Iglesia Evangelica Apostólica del Nombre de Jesus

Has anyone ever heard of a church born from conflict? The Iglesia Evangelica Apostólica del Nombre de Jesus, right here before us, has such a story. It began in the 1950s amidst the turmoil of Colombia’s internal conflict. Many Colombians sought refuge in Ecuador, carrying with them not only their belongings but also their faith. Among them were members of the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida de Colombia, who brought the seeds of their Pentecostal beliefs to Ecuadorian soil. In 1953, Crispiniano Arredondo, a craftsman and preacher, arrived near Santo Domingo de los Colorados. He began sharing his faith, planting the first seeds of the Jesus Name Evangelical Apostolic Church in Ecuador. Joaquín Jaramillo, another Colombian believer, joined him in 1957, further strengthening the burgeoning movement. The first services of the Iglesia Evangelica Apostólica del Nombre de Jesus took place in 1958. Word reached Canadian missionary William Drost in Colombia. He traveled to Santo Domingo with Pastor Noel Ospina and performed the first baptism in the Suma River. This marked a significant milestone in the church’s history. By 1959, the church was growing rapidly. Drost returned to Ecuador, baptizing 30 new believers. Pastor Miguel Mariano Peña and his wife, Beatriz, were then sent from Colombia to lead the growing church. They initially settled in Quito and later moved to Guayaquil, working tirelessly to expand the church’s reach. The Iglesia Evangelica Apostólica del Nombre de Jesus continued to flourish, eventually becoming autonomous from the Colombian church. The church expanded its missionary work, spreading the gospel to numerous countries including Peru, Chile, Uruguay, and several European nations. Originally known as the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida del Ecuador, it was officially registered as the Iglesia Evangelica Apostólica del Nombre de Jesus in 1976. Today, this church stands as the largest non-Catholic evangelical group in Ecuador, with over 1,000 congregations and a membership exceeding 350,000 worldwide. From its humble beginnings in the midst of conflict, the Iglesia Evangelica Apostólica del Nombre de Jesus has grown to become a testament to the power of faith and perseverance.