On a rise just off Possum Park Road on the north edge of Newark, Delaware, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark gathers a congregation of about 350 members under the motto warm people, joyful worship, historic roots, and a vibrant heart for missions. With roots that run back to one of the earliest Presbyterian congregations in the American colonies and a modern ministry that reaches the University of Delaware campus just minutes away, the church blends a deeply Reformed identity with hands-on outreach to international students, families, and the surrounding community.
From Head of Christiana to Possum Park Road
The congregation is the heir of one of the first Presbyterian churches in the colonies. The Head of Christiana Presbyterian Church was established in the early 1700s in Delaware. By the early twentieth century, theological liberalism had begun to penetrate the mainline denomination, and questions about the inerrancy of Scripture created an irreconcilable tension. In July 1937 the local presbytery ordered the pastor of Head of Christiana, Rev. Henry Welbon, and his faithful congregation out of their sanctuary, and the locks were changed to keep them out.
For a few years the small group continued to worship in temporary quarters. On April 12, 1942, seventeen charter members formally organized as Bible Presbyterian Church of Newark, the official beginning of the present-day congregation. In November 1946 the first worship service in a permanent home on Main Street drew 63 communicant members. The church grew steadily, and in 1963 the name was changed to Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark.
By the late 1960s the congregation of nearly 400 had outgrown the Main Street facility. Land was purchased on Possum Park Road, and the first service in the new building was held in January 1970 in what is now Fellowship Hall. Phase two of construction, completed in 1977, added a large narthex and the present 600-seat colonial sanctuary. A separate Family Life Center houses a full-size gym and additional classrooms, and the eleven-acre property provides ample parking, sports fields, and a picnic area. A house on one adjacent acre, purchased in 1989, has housed missionaries, pastoral interns, and church staff. Vacation Bible School has been offered every summer since 1943, and eleven senior pastors have served the congregation across its eight decades.
Sunday Morning in the Sanctuary
Worship is the heartbeat of the congregation. Sunday School for all ages meets at 9:30 a.m., and the morning service begins at 10:45 a.m. The service is also livestreamed on the church's Facebook page and at epcnewark.org.
The congregation describes its worship as marked by a joyful reverence. The music ministry draws on both traditional hymns and more contemporary songs, with a wide range of instruments accompanying the singing. The church's stated position on worship music holds that songs are chosen on the basis of their lyrics and musical excellence, with the choice of music left to the senior pastor and the director of music. Dr. Higo Rodrigues serves as Music Director.
Preaching is Biblical and Christ-centered, intended to minister to longtime Christians, new believers, and seekers with questions. Sermon series regularly walk through books of the Bible. Recent series have included John, Deuteronomy, Habakkuk, Ephesians, Proverbs, and Psalms, with preachers rotating among the pastoral staff and visiting guests. Visitors often ask what to wear; the church notes that Sunday attire ranges from casual to coat and tie and that no one will stand out by how they dress.
Children and Youth at Every Stage
A wide range of programming serves children from infancy through high school.
Nursery care is available during Sunday School, the Morning Service, Sunday Celebration Night, Wednesday morning Women's Bible Study, MomCo, and special services, concerts, and events. Workers arrive fifteen minutes before each gathering to ease the transition. A nursing room off the sanctuary offers a changing table, rocking chairs, audio of the service, and a few toys. Deborah Freer directs the children's ministry.
For children two and three years old, Beginner Bible Time begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs for the duration of the worship service in Room 100. Children ages four through second grade may stay in the sanctuary or exit with Junior Church just before the sermon for a parallel teaching time in the Fellowship Hall. Children's Worship Bulletins at each sanctuary entrance help younger worshipers follow along.
Children's Sunday School meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. September through May for ages two through fifth grade, using the Show Me Jesus curriculum from Great Commission Publications. Opening exercises rotate through practicing chimes, learning to sing songs for family programs, catechism bingo, word searches, card making, and crafts before students head to grade-level classrooms.
Youth ministry is led by Pastor of Youth and Families Caleb Evans, with Ministry Resident Reagan Means. Sunday School for middle school and high school meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. The fall 2026 classes are Maturity by Sinclair Ferguson for middle schoolers, taught by Elder Todd Metzler, and World Religions for high schoolers, taught by Caleb Evans.
Youth Group meets most Sunday nights from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and includes structured games, sung worship, a Bible lesson, and hang-out time. Each fall the youth ministry takes a retreat called Reality Factor with other PCA churches in Heritage Presbytery. In 2026 the group heads to NorthBay Adventure Camp in northeast Maryland, November 6 through 8. Sports Camp, a half-day program in mid-July for students entering grades 3 through 9, introduces archery, basketball, flag football, street hockey, ultimate frisbee, and other sports in a Christian atmosphere.
