are interesting, the purpose of this chapter is not to recount them but to show how he became associated with the Disciple's organization in Monterrey and worked to evangelize the city until his death.

(Tomas died before the Comity Agreements took effect, but it would have been interesting to hear his opinions of them.) His son and others took up the fallen cape and continued that work.

The church in Monterrey met in the home of Miss Rankin for several years, because obtaining a rented "house of worship" was practically impossible. Miss Rankin tried to hire Westrup as a worker under her Presbyterian board, but he refused for three reasons:

The circulation of the Bible in Mexico seemed to him to be very important and he enjoyed the work.

He could not in good conscience head a work that was distinctly pedo-baptist.

He had noticed a great deal of exaggeration in her reports, and believed that they ought not be submitted that way but instead be truthful.

She sought to excuse herself of this latter, saying that there was no other way to obtain funds for the work, and cited the example of Saint Paúl who astutely took the Corinthians by deceit (II Cor. 12:16). 20 However, Miss Rankin did employ four workers from the church in Monterrey, including Juan Westrup, Tomas' brother. When she tried to insist that the "Iglesia Cristiana" accept aspersion and effusion as well as immersion as valid forms of baptism, the church voted that "she should go down into the waters of baptism as they had done." 21

In 1869, Tomas began correspondence with the secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, a certain Dr. Backus, who sent him literature about Baptists' beliefs, which Tomas says he read anxiously, because "I desired to have a better foundation for my convictions. . . ." 22

Because of his post as representative of the American Bible Society; Westrup refrained from publicly preaching his newfound convictions, but as soon as he was able to put his books in order, he resigned and went to New York to present his books for inspection. In 1870, while still in New York, he was ordained as a missionary for the Baptist church and was sent to Spain to survey the field for future work. Upon his return to Monterrey, he discovered that Miss Rankin had started a rumor to the effect that "he had defrauded the Bible Society and fled to Spain." His supposed fraud, and inability to return to Mexico for that reason, caused some of the faithful to join themselves to Miss Rankin. Other members, believing in their doctrinal stand, refused to join with her. Westrup's return discredited the rumor. Due to his preaching, "La Primera Iglesia Baptista" (The First Baptist Church) was soon formed. 23

After seven years Westrup resigned because of difficulties with the mission. He moved to San Luis Potosí and sold sewing machines until 1880, when he returned to Monterrey. In 1881, he accepted employment from the Baptist again, and began work in Linares, Nuevo León. By his own testimony he admits that there was one aspect of the Baptist that he found very disagreeable, and that was their constant attacks on the Disciples of Christ in their periodicals, 24 while his experience in a Disciples' church in Laredo, Texas had been agreeable.

By the end of the century Westrup had decided to break with the Baptist church. The break was partially doctrinal and partially due to the fact that his daughters by his second marriage needed schooling in Monterrey and the Baptist mission would not permit him to move.

He resigned from the Baptist Board in 1901 and moved his family to Monterrey, where he taught English and bookbinding to earn a living. There he became acquainted with Mr. Hoblit through the reading room on Roble Street (presently Juárez St.) and later with Mr. Alderman, his successor. Alderman asked Tomas a critical series of questions, which expressed the Restoration Movement ideas and convinced Westrup of the biblical basis of the movement. Alderman asked,

What need is there that every member of the Church think exactly like all the other members? Cannot one nave life-giving faith in Christ even if he doubts the truth of some dogmas? Isn't excluding him because of such doubt making stronger, and perpetuating sectarianism? If then they throw him out, he will look for a sect whose doctrines do not clash with his, or not finding one, will he not remain out-side the doors of all, like President Lincoln (who was as pious as the best) who said he wouid become a member of the church and give himself to it if it were as liberal as the bible? 25

By 1902, the 64-year-old Tomas Westrup and some of his family had united themselves to the Disciples of Christ. Alderman asked him to join the mission; he was assigned to preaching and editing the newspaper La Vía de Paz. In the edition of June, 1902, he printed,

. . . declaring ourselves Disciples and Christians is nothing more than a return to our first principles. Even though we have said we were Baptists since January of 1864, we believed it and said it because we were ignorant of a religious seed with which we were entirely in agreement. . . this author believed that we were Baptists in all essentials and it was natural we should take that name but now this author knows that we were "Disciples" and wishes that he had known it sooner .26

By the publication of this article, Tomas declared himself completely dedicated to the proclamation of the Restoration ideas expressed by the Disciples of Christ.

