A sudden and forced eviction was carried out in Mexico City last Friday at the premises of the Anna Sanders Theological Seminary, which is part of the National Council of the Assemblies of God.
Dozens of agents from the National Guard, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), and the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) arrived without warning, heavily armed, and forced the removal of staff, furniture, and documents from the premises.
The authorities barged into the “Jesus Christ Light to the Nations” Christian Church, the Southern District offices of the Assemblies of God, and the offices of the Christian bookstore Recursos Cristianos Kerygma.
The FGR placed closure seals on the property located at 53 Alarcón Street in the 10 de Mayo neighborhood of the Venustiano Carranza borough of Mexico City, as well as on the Pentecostal Christian Church “Jesus Christ Light to the Nations” affiliated with the Assemblies of God.
The Anna Sanders Seminary has been a training ground for pastors and Evangelical leaders for over 55 years. The seminary occupies more than 10,000 square meters and is situated near the San Lázaro Legislative Palace, which hosts Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies and Congress.
A seminary staff member who requested anonymity said, “The police carried out the eviction because there’s a ruined building on the premises. They claim it is a cultural heritage site. This isn’t the first time they’ve tried something like this.”
A staff member of the Kerygma Christian bookstore added, “We weren’t able to remove anything from the bookstore; everything was left inside. We don’t know what’s going to happen to all the materials — hundreds of books and items remain in there.” Photos circulated on social media by Christians showed that the security camera system was removed from the seminary during the raid.
“Look at us — surrounded by police as if we were criminals. May the Lord have mercy on us,” said one of the seminary’s teachers as the eviction took place.
Miguel Ángel Solís Osorno, the seminary’s deputy director, stated that legal proceedings are ongoing to reach a resolution with Mexico City authorities. “We ask for intense prayer in these days. We hope this is resolved soon. We need to be cautious,” Solís said.
According to the Assemblies of God, the eviction was initiated because a historic building under the protection of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) is located on the property. The statement emphasized that a prior inspection of the old San Lázaro church occurred in February 2024, citing deterioration due to age, and that in March of this year, INAH filed a lawsuit for “damages to a historic monument.”
The Assemblies of God insisted that last Friday’s operation was “sudden and treacherous,” carried out under a search warrant that resulted in eviction and property seizure, despite the fact that the property is legally owned by the church.
Church leaders stated that their lawyers will file all legally permitted appeals. A negotiation hearing between both parties is scheduled for August 26.
