History of Christianity in Colombia
Spanish conquerors arrived in 1499, and violently displaced indigenous empires with genocidal ferocity. In their wake came Catholic orders, not all of whom were out to exploit the natives. From this the country became overwhelmingly Catholic, with 73% of the population today identifying as Catholic. Protestants arrived in the 19th century and constitute approximately 14% of the population today.
Evangelicals as a group however are significantly undercounted throughout Latin America, and Colombia may be no exception. It could be that they constitute 20% of the population, particularly after experiencing a Pentecostal explosion in recent decades. Some Catholic Bishops believe that on any given Sunday, there are more Protestant than Catholic worshippers in the churches.
Although the constitution allows for the free practice of religion, Christians have suffered here from the terrible civil war waged by groups such as the FARC and other outlawed groups that in their heyday controlled over half the country’s territory. A deal signed between the government and the FARC in 2016 has so far not resulted in a strong peace dividend for Christians in these areas, and criminal groups have increased their involvement in the drug trade in the last ten years. Christians who stand against these racketeers face severe persecution, and violence is never far from the practice of Christianity in this country.
