Mercedes Lopez-Miranda, Lead Pastor

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Mercedes (Meche) López-Miranda moved to Boston in 1982 to complete a graduate program in occupational therapy at Boston University.  She met Roberto Miranda through Juan and Elsie Vergara, the founding pastors of Iglesia Bautista Central, as Congregación León de Judá (CLJ) was known for its first 15 years.  Roberto and Meche were married in 1983.

Professionally, Meche served in the Early Intervention field for over 35 years. In 2018, she left her profession to serve full-time in the church.  She pastored alongside Dr. Miranda, who served as Senior Pastor from 1984 until his death in May 2022.

Meche founded Mujeres Edificando Destinos (Women Building Destinies), a ministry that has led impactful conferences for women in the New England region for the past 30 years.  She established the counseling ministry at CLJ and founded the premarital counseling program more than 20 years ago.

In her husband's absence, she has provided leadership in the congregation and officially accepted the church's call to be Lead Pastor.  As she embarks on this new stage in the life of the congregation that she loves deeply, Meche is convinced that the hand of the Lord will continue to guide and support the pastoral team, alongside its members, to continue building the Kingdom of God in the city.

During breaks from her ministerial work, Meche enjoys traveling to be with her daughters, Sonia and Abi, her sons-in-law, and her three grandchildren.

Samuel Acevedo Pastor for Social Transformation

Sam Acevedo, is the Pastor for Social Transformation at the Congregación León de Judá (CLJ) in Boston, Massachusetts.  In that capacity, in addition to his traditional pastoral duties, Pastor Sam serves as the Executive Minister overseeing Miracle Mile Ministries, a collaborative of churches devoted to a sustained, deliberate, strategic response (volunteers, nutrition, clothing, love, etc.) to the area we call "Miracle Mile" (a roughly 2-square-mile area in the South End of Boston often referred to as “Mass & Cass” or “Methadone Mile”). Pastor Sam also serves as the Board Chair of the Boston Higher Education Resource Center (HERC), after serving 23 years as its Executive Director.  Pastor Sam discovered the Iglesia Bautista Central (later to become CLJ) while attending Boston College Law School in 1990. And immediately nurtured a relationship with Pastor Roberto Miranda and Pastor Mercedes Miranda-Lopez.  “I am so grateful they took in ‘strays’”, Pastor Sam often says.  Pastor Sam and his wife, Marina, were married in July of 2001.

Rev. Jonatán Toledo, M.Div Associate Pastor, Young Adult Ministries 

Jonatán Toledo Joined Congregation Lion of Judah since 2007. He currently serves as one of our Associate Pastors overseeing our Young Adults Ministry. Prior to moving to Boston, Jonatán served five years as a short-term missionary intern in the Dominican Republic and Mexico with TIME Ministries and Camino Global, formerly CAM International.  

Jonatán is passionate about education and economic development with a driving desire to develop strategic partnerships that empower individuals, families, and small business owners through education, financial literacy, and social services. During his time in Boston, Jonatán has been deeply involved in cross-cultural ministries in urban settings, serving and empowering immigrant families through intentional long-term relationships with parents to educate and support their children. He teaches basic financial literacy courses to immigrant families helping them learn how to better manage their finances, reduce unnecessary expenses through budgeting and cash flow planning, and prioritize reducing debt.  

Jonatán holds an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Professional Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management from Harvard University. He is working towards obtaining the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. 
 

Mick Da Silva, Associate Pastor

Mick Da Silva has been a part of Congregacion Léon de Judá since 2012. He started his career as a pastor when he was very young. At the age of 16 he was already involved in pastoral ministry. He worked several years as a missionary and base director of Youth With A Mission, (YWAM). Mick had the opportunity, as a missionary, to serve in different countries in Asia, South America, North America and Africa. For more than 10 years he trained missionaries and helped them to establish their ministries around the world.