The missionaries realized that they had discovered a » "pearl of great price" in the aging Westrup and sought to use his skills wisely. In Missionary Tidings they said of their printing press and its director.

Our mission printing press at Monterrey is the only one from the Rio Grande to Cape Horn setting forth in the Spanish language the plea of the Disciples. This press is in the hands of Bro. T. M. Westrup, with his fifty years of experience in Christian work in Mexico. His marked intellectual culture and his perfect familiarity with both the English and Spanish languages may be made a mighty factor in the evangelization of Latin America and establishing the Christian faith through our publications. Brother Westrup is proficient in both original composition and translation. The wealth of Christian literature which the English language holds is made accessible only through the agency of the translator and the press." 27

The translations of which this article speaks were varied, but perhaps the most noteworthy are the ones that have survived the trial of time. Among them are three editions of a translation of Our Position, by Isaac Errett. The first publication of this booklet was in 1902, when it was printed by the Gospel Call presses and sent out in weekly installments. Then in 1906, another was printed. It was lacking the last chapter due to an error of the printer, but was widely distributed during the 1908 Sunday School Convention in Torreón, Coahuila. The third production of the work published after Tomas' death bears a foreword by Enrique, his son, explaining the new, longer version. The latter two publications are extant but this author has been able to obtain photocopies only.

Tomás Westrup translated or wrote about 400 hymns in Spanish, 28 and some of them are still favorites of the evangelical churches in Mexico, especially in the northern part of the Republic.

Francisco Villa, a teacher of Colegio Bíblico in Eagle Pass, Texas, summarizes well the work of Tomas M. Westrup in one brief paragraph in his thesis presented to Lincoln Christian College:

The services rendered by T. M. Westrup at the Monterrey station through the years until his death carne at a time when a man of his knowledge was very much needed. His contribution to spread the message in printing and his advice on matters relating to the language and Mexican customs helped the American missionary to be more effective in his work. 29 .

T. M. Westrup died in Monterrey on November 15, 1909.

The Westrup family was now participating in the Christian Church movement in a number of ways. Enrique T. Westrup, Tomas' son, was directing the night school and his two daughters worked as teachers in the regular school. While the Westrups continued to serve the mission after Tomas' death, they were always used in secondary roles. It was not until after the Comity Agreements had removed the mission, that Enrique Westrup, who was admired by his co-workers, was to realize his potential for leadership.

The period between the death of Alderman and the revolution was a time of great potential and growth for the mission. Alderman's death left a void that was hard to fill. His wife, Cora, continued faithfully working with the mission for seven more years. Others carne and went, but the most outstanding individual in the movement was Samuel Guy Inman. Orphaned at age eleven, he left his native Trinity, Texas, to live with an aunt and uncle, the Kneelands, in Houston, Texas, where, at age 18, he joined the Christian Church. He became associated with Jacob C. Masón (who influenced the beginning of missions in Mexico and whose daughter Bertha worked in Monterrey). He entered Texas Christian University in 1897 at the age of twenty and studied there for three years. He then transferred to Kentucky University and later did advanced studies at Columbia and Union Theological Seminary.

Samuel Inman and his wife moved to Monterrey in 1905. Naturally he needed language training so he worked with E. T. Westrup as his tutor and translator. Inman is noted for his work in the state of Coahuila. Under his direction the Disciples opened many new works. Among them were Fuente, Esperanzas, La Rosita, Sabinas, Nava, La Agujita, Porfirio Diaz (presently Piedras Negras), Chamal, and perhaps two dozen smaller works. The preaching in these areas was done by E. T. Westrup or Jiménez, who was from Saltillo, or Inman himself.

Samuel Inman was a powerful preacher. An old man, Cuevas, who lived in one of the mining camps where Inman used to preach, said "in those days he could put salt under your hide" (the implication was that later his preaching changed). Harland Cary, President Emeritus of Colegio Biblico, when interviewed said that Pilar Silva, one of Inman's pupils, had described Samuel Inman as two different men: at first solid in doctrine and powerful, and later an expert on Latin American Problems.” 30

Inman was also instrumental in founding the branch of the "Instituto Cristiano" (Christian Institute) where a handful of men and women were educated to preach and teach the gospel. The "Instituto" was a natural outgrowth of the mission programs of the day. The philosophy behind most missions was that education preceded acceptance of their creed. So the Disciples had their school, but it was basically secular--the students did not attend religious classes. The teachers were Christians and were expected to visit all the parents of their students. 31

Elvira Reyna was a teacher in the "Instituto Cristiano" almost from its inception, and during the Revolution she served as interim director of the school. When she was asked about the evangelistic efforts of the institute she said:

Very few of the children accepted the Lord but some of their families and parents did. This was because we had a duty to visit them and because they were grateful for our concern, and because the school pro-vided books and supplies for them. The Institute also offered some English and music. This was the motivating force behind our success. 32

The "Instituto Cristiano" had no intention of training preachers, but one day a young miner from Las Esperanzas, Coahuila, arrived at the door. He, Pilar Silva, wanted to study the Bible and to preach. Although informed that they had no classes for him, he insisted on remaining.

