Learn about our rich history
The story of Evangel Church represents a rich history, dating back to the year 1911, and the first family of Wilhelmina Simmat. She, her family, and a 16-year-old boy named Carl Loenser emigrated from Germany to the United States. They settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey and just three years later in 1914, Mrs. Simmat began small group meetings in her home. As the group grew, the Simmat home became too small, so they moved to a storefront building on Newpoint Road in Elizabeth. She encouraged Carl Loenser to go to Bible school, and after attending Bethany Bible College in Newark and becoming ordained, Rev. Loenser became the first Pastor of the growing church.
In 1917…
the congregation moved to another store building at 634 Elizabeth Avenue where services were still conducted in German. In 1924, on Palm Sunday, the first Ebenezer Church building on East Jersey Street in Elizabeth was dedicated to the Lord. The name “Ebenezer” was chosen because of the Scripture in 1 Samuel 7:12, “then Samuel took a stone … and named it Ebenezer, Thus far has the Lord helped us.’” Services then began to be held in English.
On June 11, 1956…
the Church Board purchased land on Broad Street, and the name was changed to Evangel Church. It was dedicated to the Lord on November 5, 1961.
In the Fall of 1980…
ground was broken for the present building in Scotch Plains. It was dedicated to the Lord in December 1981, complete with a sanctuary seating 950, a number of Sunday School rooms, an office area, and a gym for various fellowship and recreational activities. An addition to the church was completed in 2004, increasing the number of Sunday School rooms, adding more offices, a second kitchen, a multi-purpose room, a beautiful chapel, and more parking space.
Evangel’s Rich History
Expanding our sanctuary…
…to reach more lives
Unifying & multiplying
In May 2013…
Pastor Chris Morante became the Senior Pastor, and he has been a blessing to Evangel as he’s led the staff and congregation. As he sought the Lord’s leading for the future of Evangel, the phrase ‘unify and multiply’ continually came to mind. After much prayer, the leadership agreed that to live out our vision of Changed Lives, Changing Communities, we would branch out into the surrounding area.
Through the Lord’s guidance, Pastor Chris connected with Pastor Leslie Samuel of Metro Park Church in Woodbridge and discovered that they were like-minded with a passion to reach their communities with the Gospel. After much prayer and careful consideration, the leadership of Evangel Church and Metro Park Church decided that it was indeed the Lord’s will for us to merge together. On June 9, 2020, both congregations confirmed this by vote, and Evangel Woodbridge was born! We believe that we are better together, and we look forward to how the Lord will use us to live on mission both across the street and around the world!
In April 2021…
Evangel became one church in multiple locations with the launch of Evangel Woodbridge.
Over the past hundred-plus years, the church has grown from a small German-speaking church in 1914 to a large and diverse community with people from nearly every corner of the globe worshiping together in 2021. We are excited to see what God does in and through Evangel over the next hundred years!