our pastor

Bishop Abel F. Aguilar is Pastor of Christian Tabernacle Church in Santa Ana, California, and has been so for the last 19 years. Before beginning his pastorship, he served as National Youth President of the Apostolic Assembly for eight years during separate terms (1970-1974, 1976-1980). During his administration, many productive financial programs aimed at assisting foreign missionaries were implemented and still remain in effect today. During the two-year gap between terms, Bishop Aguilar started a church in Del Rosa, California, with his father, mother and three siblings. During that short pastorship, he, along with the rest of the congregants, were able to secure a loan to purchase a church building. That building remains property of the Apostolic Assembly to date.

Upon completion of his second term as National Youth President Bishop Aguilar assumed responsibilities as Principal of Apostolic Christian Academy in San Jose, California. After the first school year, he was given the opportunity to pastor the 2nd Apostolic Church in San Jose. He took a congregation size of 25 and in eight years grew to over 350 people.

In April of 1989, Bishop Aguilar moved with his family to Southern California and started an all English mission work in Irvine, California, Christian Faith Center. After a short one-year period there he assumed the pastorship of the 1st Apostolic Church in Santa Ana, California, a small neighborhood church of over 200 congregants pastored by pioneer pastor and Bishop Aguilar’s father-in-law, Francisco R. Meza. It was on August 20, 1990, when he took this church. The first order of business was to move out of the neighborhood and centralize somewhere where the Gospel could be expanded. That place was found in 1991 when the old West Coast Theater in downtown Santa Ana went up for sale. After a seven-year remodeling and upgrading process Christian Tabernacle church was dedicated to the honor and glory of God in October of 1998.

Bishop Aguilar currently serves on the General Board of Directors of the Apostolic Assembly as Secretary of National Missions. He has also served in leadership positions on various district levels, as well as on several committees of the Apostolic Assembly ranging from Restoration policies to church planting and evangelism. Along with the pastoral calling on his life, Bishop Aguilar has had the privilege to travel to 18 different countries of the world in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In each of those countries, countless thousands have been impacted by his truly international ministry. After many years of pastoring Bishop Aguilar pursued a life-long dream to complete his education, graduating from Vanguard University in 2003 with highest honors in Psychology (B.A.). He was also nominated and named in a publishing "Outstanding Young Men of America" in 1979, an organization that recognizes people who have accomplished work towards mankind.

Bishop Aguilar is a husband of 36 years, this year, to the love of his life Cesiah, father to three children, all who are married and serve in ministry. Jason and his wife Christine are pastors of Christian Tabernacle New York on Long Island. Jeffrey and his wife Yamile are pastors of Christian Tabernacle Houston in Texas. Jamie and her husband Jorge are assistants in ministry at Christian Tabernacle Santa Ana, California. Bishop Aguilar is a proud grandfather of 6 grandchildren; Aryana Janae (12), Adena Christine (6), Balian Jeffrey (3), Eliana Grace (1), Hosea Michael (1), and Sybella Jamie (1).