Silva studied at the elementary level with the children at the “Instituto"; and his desire to preach was so great that Inman cleaned out a storeroom, made him a dormitory, and began Bible classes for him and five other young lay preachers. Soon after the "seminary" had begun, Samuel Inman changed his area of work to the state of Coahuila, but the school was continued under the teaching of J. H. Fuller (who after being wed to Bertha Mason carne to Mexico in 1908. He had been serving as the pastor of the American Church). Elvira R. Vda. de Reyna describes him as "well learned and a great philosopher." 33

Fuller and Westrup trained about twenty students before the Revolution closed the school. Their star students were Pilar Silva, who worked in the Lord's service for thirty-six years and was the grandfather of Mario Calderón, who teaches at Colegio Bíblico in Eagle Pass, Texas; Manuel Beltran, who served for twenty years in Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí; Mauricio Alonso, who labored in Texas; and Juan Flores, who was noted for his consecration to the Lord serving Him for many years--first with the Disciples, then with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. 34

The students were involved in a three-year course; but they were expected to go forth on weekends to nearby villages and "barrios." Some of the teachers of the secular

school often went with them to teach the multitudes of children who came. With the help of students and a full-time evangelist, a work was established during this period in the old "barrio" of San Luisito, which is now called "Colonia Independencia," and a branch of the school was opened there. 35

The work in Monterrey and its surrounding environs was becoming more and more promising when the specter of war permanently changed its course. The Monterrey church had even grown spiritually to the point that laymen were preaching in Saltillo and Fuente and a missionary had been sent from there to the Mexican community in San Antonio, Texas.

RESOURCES:

1Tomas Martín Westrup, Principios, ed. Enrique Tomás Westrup, Monterrey, Nuevo León,1940), p. 3. (Author's translation.)

2Ruth Rebecca Leslie and May Ella Wilson, Los Discípulos en Mexico, (Medico 8, D. F.: Tipográfica JIVAL, 1971), p. 14. (Author's translation.)

3ibid., p. 10.

4Ibid., p. 10.

5Ibid., p. 15.

6Ibid., p. 16.

7Leslie and Wiison, op. cit., pp. 19-21

8Interview with Elvira R. Vda. de Reyna at her home in Monterrey, Neuvo León, Mexico, March 1980. (Author's translation.)

9Tomas Martín Westrup, op. cit., p. 105

10 Interview with Josué Westrup at his home in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, January 1982. (Author's translation.)

11 Tomás Martín Westrup, op. cit., p. 24.

12 ^Ibid., p. 96.

13 Ibid.. pp. 28-29

14 Roel, op. cit., p. 182.

15 Tomas Martin Westrup, op. cit. , photoplate between p. 4 and 5. Ibid., p. 31.

16 Ibid., p. 5.

17 Ibid., p. 31.

18 Ibid., p. 49

19 Ibid., p. 31.

20 Ibid., pp. 58-59.

21 Ibid.p. 63

22 Ibid., p. 66.

23 Ibid., p. 77.

24 Ibid., p. 79.

25 Ibíd., p. 81.

26 Ibid.,pp. 107-108

27 Missionary Tidings, Vol. XXII, No. 2, (June, 1904), p. 58.

28 Tomas Martin Westrup, op. cit., p. 114

29 Francisco Villa, Thesis presented to Lincoln Christian College, pp. 20-21

30 Interview with Harland Cary in authors home in Queretaro, Mexico, March, 1982.

31 Leslie and Wiison, op. cit., p. 24.

32 --Reyna, interview, op. cit., March, 1980

33 Breve Resumen de la Historia de la Iglesia de Cristo de Monterrey, N.L. Según las memorias de la Hermana Reyna, Sept. 10, 1963 (Xerox), p. 2

34 Leslie and Wiison, op. cit., p. 29.

35 Ibid.. p. 30