Ministry of Government recognizes legal personality for church in Mejía

The Ministry of Government approved the statute and recognized the legal personality of the Heavenly Jerusalem Christian Church, with its main domicile in the Mejía canton, province of Pichincha. The decision is contained in Ministerial Agreement MDG-SMS-2026-0152-A, signed on September 1, 2026, and published in Official Registry No. 373 on Monday, September 21, 2026. Consequently, the entity is enabled to exercise rights and contract civil obligations as a private, non-profit religious organization.

The agreement was signed by the Undersecretary of Social Organizations, Cults, Belief, Conscience, and Protection of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation, Luis Eduardo Bonifaz Nieto, in exercise of the delegation granted to him by the highest authority of the Ministry of Government through Ministerial Agreement No. 007, dated September 16, 2025. Competence over movements, organizations, cults, freedom of religion, belief, and conscience was transferred to that state portfolio by Executive Decree No. 608, dated November 29, 2022.

The application was submitted by José Francisco Villalobos Caranqui, in his capacity as provisional president of the religious organization in formation, through procedure MDG-CGAF-DA-GDCA-2025-6907-E, dated September 25, 2025, within file XB-25-236. Review Report MDG-DRMS-SNEG-2026-017-I, dated August 20, 2026, recommended approving the statute after verifying compliance with the requirements and conditions of the Cults Law and the Religious Cults Regulation.

Scope of recognition

Article 1 of the agreement approves the statute and recognizes the legal personality of the Heavenly Jerusalem Christian Church, which must strictly adhere to the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, the Cults Law, the Religious Cults Regulation, its own statute, and other applicable regulations.

• Legal nature: private, non-profit religious organization.
• Main domicile: lot No. 17 of the San Miguel de Cutuglagua Improvement Committee, Cutuglagua parish, Mejía canton, province of Pichincha.
• Registration: record in the Registry of Religious Organizations of the Ministry of Government and registration in the Property Registry of the Mejía canton.

Deadlines and obligations for the board

Article 5 stipulates that the organization must convene a General Assembly, in accordance with its statute, for the election of the board within a maximum period of 30 days, counted from the notification of the agreement, and notify the Ministry of Government of the result for the respective procedure.

Article 4 obligates the entity to inform the State portfolio of any modification to its bylaws, the members of its board or internal government, the entry and exit of members, and its legal representative, in order to verify statutory compliance and order the corresponding registration.

Publication, validity, and control

Article 2 orders the publication of the agreement in the Official Registry; Article 7 provides for its incorporation into the file, which will be kept in the Religious Organizations Archive of the Ministry of Government; and Article 8 orders the notification of the provisional representative with a copy of the document. The agreement entered into force upon its signing, without prejudice to its publication.

Article 6 reserves for the Ministry of Government the power to order, at any time, the cancellation of the organization’s registration and to proceed ex officio with its dissolution and liquidation if it is proven that it does not fulfill its purposes and objectives or if facts are evidenced that constitute violations of the legal system.

The recognition comes nearly a year after the initial request and allows the congregation of Cutuglagua to act formally before public and private entities, acquire assets, and appear in court. For the readers of Mejía, the immediate effect is the opening of a 30-day period for the church to elect its definitive board and register it with the Ministry of Government, a step without which its legal representation would remain incomplete.

Source: Official Registry No. 373, Monday, September 21, 2026, Executive Branch, p. 2 (official reference: MDG-SMS-2026-0152-A).