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Mike Evans and his wife Jill, both became followers of Jesus Christ in the days following two traumatic events in 1979: the destruction of their house by a tornado and the death of their daughter Jasmine to Cystic Fibrosis. The Evans’ were involved in a church start just a year after their conversion. Two years later God’s call to prepare for full-time ministry became clearer and the Evans’ were sent to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
While at Moody Mike was called to pastor a church in the Chicago suburbs which he did for six years. Mike graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a degree in Pastoral Training and Evangelism and continued in Moody Graduate School.
Mike joined the staff of a mission agency and eventually got involved training church planters in Eastern Europe when God made it clear he was to return to the U.S. and plant a church in a smaller community with a significant need.
Jill and Mike researched church planting opportunities but connected with Tom Nebel who coordinated the church planting work with the Great Lakes Baptist Conference (GLBC). The vision for church planting in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan compelled them to check out 11 communities before determining God was pointing them toward New Richmond.
After being approved as a church planting candidate by the GLBC, the call of the Elders of Faith Community Church of Hudson to plant their first daughter church was confirmed. The Evans’ moved to New Richmond in July of 1996. The church had its public launch in March 1997 and since that time God has positioned Faith Community Church of New Richmond as a significant influence in the community.
The St Croix Valley LEAD Team was formed as part of Converge Great Lakes and through the LEAD team churches have now been planted in River Falls, Somerset, Baldwin and Stillwater. MN. In 2008, Mike was asked by the Baptist General Conference (now known as Converge Worldwide) to invest three months working with English-speaking international churches throughout Europe, to assess their readiness to plant churches. Currently, Mike serves as part of a team within Converge Worldwide known as A2:5. Their objective is to pursue opportunities to plant English-speaking international churches in key cities around the world.
Mike has served as a pastor, missionary, church planter, coach, and a Converge Great Lakes overseer. Now, while Mike continues to serve Faith Community Church as Lead Pastor, he will invest 30% of his time to direct the church planting work for Converge Great Lakes throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Jill and Mike have been married since 1975. Their son and family live in New Richmond, WI. The Evan's also adopted their daughter at birth in 1998.
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