A Protestant pastor, wife and 3-month-old baby are temporarily staying with relatives in Oaxaca, Mexico, after being forcibly displaced after the pastor was told to kneel and pray to a Roman Catholic saint.
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In November 2025, Mariano Velásquez Martínez, pastor, who led Iglesia Camino Nuevo y Vivo in the community of Santiago Malacatepec, San Juan Mazatlán Municipality, in Mexico’s Oaxaca State, was assigned the role of mayordomo, a stewardship role in which individuals are required to lead a traditional Roman Catholic festival and manage expenses.
On Jan. 15, according to a Christian Solidarity Worldwide report, a fellow mayordomo ordered Velásquez Martínez to light the candles, kneel and pray to Saint James the Apostle. Velásquez Martínez told his fellow mayordomo such a request was not part of the agreement due to his religious beliefs.
The mayordomo complained to village authorities, who detained Velásquez Martínez for five days.
Velásquez Martínez was also bound with a rope and taken to an assembly of 180 men where an announcement was made that he was to be expelled from the village. He was forced to sign a document, forcibly displacing him from the community. He “fears it will be used to fabricate the story that he left the community voluntarily,” CSW reported.
Call for ‘swift action’
Anna Lee Stangl, CSW director of advocacy, is calling on the government of Oaxaca to take immediate action on the matter.
“The arbitrary detention of Pastor Mariano Velásquez Martínez and the subsequent forced displacement of him and his family is unconscionable,” Stangl said.
“This case is unfortunately not unique, and it is past time that the Mexican government, at every level, implements policies to uphold freedom of religion or belief for all, including in communities governed under Uses and Customs,” Stangl continued.
“We call on the government of Oaxaca to take swift action to hold those responsible for the forced displacement of this family to account under the law, and to take steps to make it clear that freedom of religion or belief must be upheld for all,” Stangl stated.
The case comes as sanctions have tightened in response to forced displacement in the state of Oaxaca. A prison sentence can last up to 18 years for perpetrators.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Kendall Lyons and originally published by Baptist Standard.
