At first, they weren’t sure what this would look like, but they began meeting in a small hotel, Casa Branca, where they were staying in Vale Judeu near Vilamoura. Initially, services were held in Portuguese, but when more English speakers began attending than Portuguese, they realised there was a clear need for an English-speaking church in the area. From that point on, they focused primarily on serving the expat community around them.

Every Saturday, they set up a stall at Loulé market, and on numerous occasions, they stood at the arrivals area of Faro Airport, handing out invitations to people getting off the planes. Before long, the group began to grow, and the meetings then moved into a local restaurant while they searched for a more permanent solution.

Incredibly, through donations from the small congregation and supporters in Holland, UK and Switzerland, Peter and Marianne were able to purchase 6,500 m² of land in Vale Judeu (in the name of the Algarve Mission). This would eventually become the campus of what is now the International Evangelical Church of the Algarve.


The land they purchased was an abandoned farm with some ruins and a few olive and carob trees. The first service held on the property took place under an almond tree. These were people of faith, believing that God would transform a barren plot of land into a place of worship.

Strength to strength

The church community grew from strength to strength. Over time, they renovated some of the old buildings on the property, where Peter and Marianne lived, and services were held in their living room - which soon became too small. A large tent, affectionately nicknamed the “Canvas Cathedral,” then became the sanctuary. Sadly, this didn’t last long, as winter storms blew the tent twice into the neighbouring property!

These setbacks motivated the congregation to begin raising funds to build a purpose-built sanctuary. Peter and Marianne were people of great vision and foresight, and they believed there would one day be a need for a building that could seat 250 people. Today, that very auditorium - built in the style of an amphitheatre - is filled to capacity twice every Sunday: once for the English service at 10:30 a.m. and again for the Portuguese service at 5:00 p.m. In addition, Slavic services are held during the week.

We now have three full-time pastors: Mark Loney (English), Barry Henry (Portuguese), and Serhii Antypenko (Slavic), as well as a youth pastor, Glenn Bowden, and a children’s worker, Matt Forman.


When Peter and Marianne retired in 2008, they graciously handed over the leadership of IECA to Pastor Mark Loney and his wife Judith, originally from Northern Ireland, who have continued to grow the ministry, particularly among the youth and Portuguese communities.

All of the buildings have since been restored and are now used for a variety of activities: three weeks of summer camps (Camp Portugal), a coffee shop, a Bible garden, Bible school, youth programs, men’s breakfasts, women’s events, art classes, and much more.

We lovingly call our church “The Village on the Hill,” and it is our vision to be a community that loves God, one another and seek to share the love of Jesus with the people of the Algarve.

You are most welcome to come and join us.

For more information, please contact the IECA on (+351) 289 328 635 or (+351) 965 230 946 or visit their website by clicking here.