COMIBAM is holding its first continental conference since 2017 in Panama City, Panama, from April 22 to 25.
Having developed into a robust network of networks, COMIBAM is active in 25 countries, coordinating training centers, mission agencies, and local churches. Currently, an estimated 30,000 Ibero-American missionaries serve cross-culturally in over 200 countries and territories, reaching dozens of unreached people groups.
This event will be immediately followed by COALA3.0 — the third consultation of the Christ Over Africa, Latin America, and Asia initiative. COALA3.0 aims to bring together a growing coalition of Global South mission leaders to strategize for the next phase of global missions.
COALA, which stands for Christ Over Africa, Latin America, and Asia, was established as a platform for leaders from the Global South to build trust, share strategies, and discern God’s mission collectively.
COALA3.0 is expected to concentrate on three core areas: mobilizing the next generation of mission workers, facilitating short-term global exchange experiences, and developing long-term collaborative projects in strategic mission fields.
Historically, during the famous 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference, Latin America was deliberately excluded from missionary efforts by Western agencies, which deemed the region “already Christianized.” It was not until the 1916 Panama Congress that Protestant mission efforts were formally launched in Latin America.
By the 1980s, Latin American leaders were already praying and envisioning their global role in missions. This vision came to fruition in 1987 when more than 3,000 participants from across the continent gathered in São Paulo, Brazil, for the first COMIBAM conference.
Since that time, COMIBAM has grown into a strong network, actively working in 25 countries and overseeing training centers, mission agencies, and local churches. Today, around 30,000 Ibero-American missionaries are making an impact in diverse ministries — from church planting to Bible translation and humanitarian outreach to professional service in hard-to-access regions.
According to the Latin American Evangelical Alliance, Evangelicals now constitute 27% of the region's population, amounting to approximately 160 million people.
