About Us

Pastor Ruben Martinez is the founder and lead pastor at Living Word Evangelical Free Church based in Pharr, TX. This church was started in 1987 and quite simply put, we exist to serve and partner with you on your journey with Christ and to make Him known to everyone throughout the RGV. It is our desire to see all who pass through Living Word’s doors come closer to knowing the person and character of Jesus Christ.

Come watch our services live online or in person. All are welcome.

Living Word broadcasts live every weekend and on demand throughout the week on livingwordefc.org. Join us Sundays (10:00 AM CT) & Wednesdays (6:30 PM CT).

Victor Pena was born and raised in the Valley. His spiritual journey began in the summer of 2014, and he has been walking with Jesus since then. He graduated with his Masters in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, and is currently re-enrolled and pursuing his Doctorate of Ministry in Spiritual Formation.

Victor’s wife is named Darien, and they have the privilege of discipling a son named Diego born 2022. Victor loves weightlifting, basketball, caffeine, and hosting people.

Luis was born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico. He trusted Jesus Christ to be His Savior at the age of 16 and was called by the Lord to serve full time as pastor in 2017. Luis studied Industrial Engineering in Mexico and in 2015 God allowed him to study at Rio Grande Bible College in Edinburg TX a Bachelor in Bible studies with pastoral emphasis, and his master’s degree at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Dallas TX. He has been involved in worship, teen, and youth leadership, preaching, and discipleship. With his lovely wife Doraly, and his daughters Ximena and Julieta, he serves the Lord in the care of the church of Christ and in the teaching of the Word of God.

Luis es originario de Veracruz, México. Conoció al Señor Jesucristo a la edad de 16 años y fue llamado por el Señor para servirle de tiempo completo al pastorado en el 2017. Estudió su carrera de Ingeniería Industrial en México y en el 2015 Dios le permitió estudiar en el Seminario Bíblico Rio Grande en Edinburg TX y su maestría en el Southwestern Baptist Teological Seminary en Dallas TX. Ha estado involucrado en la iglesia en la alabanza, liderazgo de adolescentes y jóvenes, predicación y discipulado. Junto a su amada esposa Doraly, y sus hijas Ximena y Julieta, sirven en el cuidado de la iglesia de Cristo y en la enseñanza de la Palabra de Dios.

Daniel was born in McAllen and raised in Rockport,Tx . He has been employed with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV ) for 18 years and is currently the Superintendent of the Grounds Maintenance Department. He is married to Elizabeth Gonzalez and together have a blended family of 10 children. Led to the Lord 13 years ago he turned to the Lord and lifted his arms and surrendered to him as his Lord and savior. Has attended Living Word for a year and a half and knew this is where the Lord has led him and his family to.

Favorite song: Greater by Mercy Me

Favorite verse: Be still know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

Ron learned a reverence for God as a young child being the seventh child of nine in a rural town in western North Dakota. Church attendance and observance were always a priority but as a young man, Ron reserved God for Sundays. The tragic death of a young cousin opened his heart and during his freshman year of college, after attending FCA Bible studies and a gospel music event, he went forward and accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. He soon left that college and enrolled in Bible college in a small town in North Dakota to grow his faith. He later decided to pursue electrical technology at a junior college where he met and married his wife, Julie. They have been married over 44 years. Ron worked in the power generation industry for 42 years, 23 of those years on the management team. Ron and Julie have three grown children and seven grand children. Ron has many years experience with coaching youth sports. He was the education director at Central Lutheran in Elk River, MN in the late 90’s, Deacon at Word of Life CMA, Coon Rapids, MN, door to door evangelism and most important to his heart he and Julie home schooled for a few years before a family illness sent the kids back to school. In 2019 friends recommended Living Word church. As winter Texans the couple found wonderful worship, solid truthful teaching and friends that have become family. After a few years the couple felt the call to make RGV their permanent home.

