A group of 60 conservative-minded Baptists in 1949, desired to establish a Biblical testimony and met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John HIll, 28 Woods Lane, Lewistown. At this meeting on August 18, 1949 they voted to form a new church, with the Rev. Joseph MacMullen as pastor. Within days, the new body of believers selected the name "Evangel Baptist Church".

The first prayer meeting was held in the Hill's garage, and the first formal worship service of the new church was held September 2, 1949 in the Lewistown Y.M.C.A. Not much more than a month later, the church voted to join the Conservative Baptist Association of America, and purchased property for a church building soon after. By February 1, 1950 church services were moved to the T.W.U.A. hall.

Ground breaking for the red brick and glass-block church was held in October 1952. The first services were held in the basement on May 3, 1952, and the cornerstone of the new building was laid October 25th of that year. The first services were held in the new sanctuary upstairs on October 14, 1956.

The church continued to grow and the Lord blessed. Classrooms were added to the west side of the building in 1970-71, air conditioning was added in 1972, and a three-story addition was constructed in 1982. A gabled roof and other improvements followed in 1991.

Evangel voted to support its first missionaries - the Rev. Elvin Peters and family, missionaries to the Belgian Congo - in December 1949. Now, 56 years later, we support 9 missionaries as well as a variety of other mission endeavors.

An AWANA program was started in 1974, with a club for "Chums", girls in grades 3-5. This was expanded to include all children of the church and many from the community in 1983, and is still going strong!

Over the years, the landlocked church struggled with the problem of limited off-street parking, but in 1994 the Lord saw fit to answer years of prayer with the purchase of the Kinsey property to the rear of the church. The mansion and surrounding acreage was sold in 1996. This left the church with adequate acreage to expand the parking lot and build a Family Life Center. Ground breaking for the FLC took place in 1999 at the kickoff event for Evangel's Golden Anniversary celebration. The FLC, its interior not yet completed, was dedicated on October 17, 1999 with Dr. Gene Wood (former pastor) being the Keynote speaker. Thanks to the work of many dedicated individuals, much work was done to complete the interior of the FLC. Due to increasing attendance and lack of space in the main buildings sanctuary, the decision was made in 2004 to renovate the gymnasium and convert it to a multi-purpose worship center. Our first service was held in the new worship center on September 12, 2004 with Pam and Kayla Simonetti doing a "mini concert" for the church family.

The completion of the FLC opened up the door to increased ministry opportunities. We now have a vibrant youth group that is reaching this community in a variety of creative ways with the life-changing message of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. Just this past February we were able to welcome well over 250 teens to our Superbowl Party where over 80 made decisions for the Lord. There is also a group of men who meet to play basketball each Thursday through the winter, volleyball tournaments at various times throughout the year, and a March Madness tournament...just to mention a few. In addition, the FLC has allowed us to free up the basement of our main building for use by the "Clothing Closet". Having been started in November of 2002 in the garage of the church's admin building, the ministry quickly grew and needed the additional space as they now welcome well over 200 people from the community on a bi-weekly basis, providing them with clothing, shoes, and a warm meal.

The Lord was very gracious to us again by opening the door for us to purchase 2 additional acres adjacent to the FLC in 2005. The campus of Evangel Baptist Church is now poised for additional growth and expansion.

Ten pastors have served Evangel Baptist, with the Rev. Dr. Darrell Wireman assuming the pastorate in March of 2001. Under his guidance and leadership, Evangel has continued to grow in numbers, their love for the Lord, and their love for each other. We know that God will continue to bless His church as we continue to work for Him.

Email:[email protected]

Website: http://www.evangel.family/