Evangel Church sits on Vaughn Road in Montgomery, where it has been a steady presence in Alabama's River Region for more than 75 years. An Assemblies of God congregation, Evangel is known for combining contemporary worship with Pentecostal conviction, running a K-12 school alongside its Sunday services, and planting a second campus in nearby Prattville.
Two Sunday Morning Services
Worship is the weekly center of life at Evangel. The Montgomery campus gathers at 10:30 AM in the sanctuary at 3975 Vaughn Road, and the Prattville campus meets at 10:00 AM inside the Willis Bradford Branch YMCA on McQueen Smith Road South. Both services follow the same shape: friendly greeters from the Serve Team, an opening set of modern, upbeat songs led by the worship team, prayer, and a Bible-based message from the preaching team.
The Montgomery service is also streamed online at evangelchurch.me/live, with a sermon archive kept on the church's Vimeo channel for anyone who wants to revisit a recent Sunday.
A first-time visitor can expect a casual environment. People wear everything from t-shirts to dress shirts. No one is asked to stand up, pray out loud, or share anything in front of the room. Children's check-in opens at 10:15 AM, and a team member is usually on hand to help a family find the right room.
A Second Campus in Prattville
The Prattville campus launched at the start of 2017 as a fresh expression of the same church family. It meets inside the Willis Bradford Branch YMCA, a familiar community gathering spot, and draws people from across Autauga County. Devon LeMaster serves as the Prattville Campus Pastor, and the service is described as energetic and growing. The Prattville stream is shared through a dedicated Facebook Live page, so anyone who cannot make it in person can still follow along.
Children, Students, and Young Adults
Children have a place of their own at Evangel. From nursery through preschool, the rooms are staffed with workers who care for the youngest attendees. Kidtricity, the elementary program for first through sixth graders, uses games and age-appropriate Bible teaching. The children's ministry is led by Keesha Jones, the Children's Director.
For middle and high school students, Evangel Youth meets Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. The student ministry is built around three commitments: welcoming first-time guests, loving returning students, and challenging them with the gospel. Students in sixth through twelfth grade are welcome.
Evangel Young Adults is a separate gathering for those between 18 and 25, meeting Sundays at 5:00 PM in the Activity Center at the Montgomery campus. The group is designed for recent high school graduates and college students looking for community and Bible teaching alongside people their own age. James Paterson serves as the Interim NextGen Pastor, overseeing the student and young adult ministries.
Lifegroups and the Serve Team
The church teaches that spiritual growth happens "in circles, not rows," and Lifegroups are the small-group arm of that conviction. Dozens of Lifegroups meet across the River Region: Sunday morning fellowship classes, home groups, Bible studies, and interest-based small groups. Newcomers are encouraged to try a few before settling into one.
For those who want to serve, the Serve Team is a volunteer network that handles greeting, worship, children's ministry, setup, and outreach. People interested in joining are asked to take a Next Steps class first. Once a month the church hosts a Welcome Party, a meal with the pastors, an overview of the church's heart, and a chance to ask questions. The Welcome Party meets after Sunday morning service, in the Media Room at Montgomery and the Children's Room at Prattville.
Two Schools on Campus
Education has long been part of Evangel's ministry in Montgomery. Evangel Christian Academy is a K-12 school whose mission is to pursue academic excellence for the glory of God while preparing students spiritually. Evangel Christian Preschool, known as ECP, serves children from six weeks old through three years old using the ABeka curriculum, a classical Bible-based program. Together they give Montgomery-area families a Christian education option at every stage. Evangel Family Christian Academy operates separately as a homeschool umbrella covering, handling records, diplomas, and academic activities for member families across Alabama.
Beliefs and Core Values
Evangel holds to the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, which include the inspiration of Scripture, the oneness of God, the deity of Jesus, humanity's fall into sin, salvation through Christ, water baptism by immersion, the Lord's Supper, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, sanctification, the mission of the church, scripturally ordained leadership, divine healing today, the rapture of the church, the millennial reign of Christ, a final judgment, and the new heavens and new earth. The full statement is at ag.org.
The church also names eight core values: Biblical Foundation, Spirit-Empowered Living, Life-Changing Worship, Contagious Faith, Generational Ministries, Faithful Service, Compassionate Generosity, and Global Partnerships.
Pastoral Team and Generosity
Mike Rippy serves as Lead Pastor. Bill LeMaster is the Administrative Pastor, Chris Moore leads worship, Devon LeMaster oversees the Prattville campus, James Paterson is the Interim NextGen Pastor, and Keesha Jones directs children's ministry. The main office can be reached at (334) 272-4882 or info@evangelchurch.me.
Evangel practices tithing and teaches that giving is a Biblical principle. Contributions can be made in person during any worship service, online through the church's giving page, or by text message to (334) 431-3002. Funds are directed toward ministry in the church family, the local community, and global partnerships.
Across two campuses, two schools, a children's wing, a student ministry, and dozens of small groups, Evangel Church has continued to invest in the Montgomery and Prattville communities that have shaped it for more than seven decades.