Favorite verse: Romans 3:23,24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Jose was born in Cuba. He lived there until the communist take over forced him to leave the country. He made his way to Spain, and eventually found himself in the USA, where he first heard and responded to the Gospel. Jose is a graduate of Belhaven University and the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Jose has served as a missionary in Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

I was raised with a younger brother and sister in Golden, Colorado by good parents who were not practicing Christians. Thanks to my mother's influence, we occasionally attended a Methodist church in my younger years. I graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a petroleum engineering degree and moved to Corpus Christi, Texas in 1979.

You'd be more hard-pressed to find a more prideful, rebellious towards our Lord, and blasphemous young man than I was up to age 27. On July 4th, 1989, the Lord in His mercy, laid me low and caused me to begin to seek Him. As a pedestrian I was hit-and-run by a pick-up truck and fortunate that there was a witness to call for help. Initially not expected to live, then not expected to walk, by God's grace I left the hospital after 3 months on crutches and with two leg braces. I was hospitalized for 2 months the following year with added complications.

I married Diana in 1987. We have two sons - Drake and Robert. Robert is married to Kathryn and their son Shepherd is our only grandchild to date. I left the oilfield in 1990 and began a financial planning practice. We moved to McAllen in 1994 and I continue to run a financial planning practice with my son Drake.

After the Lord awakened me, I was a very slow student and didn't finally accept by grace the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior for almost 20 years. Diana and I benefited from Biblical, apostolic teaching at Church of the king in McAllen where I led praise and worship service for twelve years and served as an elder for eight years. We found Living Word in the fall of 2020 and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Christ in this body.

Mark was born and raised in McAllen, Texas, Mark is the 7th of 8 children born to Mr. Ramon and Irma Vega. A graduate of McAllen High School and Texas A&M University – Kingsville, he has attended Living Word Church since 1999. Mr. Vega has been employed with McAllen Public Utility since 2003 and enjoys being a husband to his lovely wife Daniela and being a dad to his daughter, Nicole and son, Marky. Mark currently serves in Finance.

Chano was born in Nyssa Oregon and raised in Alamo Texas. He served with the United States marine corps for six years as a Staff sergeant in Camp Pendleton California and Okinawa Japan. After honorably discharged, he was led to Christ by pastor Ruben Martinez in 1980. He served with the U.S. Customs Service which later became U.S. Customs and Border Protection with the Department of Homeland Security. He is married to Sylvia for over 42 years and reared two daughters and two sons. He has since retired from the government service after 42 years in protecting Americas front lines. His passion is to lead others to Christ and to serve with Living Word Evangelical Free Church.

Pedro is the 9th of 10 children. His parents came from Monterrey, Mexico to south Texas right after the birth of his two older sisters. He was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. His family were migrant field workers during his elementary years, spending summers in Washington State. In 1994 he married his wife Ana, who was one of the persons instrumental in Pedro coming to the Lord, at the age of 24.

Although Ana was told by a doctor she wouldn’t be able to conceive, within the first year of marriage she conceived and nine months later gave birth to Elisa.   Elisa, was quickly followed by Karina, Monica and finally Erika. At the time “life was good” and Pedro didn’t feel the need for Jesus but he came to Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at the approximate age of 21 after realizing the painful sacrifice that Jesus experienced on his behalf. He has been a member of Living Word EFC Church for 12 years and is currently serving as a Deacon. He also has served at Living Word as an Elder and a Sunday School Teacher for the last 8 years, including 6 years as a Youth Pastor.

In his next roll he will be leading the junior high group, at the age of 43.  His passion is to remain faithful to the Lord along with the work that He has called him to do while growing in an intimate knowledge and fear of his God!

Ramón is second of two kids born in Bronx New York and raised in Puerto Rico. His family worked in a manufacturing company that relocated to The RGV. Ramon is happily married to Maria Teresa and has a beautiful daughter Valerie. Ramon works for a company called Redmed Inc. His role there is a inventory coordinator and has been doing it for eleven years. His passions are woodwork, dogs, God and the Bible.

