Eliezer Bonilla, M.Div.

Abundant Life Church of God is served in a full-time capacity by Pastor Eliezer Bonilla. Pastor Bonilla was born April 30, 1964 in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. He immigrated to the United States in 1976 as a resident alien and became a naturalized citizen in 1993. He and his wife, Dorcas, have 3 children. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies in 1987 and received recognition on Who's Who of College and University seniors in his final years at Lee University. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1992. He has been in the ministry for 21 years. While in seminary he served as youth pastor and regional youth and Christian education for the Church of God in southern California from 1988 to 1992. He served as hospital chaplain with the Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas from 1992 to 1993. He served as associate pastor of the Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in San Antonio from 1993 to 1998. He has been the pastor of Abundant Life Church of God since 1998. Pastor Bonilla is involved in the community as part of the advisory board of the Church of the City initiative where over 200 churches of various denominations join to positively influence the city. He actively serves in the following boards: International Youth and Christian Education Board, Church of God; National Pastors Advisory Council, Church of God; International General Assembly Cabinet, Church of God. He is a current member of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference board of directors which serves 15 million Hispanics nationally. He is a frequent speaker at church events internationally and had the high honor of preaching at the Church of God's international general assembly in 2006. He has authored several published articles and just recently wrote a chapter on a book titled "Faith of Our Fathers" where he pays tribute to his own father, the Reverend Antonino Bonilla, Jr., on his outstanding legacy of serving the Latino community throughout his ministry of over 60 years. The Abundant Life Church has been focused locally in several local publications as a cutting edge ministry. It has received the Best of San Antonio Places of Worship distinction for two consecutive years. Pastor Bonilla is leading the Abundant Life congregation in its new effort of reaching out to their community in establishing a multi-campus, multi-ethnic, multi-generational, bi-lingual ministry. Such effort has already yielded dividends and the church has reached an attendance of over 2,000 worshippers in two campuses with the goal of establishing a total of four ministry centers in San Antonio.