Our Team

God has put together a great team.

Gilbert Thurston: Senior Pastor

Gilbert Thurston started in full-time ministry in 2000. Prior to that he owned two successful businesses. His first pastoral assignment was at New Life Christian Ministries in Maryland. There he was the Associate Pastor where he oversaw each of the church's 23 ministries in addition to speaking at about 20% of the weekend services.

Next, he worked for Rick Warren and Purpose Driven Ministries. Gilbert traveled all over North America for 3+ years training over 10,000 churches and 30,000 church leaders in how to make a bigger difference in their local community.

In the fall of 2006, Gilbert began consulting for the Chambersburg First Church of God in Chambersburg, PA (now Grand Point Church). In January of 2007, he accepted the role of Associate Pastor at the church with his primary responsibilities being the lead and teaching pastor for the church’s contemporary services. Under Gilbert’s leadership, attendance went from an average of 52 per Sunday to a peak of 550. The majority of the growth came from hundreds of people praying for the first time to ask Jesus for His forgiveness and leadership in their lives.

In late 2009, Gilbert felt a call to move to Harrisburg, PA to start a brand new church.  On October 17, 2010, Exponential Church officially launched and Gilbert served there for 14 years, helping over 100 people come to faith in Jesus, marriages were restored, addicts were set free and the church gave nearly 1 million dollars to missions!

In early 2025, while on a sabbatical in Costa Rica, God did a miracle and opened up the opportunity for Gilbert to become the new Lead Pastor at English Christian Fellowship.  Gilbert is excited about helping both expats and Ticos alike to Follow Jesus, Be Changed By Jesus, and Be on the Mission of Jesus!

Gilbert and his wife Lisa have been married for over 30 years and love to travel.

 

Caro Amador, Worship Leader

Carolina was born and raised in San José, Costa Rica. She came to faith in Christ in her early teenage years by the grace of God and has since continued to be rooted in local churches where she has grown and served. 

Carolina has served and led worship teams for a decade, in both English- and Spanish-speaking congregations. Throughout this time, she has developed a passion for serving the Lord in this ministry with excellence, humility, and authenticity.

Outside of ministry, Carolina is a business student, a music fan, and an eager reader.

Rigo Alfaro & Millie Carvajal, Mission Team Leaders

Rigo and Millie have a passion for serving holistically in transcultural contexts. They have served in various NGO’s in different regions of the world and led teams during the last 20 years. They are eager to work toward peoples and places with the least access to the gospel.

 

Jenifer Palacios, Kids Team Leader

Jennifer was born and raised in Orange County, CA. She moved to Costa Rica with her husband Ruddy and their 4 children in 2020 and began serving at ECF in 2022. Jenifer gave her life to Christ in 2012 when she completed Rooted and was baptized, and is a devoted Christian. Homeschooling her children has allowed her to to learn a great deal about teaching children and how to engage them in learning in a fun environment. God has called her to serve in the children’s ministry to help the youngest come to know and have a relationship Christ.

Josely Kladensky, Prayer Team Leader

At ECF, Josely leads the Prayer Ministry with a focus on developing a culture of listening to God, equipping intercessors, and supporting the broader church family through faithful prayer and partnership. Our vision is to see ECF shaped by prayer as its foundation and power source—a church that moves at the pace of its intercession. We envision a vibrant, unified prayer team that leads the church in humble dependence on God, helping all ministries and members walk in the paths He sets before us.

We are on the mission to cultivate a Spirit-led community of intercessors who confidently approach God in prayer (1 John 5:14–15), standing in the gap for ECF, its leaders, and its people. Rooted in the principles of the Lord’s Prayer we commit to seeking God’s will in every step, covering the church in prayer so that every activity and ministry moves under His direction.

Outside church, Josely is a  Project Manager and a certified coach who has many years of experience in operational transformation, change management, and strategic alignment focusing on many industries including education, healthcare, and technology.