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The myth of missionary colonialists
Although both SIL and NTM also minister in Africa and Southeast Asia, anti-missionary sentiment is concentrated in Latin America. It grew in the 1970s and 1980s. At least two popular books alleged SIL involvement in covert activity. "There's a lot of resentment against North American imperialism in different countries of Latin America," Headland said.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico each moved to boot SIL, citing reasons similar to those Venezuela is now invoking in seeking NTM's expulsion. In the early 1980s, Colombia was moving to expel Bible translators in response to rebel disinformation the public widely believed. In Colombia, for example, the guerrillas claimed missionaries were mining and exporting emeralds, even prompting government divers to search a lake near SIL's headquarters south of Bogota, where SIL allegedly had stashed jewels.

Chet Bitterman's martyrdom, however, proved an opportunity for the public to understand why SIL was there. Bogota's El Tiempo newspaper published Bitterman's Scripture-filled letters that expressed his heart for translating God's Word for those without a Bible in their native language. After the rebels killed Bitterman, who was buried at SIL's Colombia compound, public sentiment favored the mission group, which the government allowed to stay.

In Ecuador, sentiment ran strong against SIL because of what Headland called these "same old, same old" allegations. SIL's Ecuador ministry included medical clinics, schools, and an agronomy program that created varieties of pasture grasses and disease-resistant bananas. In 1981, Ecuador's government asked SIL to leave. By 1982, however, Ecuador's indigenous community had organized marches in support of SIL. Their outcry, along with that of others in the country, moved the government to ask SIL to stay. SIL remained on a scaled-down basis until 1992. Peru and Mexico had similar reversals. Today, SIL's presence in Mexico remains greatly reduced.

Wheaton's Moreau said that unless the United States becomes a "third- or fourth-rate political power, the whole idea of missionary-CIA connections will never die. … The myth of the CIA and the not-ever-completely dead myth of the missionary colonialist working together can empower that type of thinking."

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Earlier reports on the New Tribes expulsion include:

Venezuela Debates New Tribes Mission Expulsion Order | Government officials, others call Chavez decision unconstitutional and harmful. (Oct. 19, 2005)

Venezuela to Expel New Tribes Mission | After additional Robertson comments, President Chavez accuses "imperialist" mission agency of working for CIA. (Oct. 14, 2005)

Some blame the explusion on Pat Robertson's recent comments on Chavez.

The New Tribes Mission website may have more updates over the weekend. Google News will track newspaper reports, but readers who understand Spanish will find Google News's Argentina site more informative.

Christianity Today's earlier coverage of New Tribes Mission includes articles on Martin and Gracia Burnham and the Panama hostages. Christianity Today sister publication Today's Christian recently published missionary daughter Joanna Harris's account of a mission compound invasion in Colombia.

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October (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49