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Christian preacher Phillip Blair stopped by a Santa Muerte shrine located in Tepito, Mexico City. There, he attempted to spread his beliefs through a microphone and a translator, but Santa Muerte devotees turned him down.
While he talked about Jesus Christ, an elderly woman approached him and asked him to leave. However, Blair continued to preach, and people asked the U.S. preacher to respect their religious beliefs and leave.
Once the situation became tenser, Blair and his entourage fled Tepito , one of the most dangerous and violent neighborhoods in Mexico City. While the preacher walked out of Tepito, he talked about curses and witchcraft.
In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, Phillip Blair said he travels “to dangerous places to spread the gospel. If someone has to go, it has to be me because I want everybody to know about Jesus. He explained that his religious organization aims to spread the word of God among as many people as possible.
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Blair spent eleven days in Mexico and visited Tepito twice. He knew he had to stop by the Santa Muerte shrine even if it was a dangerous place. He has visited 34 countries in the last three years and a half.
Phillip Blair is a 34-year-old preacher and the founder of “Torch of Christ Ministries.” According to its website, the religious organization is “committed to the vision of taking the light of Christ into all dark places. This includes anywhere and everywhere that evil has been allowed to cultivate and grow over time which has resulted in high levels of violent crime, occult activity, atheism and unbelief, and reprobate minds. (…) Those who are a part of Torch of Christ Ministries are only but a small portion of the overall assault that the Lord is conducting against the forces of darkness which wage war across our lands. Onward we press. We will never stop.”
Moreover, the Torch of Christ Ministries “participates in church planting, revivals, community outreach, street evangelism, public preaching, exorcisms and in-home deliverance, church visitations, and other preaching and speaking engagements. We are always interested in becoming a part of crusades, conferences, events focused on deliverance and inner healing, and everything in between.”
Regarding the incident in Tepito, the U.S. preacher said there was a series of misunderstandings: “We love everyone and we are not against anybody, but we oppose the Santa Muerte religion. Now people want to kill me in Mexico. By going to Tepito, our goal was to share the love of Jesus, we only want people to know Jesus.”
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He claims some people thanked him for “preaching near the altar. They thanked us for sharing God’s love.”
Although Blair acknowledged that his preaching won’t change people's beliefs, he thinks his message could prompt people to read the bible.
During his trip to Mexico, Blair visited Mexico City’s Zócalo, Chinatown, the Sonora market, and the metro. He says he would visit again if Mexicans invited him.
La Santa Muerte
“Santa Muerte” is an idol and female deity. She represents death, and it is associated with healing and protection. The figure has gained popularity in the last 30 years.
Altars devoted to La Santa Muerte are found throughout Mexico City; however, the most famous shrine is located in the Tepito neighborhood.
Devotees deny their cult is associated with satanic beliefs.
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