One hundred and twenty-five years. That’s how long El Sembrador has been spreading the Word. Imagine a humble printing press in 1894. From it emerged the first pamphlets of El Sembrador. It was a response to prayers. Eglon Harris and others in England wanted to share the gospel in Mexico.
El Sembrador wasn’t just a publication. It was a mission. A testament to faith. Eglon arrived in Mexico in 1891. He built on the work of Jaime Pascoe and Brother Bright who started printing in Toluca around 1865. They moved to Orizaba in 1892. It was better connected to Veracruz. This port brought in crucial supplies and machinery.
The early El Sembrador was a simple eight-page monthly pamphlet. The first run was 2000 copies. Soon more publications followed. Flechas del Aljaba Evangélica answered doctrinal questions. Palabras de Vida spread the gospel message. By 1896 El Sembrador articles were reprinted as Buena Semilla and Granos de Oro.
The circulation of El Sembrador grew. By 1910 it reached 50000 copies per issue. The Mexican Revolution reduced this to 10000. In 1928 El Sembrador encouraged subscriptions to La Unión Bíblica. This international organization promoted daily Bible reading. By 1932 circulation surpassed 60000 copies. Hymns were added to the publications.
After Eglon’s death in 1932 his children continued the work. Juan edited and wrote. Guillermo maintained the machinery. Netty handled binding and subscriber records. New publications appeared. Many were compilations of older articles. Aviso Oportuno Aclaraciones de Vital Importancia and Ramilletes were among them. Books like El Católico Cristiano and Los Dos Caminos y Los Dos Destinos were also printed. A significant addition was Estudios y Apuntes Bíblicos. It became a regular column in 1934.
Juan Harris is remembered for his alliterative and acrostic sermons. This teaching method was his favorite. He used it for children youth and adults. In 1936 El Correo Evangélico began. It shared El Sembrador’s articles. It supported an association of Christian postal workers. Their goal was a New Testament for every postal worker.
El Correo Evangélico reached North and Central America and Cuba. Its publication ended in 1968 after about 200 issues. In 1952 new machinery arrived thanks to Enrique Dedman. He supported prison ministry in Mexico and Cuba. El Sembrador’s circulation reached its peak in 1955 440000 copies.
The new equipment broadened El Sembrador’s reach. They could now copy La Unión Bíblica’s Notas. These daily Bible reading guides further promoted devotion. The favorable conditions of this era didn’t last. Political economic and technological changes affected El Sembrador. Changes in Cuba and Mexico’s postal system also impacted distribution.
El Sembrador adapted. It shifted its focus from correcting errors to teaching truth. New materials addressed the needs of local churches. La Buena Parte provided daily devotions. Enseñarás el Buen Camino offered Sunday school lessons. The old printing methods were outdated. In 1979 they switched to offset printing. This allowed for shorter print runs and the inclusion of images.
El Sembrador continues to this day. It is a powerful witness to a faith that endures through changing times. Its story is one of adaptation and resilience a legacy of spreading the Word. It’s a story etched in ink a testament to the enduring power of faith.