Who We ARE

We are passionate about serving our community. As a church we apply the truth of the Bible to our everyday lives and share life together as a community. On Sundays, you can expect a friendly welcome, a dynamic service, and relevant teaching. We gather collectively as a church to worship Jesus and for discipleship by hearing about Jesus from the bible, worshipping Jesus through song and giving, and serving one another through community and prayer.

We're glad you are here!


Our Staff

  • Senior Pastor - David Werner

       Pastor David has found that living for Jesus is the best possible life and that putting Him first reorients all the rest of life! Pastor David sees his purpose as helping others take the next step closer to Jesus. Before coming to Evangel in 2022, Pastor David earned a B.A. in business administration, M.Div. in pastoral ministry, M.Th. in church history and a D.Min. in church leadership and mission. His doctoral thesis and published articles explore the importance of small groups for spiritual growth. Pastor David has been married to Teresa for nearly 30 years and is blessed with an adult daughter, Rebekah, and son, Nathan. Pastor David has a passion for both travel as learning and Church history. He and his wife lead occasional Church History Study Tours around the world.

       Pastor David believes that the Wesleyan way of Christian discipleship offers a credible and dynamic path to God’s plan for abundant living. This way is inspired and led by the Holy Spirit, grounded biblically, focuses on Christian discipleship that leads to changes of behavior, understands salvation as a relationship, depends totally on God’s grace while prompting necessary response in the form of works of piety and mercy, pursues spiritual holiness of heart and life and is lived out in the healthy, holy habits of regular worship, small group accountability and acts of service.

  • Christian Education and worship director - Jim Klepper

       Years ago, Jim studied communications/journalism in college, with a goal to be a news correspondent and report the news of the world. However, the Lord led him down a different path, where his calling was not to report the world news, but to share the good news of Jesus Christ to the world!  While the career change was sudden, his ministry has been to communicate the Gospel of Jesus ever since!

       Jim and his wife Amy are the proud owners of rescue pets and are Uncle and Aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. He has met many good friends and has been a mentor to hundreds of children and youth over the years. His roles in ministry have been diverse, including Christian Education, Praise & Worship leader, and advocate for Community Outreach. 

       When Jim is not at work, you can find him hiking, biking, and enjoying outdoor adventure, including somewhat extreme sports like an occasional hang-glide, sky dive or remote snow shoeing in the northern wilderness. He also enjoys singing, sports of all kinds, photography, reading and writing, landscaping and going to concerts.

  • Associate Christian Education Director - Clancy craven

       Clancy Craven is first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. Her degree in Child Development led her to work in many positions from being a nanny, to the P.A.I.I.R. program (Parents are important in Rochester), then homeschooling her children, She started attending Evangel in 1994 when she married her husband Mike. They have 3 children, Sophie , Ezra , and Elsie and when her children were younger, Clancy shared her many talents by directing the children's choir, and sewing many of our children's fantastic costumes. She is also a wiz in the kitchen and has helped with many events. When her children were older, the position of Associate of Education became available and she found it to be just what she was looking for at the time.  

       Clancy enjoys traveling and studying the Bible from a historical perspective.

  • Office Manager - Mike Aakre

       Born in Rochester, Mike joined Evangel in 1999, but never imagined he’d be working there some 20 years later! In August of 2020, he married the love of his life, Kate Hocquard, a native of Midland, MI, and a neurologist at Olmsted Medical Center. She had no idea when she moved to Rochester for residency, she would eventually marry into a family of stubborn Norwegians. When not at work formatting Sunday bulletins, editing monthly newsletters, or listening to bad jokes from staff, Mike will be found hiking a National Park with Kate, taking care of their two dogs and three cats, drawing, painting, photographing nature, or re-reading “The Lord of the Rings” for the hundredth time.