Mission Heroes

Pablo Besson
By Chuck Satterwhite

Pablo Besson was the pioneering Baptist missionary in Argentina. His main areas of focus were religious liberty and the separation of church and state.

Besson was born in April of 1848 in Nods Berne, Switzerland. He was the only boy of four children. He left to study in Leipzig, Germany, then returned back to Switzerland to attend Basel University where he graduated in 1870 with a Bachelor of Theology. Upon graduation from Basel University, Besson applied to the Synod to be ordained as a minister. Besson served in Reformed Church pastorates in several cities including Basel.

In this area at this time, citizens elected pastors by popular vote in communal elections. This was also at time of crisis with the idea of separation of church and state. In 1848 all church property was passed to the state. The Synod was given authority over the preparation and ordination of pastors.

In 1869, the need of separation of church and state began being discussed. The need for discussion was brought up by the so-called liberal Christians. They so-called liberal Christians wanted separation because they though it was not right that the church should be forced to pay for public worship. The evangelical side demanded it because they could not agree to have public worship supported by those who did not believe their doctrine.

1870 saw a vote of 16-14 to pass a law to establish a union between church and state. The law called the State Patron of the Church because the state undertook the financial responsibility of the church and gave the state more control of the church. The preparation of ministers was taken out of the hands of the Synod and the Theological Faculty was annexed to the State University. This vote left the Synod further deprived of all authority in doctrinal matters. State appointed pastors regardless of their beliefs provided they could show proof of having theological courses and provided they could win the election of the people. This led to the resignation of 22 pastors, 5 assistant ministers, and 3 professors of the Theological Faculty. Upon their resignation they founded an independent church. To show the relevance of the resignations there were 43 pastors and 9 assistant ministers collectively.

The events Besson experienced during his years of pastoring upon graduation awoken the fearless supporter of civil and religious rights within him. After his last pastorate in the area, Besson felt that he could not undertake a new pastorate. He left to be an evangelist in the Free Church of Lyons, France.

While in France, Besson began to be convicted of being baptized. He did not believe in baptismal regeneration. While in France he visited a Baptist Hall and asked God for a sign. “If the pastor asks me to speak,” he said, “it will be an indication for Baptism.” Before he could barely make it through the door, the pastor asked Besson to speak.

Besson asked for resignation from the Reformed church and applied to the American Baptist Board of Missions where he was accepted as an evangelist. He served in northern France for six years.

Pablo Besson made it to arrived in Argentina in 1881 after being called upon for help from a Swiss-Frence pastor in Sante Fe. In 1883, Besson moved to Buenos Aires.

As mentioned earlier, Besson’s work in Argentina focused on religious liberty and the separation of church and state. While in Argentina, Besson worked directly with members of the Argentine Congress and ministers of the presidential staff for the legal rights of minorities. He worked with other churches, published tracts, and wrote articles for most of the leading Argentine newspapers.

During his ministry he established the first Baptist congregations in Argentina and advanced social reform. His social reform saw the secularization of cemeteries and marriage and the public registry of births and deaths.