In the early 1990s, a group of young adults, with a love for their city and desire to grow in their relationship with God, formed a weekly Bible study group in the living room of an apartment in Washington Heights. The group outgrew the living room of its origins, transplanted itself to a rented daycare space and became Words of Life Christian Center, while the youngest among them—Ben Paz— emerged as its Senior Pastor. As they continued to grow in size, they moved multiple times but eventually found a home in a former pool hall in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood of the northwest Bronx.

Today Ben leads Words of Life in partnership with his wife, Teresa, with the support of a family of believers that includes teens, young adults, singles, and families who are committed to introducing the world to a real, loving, powerful and practical God.