Dr. Cesar Castellanos
Founder & Senior Pastor · International Charismatic Mission
About Dr. Cesar Castellanos
To speak about Cesar Castellanos is to speak about the man God raised up in Colombia, not just to rescue his country from spiritual crisis through the preaching of the Gospel, but also to impact the world with the word of God. In 1973, a professor of philosophy who was openly an atheist challenged the young Cesar. That same day he went home and secured for himself a copy of the Scriptures and began to study the book that would transform his life completely. Eight months went by and one night, in his living room, Jesus revealed Himself to him in an extraordinary way.
After this experience he joined himself to the Church of God and was taught the doctrinal foundations of Christian living. He began to develop his ministry in the church and excelled as National Youth President, later as an evangelist and finally as a pastor. He pastored in different denominations, but it wasn't until February of 1983 that the Lord gave him a prophetic word 45 minutes long. "Dream with a large church because dreams are the language of my Spirit. The church that you will pastor will be as the stars of the heavens and the sand of the sea, such a great multitude that will not be counted." A month after that prophetic word, on March 19 of the same year, International Charismatic Mission was born.
Ministry Introduction
This church began with 8 people meeting in Cesar's living room. The first challenge he had was to reach 200 people in 6 months. This goal was reached in 3 months. After 6 months the group had more than 500 people. Each year growth has been increasing permanently. After 6 months he began Bible discipleship for those who wanted to be useful in the ministry. It was with these people that cell work began. Growth was very slow the first 8 years and only 70 cells were able to be consolidated. But in the year 1991, God revealed to Pastor Cesar the "Model of Twelve" which he began to perfect and finally implemented 2 years later. The results have been extraordinary and in 1994, cell groups grew to 1,200, in 1995 they grew to 4,000 and finally in 1996 the goal of 10,000 cells was reached. This success is directly attributed to Pastor Castellanos' vision to make a leader out of every member of his congregation.
From the time Pastor Castellanos received the confirmation to pastoral ministry, the word of God that his church would be as the stars of the heaven had been fulfilled together with his wife CLAUDIA whom he married in 1976, being blessed by the birth of 4 precious daughters. In 1989, his wife felt a strong call to enter the political field in her nation. In 1991, she became the first Christian senator in Colombia. Since then, both have been able to motivate many other Christian leaders to participate in different political fields in the nation.
In 1994, Pastor Cesar felt led to open satellite churches in the most strategic places of Bogota. At the present time, 12 of these churches are functioning in the city with great success and growth.
In 1988, he purchased a radio station and transformed it into a Christian station through which Pastor Castellanos shares his message of hope and edification to thousands who listen to him every morning during his 'Family Hour' program.
In the month of January of 1997 he decided to begin a television program in one of the most important secular stations securing a prime time slot. Every week Pastor Cesar and his wife Claudia are reaching millions of Colombians with their program: "Change Your World." The greatest challenge facing Pastor Castellanos is to train thousands of people so they can take the Gospel to the different nations of the earth and in this manner pay the debt Colombia owes the world.
