Our History
In 1973, at the end of the great revival in Bolivia under the guidence of the late evangelist Julio Cesar Ruibal, Our Senior Pastor, Carlos Peñaloza was called to the ministry just a few months after he became a Christian. Eventually he was ordained as the first pastor of Ekklesia in Bolivia but God had a different calling for his life. Following God’s calling, Pastor Carlos moved to the United States to study at Portland Bible College in Oregon and received training for leaders in the Haggai Institute of Singapore. Later on, he started small house groups in Virginia, which eventually grew into Ekklesia USA. Today, Ekklesia USA is one of the most influential churches in the metropolitan area and continues to grow every day.
Our Pastor’s Family
Pastor Carlos’ wife, Pastor Miriam Peñaloza, received the Lord Jesus Christ in 1975 in Bolivia. In 2002 she was ordained in the United States as a Pastor. She is currently the worship and Sunday School director of Ekklesia USA. She moves under a prophetic anointing.
The Peñaloza Pastors had 4 children: Joseph, Carla, Sara and Daniela, who all tragically passed to the presence of the Lord. However, they now have thousands of spiritual sons who are scattered throughout the continent. Both of them work full time in the ministry and together form a ministerial team that it has been a blessing for the Church in general.