Background and Setting

New Tribes Mission (NTM), a Protestant evangelical mission later known in many places as Ethnos360, worked for decades among remote indigenous communities in Venezuela’s vast southern regions—river towns and jungle settlements scattered through the Orinoco and Amazon basins. Mission families were often known less for public platforms than for quiet, long-term service: learning unwritten languages, translating Scripture, providing basic education, and sharing the gospel through patient relationships. In such work, trust is fragile, and outside political storms can quickly reach even the most secluded villages.

October 12, 2005 Expulsion Order

On October 12, 2005, President Hugo Chávez ordered the expulsion of NTM missionaries from indigenous regions. He portrayed their presence as “imperialist” intrusion and even alleged cooperation with the CIA—charges the mission denied. The order placed families in immediate uncertainty: ministries interrupted, language work halted, friendships strained, and local believers left navigating fear and rumor. For Venezuelan officials, the move signaled sovereignty and suspicion; for missionaries and national Christians, it became a test of whether the message of Christ would be confused with foreign power.

The decision followed international uproar after televangelist Pat Robertson suggested Chávez should be assassinated. That public call was sinful and reckless, contradicting the gospel’s witness and providing fuel for accusations that Christian mission equals political subversion. Even where missionaries had no connection to such rhetoric, they bore the consequences of guilt-by-association.

Faithful Response and Lasting Lessons

Scripture calls believers to reject vengeance and to honor lawful authority while obeying God above all. “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone—for kings and all those in authority…” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). In moments like 2005, heroism often looks ordinary: packing quietly, refusing to slander, comforting children, blessing hosts, and entrusting reputations to the Lord.

Christ’s command remained clearer than the headlines: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Many continued serving through other lawful avenues—supporting Venezuelan believers, translating and discipling at a distance, and praying that suspicion would give way to peace, and that the nations would still be loved well.