May 7, 2026 — With hope in Christ and heartfelt gratitude for his life, we announce that David Ecklebarger, founder of Spanish House Ministries and Editorial Unilit, has gone to be in the presence of God. His life and vision marked a watershed moment in the distribution and publication of Spanish-language Christian literature on a global scale.
David devoted his life to serving God through the expansion of the Christian message by means of books, making a lasting impact on millions of people throughout the Spanish-speaking world. His legacy lives on in every Bible, every published title, and every life transformed by the resources he helped make possible.
We stand in prayer with his wife, Cathy, his family, his friends, and all who mourn his passing today.
A life shaped by a calling
From an early age, David answered God’s call. In 1956, at just fourteen years old, he felt a clear sense of vocation toward missionary work through the medium of literature — a conviction that led him to enroll at the Moody Bible Institute in 1959. It was there that he met his wife, Cathy, whom he married in 1961, and together they built a family fully committed to ministry.
After graduating, he joined Moody Press in 1963. Though he initially leaned toward writing, he soon found his true passion in the world of bookselling and distribution. Under the mentorship of Dr. Ken Taylor, he gained foundational training that would shape everything that followed.
The birth of a vision
In 1967, David and his family were sent as missionaries to Panama, where they managed a Christian bookstore. It was there that he encountered firsthand the challenges of accessing Spanish-language Christian literature — an experience that ignited a groundbreaking vision: to streamline distribution through a centralized system.
A clear mission came into focus: the need for an international distribution hub that would broaden access to Christian resources in Spanish.
That vision became a reality in 1974 with the founding of Spanish House in Miami, in partnership with Ken Taylor of Tyndale House Publishers. Built around the innovative concept of “One order, one shipment, one check,” Spanish House quickly became the foremost international distributor of Spanish-language evangelical literature.
From distribution to global publishing impact
As the industry grew, so did the vision. In the late 1980s, Editorial Unilit emerged as the publishing division of Spanish House Ministries, marking the transition from distribution to the production of books, Bibles, and inspirational resources.
Its first publications included gift books aimed at the general market, alongside works by celebrated authors such as Luis Palau and Alberto Mottesi. Within a few years, Unilit had established itself as one of the leading Christian publishers in Spanish, reaching a production output of dozens of titles annually and building a catalog of hundreds of books.
In 2001, the publishing house reached a landmark milestone with the release of More Than a Carpenter, which surpassed one million copies sold in Spanish — a turning point that left an indelible mark on the industry.
Over the decades, millions of Unilit books have reached readers in more than one hundred countries, distributed through bookstores, retail shops, airports, and mass-market channels, carrying a message of faith, hope, and transformation.
A leadership that shaped an industry
Beyond his role as president of Spanish House Ministries and Editorial Unilit, David played pivotal roles in the development of the global Christian publishing industry. He was a founding member of SEPA (the Evangelical Publishers Association), the founder and president of Expolit — the premier international Spanish-language Christian literature fair, first held in Miami in 1992 — and also served as coordinator of Operation Mobilization for North America and as a member of its board of directors.
His leadership not only drove editorial growth but also strengthened missionary work around the world, supporting initiatives that have left their mark on countless nations.
A legacy that transcends generations
In 2024, Editorial Unilit celebrated 50 years of unbroken impact — a testament to a life lived in obedience, faith, and vision.
David Ecklebarger lived with a clear sense of purpose: to be a witness for Jesus Christ “to the ends of the earth.” Today, his legacy carries forward through every book, every ministry, and every life transformed.
We honor his life by committing ourselves to continue the mission he began: to bring a message of hope to the world through the written word.
