It all began when Peter and Marianne Sluimer, along with their son Danillo, came to Portugal with the vision of planting a church in the Algarve. Little did they know that 40 years later, their dream would flourish into a vibrant community of faith, and that the property they purchased would grow into something beyond anything they could have imagined.

Today, our church sanctuary, which seats around 250 people, is filled to capacity every Sunday for two services — one in English and one in Portuguese — with an additional Slavic service during the week. Every day, there is something happening on site for all ages: worship services, Bible studies in several languages, youth and children’s activities, art classes, church walks, men’s and women’s breakfasts, a Bible school, choirs, and much more.

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To mark this special anniversary, IECA has hosted a series of celebratory events over recent months, including visits from Canon J. John from the UK and the Belfast Community Gospel Choir. Recently, we gathered for a joyful church picnic and worship in nature service at Fonte Férrea in São Brás.

This week, we are delighted to welcome back our founding pastor, Peter Sluimer, visiting from Switzerland. He will join us for our church dinner on Friday, 24th October, where 300 people will share a wonderful meal together. On Saturday, 25th October, families are invited to our Fun Fair at 3pm, led by our children’s ministry workers, Matt and Kelsey Forman.

The celebrations will culminate on Sunday, 26th October, with two special anniversary services — one in English at 10:30am, and one in Portuguese at 5pm. During these services, Peter Sluimer and others will share memories and reflections from the early days of IECA. Together, we will give thanks to God for His faithfulness through the years and look forward with anticipation to all that He will continue to do in and through our church in the decades ahead. We will enjoy a slice of cake and some coffee after the service.

If you are looking for a place to worship God and connect with other Christians, we would love to welcome you. Visit our website at iec-algarve.com for more information.

Everyone is very welcome!