By John & Alysse Stravopoulos

We are Free Grace missionaries who share the grace message in Chihuahua, Mexico, and Latin America.

I (John) am a South African who grew up in a Christian home. When I was three years old, I nearly drowned in a swimming pool. That experience caused me to question what happens when someone dies. My mother explained that if I believed in Jesus for everlasting life, I would have it! I believed that promise, but as I grew up and my family attended different churches, I lost my assurance of salvation.

From a young age, I wanted to be a missionary. I attended New Tribes Bible Institute (now Ethnos360 Bible Institute) in Michigan. It was there that I was introduced to Free Grace theology. Through studying the Word and reading commentaries by Zane Hodges (which were used as some of the class textbooks), I became convinced that everlasting life is a gift that can never be lost.

I (Alysse) am Canadian, and I also grew up in a Christian home. At a young age, my mother shared with me that Jesus died on the cross in my place and that only He offered me everlasting life. I believed in Jesus for everlasting life when I was about six years old.

Though I grew up going to church, I heard conflicting messages when it came to what one needs to do to have eternal life, and I did not know how the Bible fit together as one book. I lost my assurance of salvation and as a teenager was constantly afraid of going to hell. I thought I needed to be a “good person” to gain God’s approval. I attended New Tribes Bible Institute, and through the classes came to understand that everlasting life is a gift that cannot be lost or earned. I met John at New Tribes Bible Institute in 2007, and we married in 2012.

We first served in Mozambique with the goal of doing church planting and Bible translation. Unfortunately, we did not have coworkers, and the living conditions were very difficult. We ended up leaving the ministry there and moving to South Africa, where we helped to register a non-profit organization and also taught at Word of Life Bible Institute in Johannesburg. We were able to teach the Free Grace message and saw some of the students come to understand the difference between salvation and discipleship. We wanted to continue in a full-time teaching role and had heard of a Bible school in Chihuahua, Mexico, that needed teachers. We moved to Mexico in January 2021 and began learning Spanish.

After a few months, we discovered that our Free Grace views were not welcome, and we were not permitted to teach at the Bible school.

In each place we have served, we have struggled to find like-minded believers. Lordship Salvation, Calvinism and “the prosperity gospel” are the dominant theologies in many places we have lived. Thankfully, the Lord has provided pockets of Free Grace brothers and sisters, whether online or in person, to encourage us.

At the end of last year, we became independent missionaries with the desire to teach God’s Word and to use the Gospel of John to show people that everlasting life is a gift that Jesus offers to all who believe Him for it.

Our current full-time ministry focuses on:

Evangelism: We intentionally spend time with non-believers with the purpose of sharing that everlasting life is a free gift that Jesus offers to those who believe His promise. We also engage with “churched” people who have an unclear understanding of how one receives everlasting life.

Discipleship: We invite believers to study through the Bible (whether in person or online), and we help them grow in their understanding of God’s Word. We completed our first online class on the eight signs in the Gospel of John with two couples from Argentina and three people from Chihuahua. In the coming months we will be teaching the following classes:

• The Epistles of John
• Missions (4-week workshop at a local church)
• Hermeneutics

Writing and Translating Bible Study Materials: We write and create Bible studies for adults and children (currently in English and Spanish) that can be used and shared for free. It is our goal that everyone has easy access to truth.

We have had positive responses from our online teaching. One attendee recently said, “I have never had such clear Bible teaching. The lessons are simple but not dumbed down. It is very easy to understand. I am so thankful we found you!” Another said, “The recordings of these studies would be a great resource for home Bible studies. Many people do not have time to prepare studies. They could play the recording, and you could have discussion questions to go with the lesson.”

The last class we led ended with a very interesting discussion. Our Catholic friend had been coming on and off. In the last lesson, John really emphasized that we can do nothing to gain everlasting life; it is a gift. She strongly disagreed saying, “We need to work hard for everything in life: a car, a vacation, a house. How much more we need to work to get to heaven.” It was very sad. Everyone gave their input and directed her to Scriptures like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3. In the end, she said she needed to study it out, but she could not see how it could be so easy. It is sad that she feels she can––and indeed, needs to––work to gain everlasting life.

Catholicism is the main religion in Mexico. And among Evangelical churches, Lordship Salvation and Calvinism are strong. We have not found any Free Grace churches in our city. The attendees from Argentina say the same thing. They enjoy reading the GES articles in Spanish and have left their church because it did not hold to Free Grace theology. They found us through our Facebook page.

A great need remains for people in Latin America to hear Free Grace teaching and to have access to Free Grace materials!

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John & Alysse are Free Grace missionaries who serve the Lord in Chihuahua, Mexico.