Sevilla Chapel draws its name from the mid-16th century community of protestants who gathered together in secret in Sevilla, Spain, to study the Word of God, to read and discuss the works of the reformers, and to exchange ideas as to how they could advance the biblical gospel to all the world.
Amongst those gathered were Casiodoro de Reina, the translator of the first Spanish Bible, and Cipriano de Valera, editor of the Spanish Bible’s second revision. When the Spanish Inquisition raided the protestant cell, some like Reina and Valera escaped by fleeing the country, but those who remained were martyred for their biblical convictions.
Those who fled sought refuge abroad, and some, like Reina, were received by the Queen of England. When abiding in London, Reina discovered that the Italians, the French and the Flemings had their own churches, but there was no organized community of Spanish protestants. With the blessing of both the Queen and the Church of England, Reina planted a Spanish church in London and presented the first Spanish confession of faith, La Confession de Fe Christiana, in order to be recognized alongside the other consistories. The English were more than happy to support the Spanish in developing their own protestant culture and community, it was their way of contributing towards the expatriated Spanish reformation.
