Evangelical churches in Barcelona are rapidly expanding. Their numbers now approach those of Catholic churches. The city recorded 208 evangelical centres compared to 225 Catholic ones. This marks a significant religious transformation. Latin American migration primarily drives this change.

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This demographic shift has reshaped Catalonia’s religious landscape over the past two decades. The number of evangelical churches across the region increased from 341 in 2004. It is projected to reach 894 by 2025. These centres encompass Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal movements. They share common patterns. These include the theology of prosperity and conservative stances on issues like abortion and sexual identities. A charismatic leader is central to their growth.

Antonio Montañés Jiménez, a doctor in Anthropology of Religion from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and an affiliated researcher at the University of Oxford, explained the driving force. He stated, “These are churches whose driving force is the Latin American migrant population. They are spaces that provide an important social fabric throughout the migratory process.” Many Latin American migrants arrive in Catalonia. The region has welcomed over two million migrants in the last two decades. These migrants find crucial support within these communities.

Rapid Expansion Across Catalonia

The true surge in evangelical churches began in the 2000s. This coincided with increased Latin American immigration. Missionaries and pastors arrived with these communities, filling their churches. This period also saw a profound internal reorganisation of Protestantism across the Americas. It was inspired by US movements. These movements emphasised the theology of prosperity, which suggests faith attracts wealth. They also featured highly emotional services led by charismatic figures.

Montañés noted that the neo-Pentecostal movement advanced as mainstream Christianity liberalised. It adapted to contemporary secularisation. While Catholicism remains the predominant faith in Catalonia, evangelical growth has been sustained. In Barcelona alone, 27 new evangelical centres opened in 2025. These centres now represent 34% of the city’s places of worship. This compares to 44% for Catholic churches.

Social Hubs for Migrant Communities

Evangelical churches often become vital community hubs. This is particularly true for new arrivals. A Colombian immigrant couple, who preferred to remain anonymous, attends the Evangelical Church Cecmavi in Sants. They began attending services after arriving in Spain in 2022. They sought support, shared experiences, and built a social network. “Here we have a network, people we can count on in any situation,” they affirmed.

Beyond religious services, these spaces organise diverse activities. These include social projects, Bible studies, and gatherings for young people or women. Some churches even offer services in the migrants’ native languages. For example, the Lagoinha Church in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district holds services in Portuguese. This church has links in Brazil to circles close to former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Regulatory Challenges and Unlicensed Centres

Opening a new religious centre in Catalonia is regulated by a 2009 law. This law requires registration with the religious entities registry. It also mandates finding a suitable premises and hiring a private technician. This technician ensures the space meets structural, fire safety, and capacity requirements. However, these regulations have not always prevented expansion into unprepared spaces.

In December 2025, the Barcelona City Council identified 16 evangelical churches operating without a licence. These were located in the Bon Pastor industrial estate within the Sant Andreu district. Days later, the Metropolitan General Plan was modified. This modification aimed to regulate religious use in industrial zones. These unlicensed venues often operate discreetly. They are hidden behind opaque facades without signage, while attracting weekly congregations.

The Nou Barris district, another area with a high concentration of these centres, frequently organises training sessions. These sessions, run by the City Council, cover the opening and management of places of worship. They detail registration procedures, urban planning conditions, and different licence types. Unlike the Catholic Church, the evangelical sphere lacks a standardised formation process. The opening and management of centres largely depend on their spiritual leaders. Montañés explained, “The pastor exercises a divine mandate. It depends heavily on the leader’s charisma to win over the faithful and grow a congregation.”

This flexible, decentralised model facilitates rapid expansion. However, this growth does not always translate into a proportional increase in followers. The 2023 barometer from the Government of Catalonia’s Directorate General for Religious Affairs, linked to the Department of Justice, indicates that around 5% of Catalans identify with Protestant or Neo-Pentecostal religions. Catholicism remains the majority at 60%, and Islam represents about 7%.

The expansion of these communities, often described by researchers as “franchise brands,” raises questions about their social and political integration. Montañés pointed out, “As the vast majority of evangelicals come from Latin America, there are greater cultural affinity and brotherhood links in Spain.” He noted that no in-depth study in Catalonia yet links religious identification with political participation or electoral behaviour.

However, Montañés observed a subtle influence. He stated, “What we do know is that in some of these churches, the discourse is very similar to that of far-right parties.” Pastors do not explicitly tell congregants how to vote or discuss politics directly. Instead, they foster values and sensibilities that influence daily life. This includes the algorithms and content consumed on platforms like YouTube or social media, which often align with the church’s environment.

The 2023 barometer also showed that religion’s influence on daily life varies by confession. Muslims and evangelical or Protestant Christians notably integrate their beliefs into daily life, at 80% and 70% respectively. In contrast, only about half of Catholics acknowledge their beliefs influencing daily life. Montañés concluded, “The radicalisation of conservative thought in evangelical churches occurs subtly. Many see Islam as the historical enemy of progressive values in Spain, but evangelism is a potential ally of the conservative world.”

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Originally published by El País Barcelona. Read original article.