Edwin and Kimberly Zelaya, Professor at MEDA and Pastor/Elder, Iglesia Bautista Betania, Siguatepeque, Honduras.
Recent Update: Zelaya Update 2025 August
Edwin is a professor of Greek at the MEDA seminary as well as pastor/elder at Iglesia Bautista Betania (Bethany Baptist Church) in Siguatepeque, Honduras. MEDA (Ministerios Evangelicos De las Americas - Evangelical Ministries of the Americas) was started in 2001 by Carlos Montoya. It is a pastoral training facility and seminary, working in association with The Master's Academy International and serving pastors and church leaders throughout Latin America, offering conferences, online training, and a 4-year, on-campus degree to equip pastors in Greek, Hebrew, Hermeneutics, Preaching, and Systematic Theology. MEDA now has a second campus in Nogales, Mexico, near the U.S./Mexico border. Edwin was a member of MEDA's first graduating class. Since 2008, MEDA has graduated over 150 pastors from at least 8 different Latin American countries. Conferences have been held in El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Cuba. Edwin now teaches 2 modules of Greek each year. He loves and excels at developing mentoring relationships with his students and continues those relationships even after the students finish their studies at MEDA.
In addition to his role as professor of Greek at MEDA, Edwin is a pastor/elder at Iglesia Bautista Betania (Bethany Baptist Church) in Siguatepeque. He started as youth pastor while a student at MEDA and saw the Lord grow the youth both numerically and spiritually. Several of those from that youth group are now leaders in the church. Edwin has grown in his responsibilities and ministry at the church as the church itself has grown. When the teaching pastor, Raul Villatoro, began to decline in health during 2019, Edwin was given additional preaching and teaching responsibilities. More recently, Raul has been mostly bed-ridden with significant health issues and Edwin has taken on more teaching and preaching responsibilies. Other men are leading the youth ministries now, while Edwin and Kimberly lead a growing young marrieds ministry. They also lead a College & Career age ministry at the church. Edwin leads a monthly men's ministry, is discipling 3 men in preparation for becoming elders, and does a majority of the preaching and teaching. In March 2025, Edwin and Kimberly lead a team of 5 couples on a missions trip to Colombia. A prior MEDA graduate is on staff at a church in Colombia and is supported financially as a missionary from Betania church. Through connection with this man, Betania arranged to send their team to Colombia to provide a marriage conference for the church. Each of the men on this team from Betania taught at least one of the 8 sessions during the conference. The trip was a great success. It was well attended and greatly appreciated by members of the church in Colombia. It was great for Betania Church to see the value and fruit from their financial investment supporting this MEDA grad as a missionary in Colombia. And, it was a great opportunity for Edwin and Kimberly to spend time with these 5 couples and strengthen their relationships with these Betania leaders. Twenty years ago, Betania church's membership was almost entirely women, with only a few men attending. Now there are 30 to 50 men regularly participating in men's ministry. There are strong families active in church with men commited to great leadership. There are 4 elders leading the church, multiple deacons providing care for the needs of those in the church, and more men preparing to serve the church as elders.
When Edwin was 9 years old, his parents became Christians and began to take him to church. By the time he was 12, he became convinced that he was a sinner headed for eternal condemnation and accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. After high school, Edwin had a great desire to study the Bible, but he came from a family of very limited financial resources, and so he felt the need to study for a career that would enable him to help his family financially. He tried several times to get into college, but it soon became clear that God was closing those doors and opening the one to the path He wanted Edwin to take. Edwin was offered the opportunity to work and study at MEDA. During his time at MEDA, God opened his eyes to various doctrinal truths which he had previously misunderstood. In 2008, Edwin graduated from seminary, and in 2009, he was ordained by Iglesia Bautista Betania.
It was also during his years at seminary that he met his wife, Kimberly, daughter of Carlos and Lori Montoya. Edwin and Kimberly were married in April of 2011, and they now have 4 children - Lucas (2013), Lia (2016), Levi (2018), and Logan (2020).
Prayer Items:
- For salvation of their children.
- For Edwin and Kimberly to continue to be faithful to the Lord in their many roles and ministries.
- For completion of the new house project, including the remaining funds necessary.
- For this year's homeschooling efforts to be effective, including the formation of a new co-op effort.