Origins:

Founded as a joint advisory committee by the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association (EFMA) and the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association (IFMA) in 1959.  Its purpose was to serve as a liaison between EFMA and IFMA and national leaders for the effective growth of the Protestant Evangelical Christian church in Latin America; The ECLA office, founded in 1959, functioned as a liaison between Stateside mission offices and Latin American fields promoting: closer communication, closer cooperation and closer coordination. Correspondents from various Latin American countries gather significant data and keep the ECLA office posted on important trends and events; clearing house for information on significant trends relevant to that growth as well as to assist the Latin American church through education, research and consultation.  ECLA's headquarters was in Wheaton, IL.

Headquarters location: 1967-1977, Wheaton, Illinois

Executive officers: - Wade Coggins, First spokesman of the ECLA

- Jack Frizen, Co-chairman of the board, 1963-1966

- Clyde Taylor, Co-chairman of the board, 1963-1966

- Vergil Gerber, Executive Director, 1966-1975(?)

- Arno Enns, Executive Director, until 1977

Other significant officers - J. Hubert Cook, Evangelical Union of South America

- Howard Fenton, Latin America Mission

- Melvin Hodges, Assemblies of God Secretary for Latin America

- George S. Constance, Christian and Missionary Alliance

- William H. Taylor, The Central American Mission

- J. Allen Thompson, West Indies Mission, Inc.

- C. Peter Wagner, South America Mission/Andes Evangelical Mission

Ministry emphasis:

Taken from the 1968 “Mini Report”:

“The ECLA office functions as a liaison between Stateside mission offices and Latin American fields promoting: closer communication, closer cooperation and closer coordination. Correspondents from various Latin American countries gather significant data and keep the ECLA office posted on important trends and events.” This emphasis was further clarified in the Administrative Guidelines written in 1972 which stated that the ECLA would serve as a liaison between EFMA and IFMA in order to better fulfill the missionary mandate and growth of the church in Latin America. It was also to serve as a clearing house for information on significant trends relevant to that growth as well as to assist the Latin American church through education, research and consultation. The most significant ways in which ECLA communicated with its parent organizations were through publishing Latin America PULSE and contributing to Missionary News Service in conjunction with EMIS which began in 1967.

ECLA accomplished these objectives through building and maintaining relationships with various Latin American organizations, communicating with Latin American missionaries and aiding with workshops and conferences in various countries.

Geographical emphasis:

Latin America, South America, Caribbean (mainly Haiti)