Our History

The Jesus is Lord Church aka JIL found its birth in 1981 starting as a bible study of a group of college students lead by a university professor Eddie Villanueva in the Philippines. The group eventually grew and became a church which did not only spread out in the Philippines but in every major cities of the world as well. After 28 years, JIL church grew to become one of the largest evangelical charismatic churches in the world, with more than 5 million attending congregation which is still lead by now Bishop Eddie Villanueva.

The JIL ministry in Arizona had similar beginnings as a bible study gathering of about 10 people that started In the summer of 2003. These small group of believers started meeting once a month in the home of Sam and Mel de Asis in Gilbert. Sam and Mel had been actively involved in the church planting activities 5 years earlier when they where still in Taiwan, also under JIL church in Taiwan.

Having the desire to see the work of God continue in their lives, the bible study group eventually grew and met more often from once a month, to twice a month, and eventually to become a weekly fellowship. After more than two years of gathering, fellowshipping, studying God’s Word, and prayers, the group came into a point where the challenge of moving forward to become a church had been laid out. With the help, prayers and encouragement of other JIL chapters in the USA and with the guidance of Ptr Bert Aquino, the overseeing pastor over Arizona, JIL-Arizona outreach had been born and the first Sunday service was held in September 4, 2005.