Our Story

Iglesia Palabra de Fe - Word of Faith Church was started in late 1998 by pastors Peter& Rocio Gormley when they came back from serving as missionaries in Lima, Peru.

Peter had been saved in Coober Pedy, Australia in July 31, 1987, while backpacking around the world. Upon returning to Sarasota, he started attending a great church, which went on a missions trip in May 1989 to Lima Peru. After that trip, God called him to step out of his position as a Landscape Architect to attend Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (https://www.rbtc.org/).

Rocio is a native Peruvian, who was a translator and met Peter on that first mission trip in 1989 to Lima. Two years later, in 1991 they were married at the church in Lima and prompty returned to the US to prepare for life as missionaries in Peru. Their two daughters were born in Lima. But in 1998, after serving six years there, God brought them back to the US to plant a church,  Iglesia Palabra de Fe, or IPF for short. The church was started in their living room with a young Colombian lady and her two daughters. Since that time, God has built up the church as they preached Christ with a focus on faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit, collecting people from almost all of the Hispanic nations. Today IPF is a multi-cultural family of amazing people from many nations, and IPF continues to grow as new people show up.
 
IPF church is independant, but is part of a network of ministries of Rhema Ministerial Association International (RMAI). and Faith Christian Fellowship International (FCFI) in Sharpesville, Indiana. Pastor Peter has been and continues to be ordained by both RMAI and FCFI. Pastora Rocio is ordained through Shining Light Church in Sarasota, FL and she is a graduate Rhema Bible Training Center Peru.

There are an amazing amount of people moving to Florida, and among them are many Hispanic immigrants. Politics aside, these are people who need Jesus. They are here and it's our mission and calling to minister to them, leading many to salvation and providing a healthy church where they can learn to walk with God. Many of the immigrants coming in now are Venezuelans and Cubans. Amany are new in the country but other Hispanics hear about us and come to visit in a service. There are 21 officially Spanish-speaking countries and we have most of those represented in the congregation. Plus we have some US natives, kids and youth who are more English-speaking. It's a beautiful mosaic of culture.

In this context, IPF is a missionary outreach church here in the US. Our vision is big, and we are currently seeking to buy a church building and outreach center, where we can both build the church and develop a faith-based community outreach providing services and ministry, including free or low-cost daycare, food and home furnishings for immigrants, after school tutoring/childcare, elder care, job training, English lessons, and eventually a Christian School. For more info go here.

We continue to grow, especially focusing now on outreach into the community, small home groups, a discipleship track and a future Bible School. The focus is helping people, leading them to Christ, and discipling them toward a strong, personal relationship with God in Christ.

Additionally, we believe that the political stage in America is changing such that the church may need to move more 'underground' before too long, like China has had to do. Anti-Christian attitudes are rising quickly with the gender wars, abortion, and other political/spiritual conflicts. If this continues to happen, Christians will need to be prepared to function outside the structure of a large assembly. Every believer needs to be solid in their faith, fulfilling the great commision (Matthew 28:16-20) on a personal level, as well as through the church.

It should be no surprise. These end times were prophesied even from Jesus' own lips. We stand strong in our faith and continue to pray for the lost, for the church, for the Middle East, and for this lost and dying world. It's an exciting life in Christ!