We Choose the jesus way

Evangel Church: We’re different!


In a culture defined by divisions, categorizing others by definitions, and labeling people according to beliefs, Evangel is different. It’s easy to separate from others who don’t think the same. But at Evangel, we don’t choose easy.


Instead, we choose love. We choose to see everyone as loved passionately by God. We choose to stay connected because we each choose Jesus. We invite the Holy Spirit to work in us, making us able to love others even when we don’t agree.


Rather than being defined by a set of beliefs, we are held together by our relationship to our Center. We are united in our love for Jesus and our discipleship to follow Him.


As we draw closer to our Center, we find, like spokes of a wheel, that we draw closer to one another. Our relationship with Jesus affects our relationships with others. We commit to treat others with respect, openness and warmth. We strive to listen deeply. We seek to share humbly. We are honest and open. We care. We look for what is good. Our commitment to each other helps makes it safe to pursue fully who God calls us to be.


Yes, our beliefs are important. We are a Christian Church, and we hold to the Christian faith. As we do, we each ask the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth. But truth is not a position. It is a person: He is Jesus. This means that truth is ultimately about a relationship. So rather than being rigid in positions, we seek to be pliable by the Holy Spirit. We strive to be open, to be growing. This does not mean that we don’t have certainty in what we believe. We are encouraged to hold to what we each have come to know to be true. Yet we are all on journeys, and so we extend grace to one another. We choose unrelenting grace.


Evangel has a proud heritage of loving and serving God in the Rochester community. We value a deep, personal and vibrant faith that is expressed in acts of care, justice and service. We are a church in and for Rochester.


Our mission statement is that we make disciples of Jesus who make disciples. Our Wesleyan tradition calls us to holiness of heart and life: to an active discipleship that transforms our daily living. Our legacy is a gospel that is both evangelical (heart transformation) and social justice (works of mercy). We value Spirit-filled worship, quality music, intergenerational discipleship, connecting with all ages, rich fellowship, a welcome extended to all and a commitment to love one another when we disagree.


God receives us all just the way we are. Yet God does not leave us there! Instead, we are given the Holy Spirit to live within us who guides us into the path of abundant life God intends.


We hold to a high authority of Scripture. We believe the Bible contains all things necessary for salvation, available to all. Yet we do not all understand this the same way. The Holy Spirit leads each person to deeper understandings and applications. This means that we do not yet expect to be of one mind on many important issues.


Our pastor and church leaders guide our church’s practices when we disagree. When people disagree with the decisions of our leaders, our leaders ask to be extended a wideness of grace.


We are a United Methodist congregation, and we are part of the Minnesota Annual Conference. We value our broader connection and commit to keep working together, even if we don’t always agree.


Evangel is different. We choose the Jesus way.


Jan. 2025 Adopted at Church Council

Our Staff

  • Senior Pastor - David Werner  dwerner@evangelum.org

       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 over 30 years and is blessed with an adult daughter, Rebekah, and her husband, Chris, 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   jklepper@evangelum.org

       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   ccraven@evangelum.org

       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.  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            office@evangelum.org

       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.

  • Media and technical Director         FSTEELE@EVANGELUM.ORG

    A transplant from the south, Fant began attending Evangel as a youth in 1998. He continued attending regularly until he left Minnesota and joined the Navy in 2006. Fant has three children; Becca, Arya, and Thomas ranging in ages from 17 to 3. Fant has a passion for board games and tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. His children share this passion and it is not uncommon for nerdy discussions to be the focus of family talks. They will also sit down and paint different figurines for these games as a family and use their imaginations to take them to worlds that can only be dreamt of. During the snow-free months Fant can be routinely seen riding a motorcycle both for fun and frugal financial fastidiousness. If you stop by his office you can regularly find the candy dish loaded with an assortment of treats with things like Mr. Goodbar, Butterfinger, and Sweet Tarts in ready supply. Fant is excited to be welcomed back into the Evangel family and already feels at home amongst the community.