Lupe nació y creció en Weslaco TX. Es esposo de Lily, y padre de Isabel y Valeria. Durante varios años estuvo en el servicio militar de los Estados Unido y ahora dirige un negocio familiar en el centro de McAllen. Dios le llamó en el 2019 durante una predicación en la iglesia a la que acompañaba a su esposa Lily. Desde ese momento comenzó a querer conocer cada vez más a Cristo, lo que le ha llevado a desear leer, escuchar y meditar en la Palabra de Dios cada día y dedicar su vida al servicio de Dios.

Lupe was born and raised in Weslaco TX. He is Lily's husband, and father of Isabel and Valeria. He was in the United States military for several years and now runs a family business in downtown McAllen. God called him in 2019 during a sermon at the church to which he accompanied his wife Lily. From that moment he began to want to know Christ more and more, which has led him to desire to read, listen to and meditate on the Word of God every day and dedicate his life to the service of God.

Juan es originario de Reynosa México, pero creció en Houston TX. Es esposo de Laura desde 1994 y padre de Pedro, Marcos, Omar, y Alison. Juan conoció al Señor en el 2016 durante una consejería matrimonial, y desde entonces se han propuesto seguir creciendo cada día con la ayuda de Dios como matrimonio para servirle. La pasión de Juan es el deporte y pasar tiempo con su familia.

Juan is originally from Reynosa Mexico, but grew up in Houston TX. He has been Laura's husband since 1994 and father of Pedro, Marcos, Omar, and Alison. Juan met the Lord in 2016 during marriage counseling, and since then they have decided to continue growing every day with God's help as a couple to serve Him. Juan's passion is sports and spending time with his family.

Norberto es originario de Veracruz México y está casado con Julie desde 2003. Sus hijos son Yajaira, Yasmín, Emmanuel, Nohemí y Jocelyn. Entregó su vida al Señor en el 2014 y con un corazón servicial ha dispuesto su vida al ministerio para lo que Dios le ha llamado.

Norberto is originally from Veracruz Mexico and has been married to Julie since 2003. Their children are Yajaira, Yasmín, Emmanuel, Nohemí and Jocelyn. He gave his life to the Lord in 2014 and with a helpful heart he has prepared his life for the ministry for which God has called him.

Jaime nació y creció en Reynosa Tamaulipas donde desde muy joven su enfoque siempre fue el trabajo y los negocios. Se casó con Marissa y Dios les dio la bendición de tener tres hijos, Jaime Jr., Daniel y Julián. En el 2010 comenzó a asistir a la iglesia, pero no fue sino hasta el 2013 que Dios le llamó para rendir su corazón a Él. Ahora Dios se ha vuelto su prioridad de vida, entendiendo que todo lo que tiene y lo que es le pertenece a Cristo, por lo tanto, ha decidido servirle dentro de la iglesia con los dones que Dios le ha dado.

Jaime was born and raised in Reynosa Tamaulipas where from a very young age his focus was always on work and business. He married Marissa and God blessed them with three children, Jaime Jr., Daniel and Julián. In 2010 he began attending church, but it was not until 2013 that God called him to surrender his heart to Him. Now God has become his priority in life, understanding that everything he has and what he is belongs to Him. Christ, therefore, has decided to serve him within the church with the gifts that God has given him.

Grant has a bachelor’s degree in science for Civil Engineering. He is currently a full time Engineer-in-Training (EIT) at KCI Technologies office in Mission, TX. He has hopes of attending seminary in the future.

He accepted Christ as Savior when he was 4 years old on a camping trip to Colorado. Raised in a pastor’s home, he is the third child of Pastor Ruben & Nancy Martinez.

Grant teaches 9-12 grade students Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings plus a devotional/social event on Friday evenings at Living Word.

He is a familiar figure in the Worship sound booth where he serves as the mixer for the worship team. His passion is to point people to Christ and help them find and grow in relationship to HIM.

Grant is married to Ayssa Martinez. The couple are parents of two daughters, Riley Cadence Martinez born in September 2016 and Natalie Joy Martinez born in August 2018 plus a son Jackson Grant born in January 2022.

Nathan grew up as a military kid and spent his childhood everywhere from San Antonio to England. At 9 years of age while at a Christian youth camp, he trusted Christ to be His Savior. When he was 13, his parents were called back home to the Rio Grande Valley, and Nate has been here ever since, attending Living Word EFC since October 1994.

