Julio Contreras, Senior Pastor Vida Nueva

  • Miramonte Baptist Church Bible Seminary, San Salvador, El Salvador, 1987

  • Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Luther Rice University, Lithonia, GA, USA, 2007

  • Master of Arts in Leadership, Luther Rice University, Lithonia, GA, 2018

  • Doctorate in Transformational Leadership in progress (TLD), Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN, estimated date of graduation 2022

Early Life

Julio Ernesto Contreras Monchez, the second of five children, was born into a non-Christian family on May 1, 1962, in San Salvador, El Salvador. His father was a lawyer and politician, his mother a businesswoman. At age 8, his family faced a dangerous political situation and due to death threats, they were forced to leave El Salvador and seek safety in Mexico for one year. God used that circumstance to reveal their need for Him. At age 9, in 1971, Julio and his family returned to El Salvador and Julio came to know Christ as Lord and Savior through the Children’s Sunday School department at Miramonte Baptist Church where his mother had begun to attend. One by one, the entire Contreras family radically changed as each member came to know Christ.

During his youth, Julio served in youth ministry and there met Patty, whom he married in May of 1986. Both went to college and studied Business Administration; they wanted to be used by God as laypeople and tithers. However, God, knowing better, called them to full time ministry. Julio entered the Miramonte Bible Seminary and graduated in 1978. As Julio studied and grew, his ministry to youth expanded and later became a teacher in the Miramonte Bible Seminary.

Entering Ministry

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Julio’s ministerial life once again expanded in 1987 when he met David Wilson of OAC and Leo Humphrey of GNIA. For the first time in his life, Julio experienced real evangelism. John 3:18 profoundly impacted his life: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This was a life changing moment. Leo’s influence became more profound and evident during the following years. Also, in 1987, Julio and Patty met Steve and Pam Kern and an intense and significant friendship began. Julio and Steve, as young visionaries, began to dream of the possibility of starting a different church, one in which evangelism and discipleship would be in perfect balance. It would be a church that would influence the Salvadorian society and a church whose goal would be to reach those who would want to understand and live what they believe. And thus “the Steve and Julio team” was born……and in 1991 the dream became reality and New Life Baptist Church was born.

Senior pastor Vida Nueva (New Life) Church

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Since 1991, Julio has been the senior pastor of New Life. His gifts continue to be those of a teacher and discipler; expositorily preaching the books of the Bible. He continuously seeks to grow as a leader and pastor, personally, academically, and ministerially.

Julio aspires to be a man who could have Galatians 1:24 written on his epitaph. “And they glorified God in me.”

Julio and Patty have 3 children; each one represents an answer to prayer: Estefania, b.1990, Natalia b.1995, y Julio III b.2002. Estefania is married to David Essex and Natalia is married to Marcos Chavez. Julio Jr. is studying Communications in a Local University.

If you would like to contact Julio, we invite you to write him at jcontreras@ibvn.org

July 2019