National Church
A Short History
The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) mission entered the Dominican Republic in the latter 19th century. Ministry began in 1891 in the province of Montecristi and later extended to Santiago. Ministry included worship services and Sunday School. By 1895 the C&MA ministered by way of a school for Dominican children in both Montecristi and in Santo Domingo. The missionaries ministered to the parents as well as to their children. 1904 CMA archives make reference to the Alliance mission in the capital of Santo Domingo, led by a Dominican pastor. By 1911 evangelistic outreach ministry was conducted in the southwest part of the country. A church had been established early 20th century in San Pedro de Macorís, located on the eastern part of the island.
In 1915 C&MA founder Dr. Albert B. Simpson reported to Council, “I regret to inform you we’ve had to close our work in Dominican Republic because the missionaries we had there died.“ Dr. Simpson closed his 1915 Council report with, “Would to God that someday we’ll be able to re-enter the Dominican Republic.” Fifty years later, God began to answer Dr. Simpson’s prayer. In 1965 a Dominican living in New York City felt a call from God to return to his native land. After much consulting with the Lord, with the U.S. Alliance Specialized Ministries leadership, and feeling a burden to open a CMA mission, the missionary was sent in February, 1968.
The following year Alliance ministries continued to develop in other areas of the country. In San Pedro de Macorís small groups of Haitian immigrant believers joined the Alliance. Another group of believers in the capital city of Santo Domingo joined the C&MA. These leaders of this group, all age 34 and under, had little or no experience in ministry. Nevertheless, they loved Christ and had a desire to evangelize their community. This small but determined group launched the Alliance ministry from a member’s home located on the eastern side of Santo Domingo. In 1969 the U.S. and Puerto Rico C&MA sent representatives to formalize the union of the Haitian immigrants in the east and the Santo Domingo fellowship.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance of the Dominican Republic was officially recognized by the Dominican government as a religious organization and granted corporate status on May 5, 1970. A governing board of the Dominican C&MA was established. During this time in the early 1970s the Alliance continued to grow in Santo Domingo and in Santiago, the country’s second largest city. Property was purchased in eastern Santo Domingo with funds from U.S. Specialized Ministries. Today this property is the location of the Central Alliance Church, one of the Dominican C&MA’s most vibrant ministries. In Santiago, spurred on by the vision of missionaries and a Dominican pastor, in 1971 the C&MA purchased property and built what is now the second largest Alliance church in the DR.
In its issue dated July 16, 1976, the Alliance Witness magazine indicates that in 1975 the Dominican C&MA consisted of 17 churches with 919 members. The first annual church conference was held that year. By this time churches were also in the south central province of Baní. In these early years, the pastors and leaders of these churches were bi-vocational. Notwithstanding, they were able to get some semi-formal training from a missionary couple sent by Specialized Ministries of the C&MA in the U.S. Due to the tireless efforts of evangelism by these leaders, there are now many established and growing churches throughout numerous regions in the Dominican Republic.
In the early 1980s, C&MA restructuring meant the Dominican Republic changed from being a ministry of the U.S. Spanish Division of Specialized Ministries, to a national church with partnership with the U.S. Division of Overseas Ministries.
The Dominican Alliance asked the Division of Overseas Ministries (DOM) to send missionaries to work in church planting, theological education, and leadership development. A U.S. missionary couple arrived in the 1980s. A goal of the national church was to establish a Dominican C&MA Bible institute. In the mid 1980s the DOM missionary began a series of pastoral training seminars on the national level. The four seminars per year were a blessing and practical training and encouragement to the pastors and their spouses. The seminars continued into 2002.
Theological Education by Extension (TEE) was initiated on a small scale in the mid 1980s. Dominicans directed the study program for a few years. In the later 1980s four Division of Overseas Ministries couples arrived to come alongside of the Dominicans to plant a church. In 1991 a redeployed missionary from another Latin American field reinitiated the TEE study program at the request of the national church.
The Alliance Bible Institute formally started in September 1995. Institute classes were held at the Central Alliance Church. DOM missionaries served as directors and professors for over 10 years. The Alliance Bible Institute is now directed and administered by Dominicans.
Interest in overseas missions was notable in the 1990s. The Dominican Alliance collaborated with other Latin American countries in helping the new C&MA church in Cuba. A Dominican was appointed as a C&MA missionary to Cuba. This particular ministry has since discontinued, yet today the Dominican Alliance helps with the sending of two missionary families in the geographical 10-40 window of opportunity for the Gospel.
Short-term missions groups from Puerto Rico and the U.S. have served in church construction, medical clinics, evangelism and children’s ministries. The Marriage Encounter ministry was initiated in the Dominican Republic through an invitation from the Cordillera Alliance Church in Chile. Marriage Encounter is a pivotal part of the ministry of the House of Blessing C&MA church in Santo Domingo. The Prayer Encounter weekends is another ministry initiated through an invitation from the Colombian Alliance Church. International Ministries (formerly DOM) personnel minister in partnership with nationals in the above areas. Those are a few of the C&MA ministries in the Dominican Republic.
The purpose of the C&MA International Ministries is to come alongside of the Dominican Alliance Church. Together we seek to accelerate the Alliance’s movement by prioritizing the planting of professional congregation churches. We seek to accelerate the Dominican CMA’s development by preparing church leaders in theology, godly character, and with ministry skills. Additionally, we seek to accelerate development by overseeing Short-Term Missions team participation in strategic Dominican Alliance projects.
Current Dominican Alliance Statistics:
37 organized churches [25 members and above]
35 unorganized churches [below 25 members]
11 preaching points (small groups)
19 ordained ministers
14 pastors
28 licensed workers
4 local Dominican missionary church planters