Madrid Spiritual Discussions Lead Five Atheists to Bible Study

International Mission Board missionaries Caleb and Carina Beaty gather men and women in Madrid, Spain, to talk about spiritual topics, the IMB reports. The couple, who serve there with their children, started a group on Meetup, a website people use to find groups that meet in person. The group's description says it discusses spiritual topics, so people arrive expecting to talk about faith.

The Beatys meet their group at a café by the river, where the IMB says conversations turn to purpose, beauty and what is wrong with the world. Most who attend are from Madrid, but the couple also talks with people from other countries. During one gathering, Caleb and Carina explained that creation was perfect, that sin separated the world from the Father, and that God offers salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus. "There are times we're able to get to a clear gospel presentation with a group of people, and sometimes we're doing pre-evangelism," Caleb said.

Spain has secularized rapidly since the 1990s, Caleb said, and many people there do not know the basic tenets of Christianity. According to the IMB, younger Spaniards are drawn to the group and are receptive to the gospel because they have no spiritual foundation and know no one who does. The group has grown so popular that a waitlist has formed, and members of the Beatys' church in Madrid now attend to learn how the couple leads discussions.

Five atheists who first came to the Meetup now attend the small-group Bible study the Beatys host at their family's apartment. Caleb said they cannot stop reading the Bible and asking questions. They are students who make time between busy schedules and exams to come, the IMB says. Guests read passages of Scripture together and join the discussion.

One week, a man named Santiago and another atheist were the only two who came, the IMB reports. The group had been working through the Gospel of Luke, but the two men asked if they could read something else. Caleb turned to Ecclesiastes, and the IMB says the book resonated with those present that day.

Caleb and Carina pray that reading Scripture produces more than curiosity and leads to a commitment to follow the Lord, the IMB says. It is slow work, they say, but they remain committed to answering questions and pointing people to the gospel. The IMB says its workers in Spain use homes, cafés and apps to open doors for these conversations. A table, a cup of coffee and an open Bible can go a long way.