A Protestant pastor in Mexico was detained and ultimately exiled by his uncle from his community in the state of Oaxaca after refusing to kneel and pray to a Roman Catholic saint during a local festival in mid-January. Last year, Mariano Velásquez Martínez, pastor of the 25-member Iglesia Camino Nuevo y Vivo, was assigned the role of mayordomo, the person tasked with organizing and facilitating religious rites in a community. The role is traditionally held by adherents to Roman Catholicism, the predominant religion in Mexico. The pastor was not given a copy of the paper and fears it could be used in the future to suggest he left the community of Santiago Malacatepec voluntarily. Martínez, his wife, and their 3-month-old baby have since fled the area and are living with relatives in Oaxaca City.