Nate married his high school sweetheart, Kendra, at 20 years old and has been blessed by the Lord to have 7 beautiful children: Kenneth, Margaux, Ezra, Teiarose, Tabitha, Cassidy, and Chloe. Nate practiced as a registered nurse for 10 years, working in pediatric intensive care where he witnessed God's miracles on a regular basis!

He now works in a local clinic as a nurse practitioner. His passions are people, music, and God's love for His people! Nate started serving on the Living Word worship team in 1999 and loves to exalt the beautiful forgiveness we have with our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ!

Ana was born in Rio Bravo, Tamps., Mexico. Where at the age of 4, Ana felt a desperate desire to live in the house of God and become a Catholic Nun. At 6 years old, Ana and her family became legal residents of the USA and at the age of 19, Ana and her dad were sworn in as American citizens in the same ceremony. At the age of 23 she received Christ as her savior. As a migrant Farm worker Ana fell in love with the Red Skies of Montana and the pine trees of Wisconsin and Washington State. Ana earned her AAS in Business Administration and her second AAS as a legal secretary. Ana married Pete Villanueva in 1994 and they have four grown daughters plus two son-in-laws. Pete and Ana have been attending Living Word for 20 years, in which time Ana has served in various departments and ministries such as Nursery, Woman's, Youth, Sunday School teacher, AWANA, Warriors Club and Children's Church Ministries. Ana loves to see the children's faces when Bible stories of the Old and New Testament come to life through the application of the story in their own lives. She now leads the Women's Ministry plus helping the LW Bookkeeper by entering the church's financial data into its financial software app for easier reporting to the congregation.

Kris was born, raised and raised her family in Southern Wisconsin. She, her parents, & siblings were reached with the gospel by the First Baptist Church of Clinton, WI and Kris gave her life to Christ at bible camp when she was eight years old. She felt called to missions at a young age but other things in life took precedence for many years. Kris has two children, Ellen and Patrick and four grandchildren. Kris was a trained dental assistant and dental assistant instructor. Later she and her mother, Shirley Driscoll, owned and operated a restaurant for eleven years and next she managed the school food service operations for two Wisconsin school districts. The opportunity for missions came to Kris in 1996 and 1997 when she went on short term mission trips to Honduras. Kris became a full time missionary in 1998 serving with the EFCA until 2007 in Tegucigalpa Honduras. She has been in the Valley since 2007 working as a missionary in the U.S. with EFCA Hispanic Ministries and retired in 2020. She serves Living Word as the Women's Ministry Assistant Director.

Doraly was born in Veracruz Mexico. She prepared in university for International Business, but God prepared her for the care of family and the church. Doraly trusted God at the age of 21 and married Pastor Luis Castañeda in 2009 and is now the mom of two daughters, Ximena and Julieta. From the first day as a believer, she has served the Lord by teaching children and women through the Bible. Doraly has Biblical certificates from RGBI and SWBTS as well as preparation for Bible counseling in Mexico.

Doraly nació en Veracruz México. Se preparó en la universidad para Negocios Internacionales, pero Dios la preparó para el cuidado de la familia y la iglesia. Doraly confió en Dios a los 21 años y se casó con el pastor Luis Castañeda en 2009, y ahora es mamá de dos hijas Ximena and Julieta. Desde el primer día como creyente, sirve al Señor enseñando a niños y mujeres a través de la Biblia. Doraly tiene certificados bíblicos de RGBI y SWBTS así como preparación bíblica para consejería en México.

Christy was born (1981) and raised in Corpus Christi, TX. From birth she was taught to know and love God. Growing up in a Christian home where her family attended church faithfully throughout her childhood, she does not recall a time when she didn’t know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Christy married David Martinez in 2000 and together they moved to McAllen, TX. She graduated from UTPA with her BA in Communication Studies in 2003. Christy and David have been blessed with three sons: Shaun, Cole, and Jace. Their family has attended Living Word since 2015. Christy is a stay at home mom who homeschools and runs an essential oil business. She loves to learn about education and her desire is to serve God and His people.