Music is woven into the children's and youth programs. Foundry Strings, the youth string ensemble, meets Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. during the school year, and younger children practice chimes and choir music during Sunday School opening exercises. The ensembles play at the Family Christmas Program and the Palm Sunday Family Program.
Reaching the University of Delaware
The church's location near the University of Delaware, recently rated among the top public universities in the nation, shapes much of its outreach. EP Church is the host church for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) and for International Friendships of Delaware.
Rev. Rick Gray serves as Pastor of International Ministries, with Paul Yu serving as a pastoral intern in the same area. International Friendships of Delaware runs a free English Conversation Class every Monday from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. at the INNternationale, 153 Courtney Street, Newark, and a free Dinner and Discussion every Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. from September through May at the same location. Monthly social events and sightseeing trips round out the program. The church believes it has been placed near the university for a reason and sees a kingdom responsibility to bring the gospel to bear on the campus.
Men and Women Around the Word
Both men's and women's ministries center on regular Bible study and prayer.
The Women's Bible Study and Fellowship meets on Wednesdays at 9:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The 2026 fall study is a ten-lesson series on Philippians, Living for Christ by Lydia Brownback, plus an additional week featuring a missionary speaker. The annual Salad Supper kickoff in late August introduces the new semester and the women's ministry love gift supporting training in each of the PCA's eight regions.
Men meet on Thursday mornings from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. in the Family Life Center and via Zoom, working through a thirty-six-part teaching series on systematic theology by Sinclair Ferguson titled Theology for All: Doctrine for the Christian Life. Elder Brian Warshaw leads a second men's Bible study on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall, beginning in the Gospel of Mark and rooted in Isaiah 55's call to let God's Word accomplish its purpose. Once a month on the first Thursday, The Table gathers men and their friends, neighbors, and coworkers for dinner, a speaker, and conversation, an evening explicitly meant for those who don't normally attend church. Pastor Chad Barber coordinates Prayer Partners, pairing men with others who will walk through life with them.
Sunday Nights Around the Table
Twice a month on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Fellowship Groups gather adults in the Fellowship Hall for a shared meal and a discussion of a book selected to deepen faith. The reading for the season is I Will!: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian by Thom Rainer, with books provided by the church at no charge. The children's and youth ministries run parallel programming during Fellowship Groups so that parents can attend, and children's ministry hosts a pizza dinner, Bible lesson, and activity time for those in fifth grade and below.
Walking Through Hard Places
Two ongoing ministries serve people in some of life's most difficult seasons.
DivorceCare meets on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom as a biblically based support group for those who have experienced separation and divorce. The thirteen-week program combines video teaching from leading experts with small-group conversation and creates a warm, safe environment in which participants can share or simply listen.
Freedom From Addictions is a welcoming ministry open to anyone wrestling with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, sex, or other addictive patterns, no matter where they are on the journey. Information is available through the church office.
Reaching Out to Moms
Two MomCo groups serve mothers in the area. Morning MomCo meets twice a month on Friday mornings and is geared toward moms with younger and school-age children, while MomCo Evenings meets once a month on Monday evenings for those who work or have school-age children. Both groups include a speaker or discussion, a creative activity, and time to build friendships. Childcare is available, including a homeschool room for first grade and up at the morning meetings. The fall 2026 series features speakers and topics on encouragement, health, kindergarten readiness, and gardening.
Beliefs and Church Government
Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Newark is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The church holds the Bible to be God's written, infallible Word, the final authority in all matters of faith and life, and embraces the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as its doctrinal standards, the system commonly known as the Reformed Faith.
The church's mission statement is Changing Lives Through Sharing Christ, and its vision is that each member know Christ and make Him known, according to the Word of God and for His glory alone. Members support career missionaries in every corner of the globe, as well as regional and local church planting.
The Session and Diaconate share leadership of the congregation. The Session includes Bill Zinkand (clerk), Bruce Boone, Bernie Cohen, Dennis Dietrich, David Halley, Chuck Heidel, Todd Metzler, David Rose, Paul Veenema, Bill Vinson, and Guy Webster. The Diaconate is led by Chairman Eric Hayden, Vice Chairman Billy Anderson, and Secretary Ben Mallary, with Scott Collins, Kevin Botbyl, Max Edamala, Don Gray, Don Jones, Norm Marks, Dean Nairn, and David Visser serving alongside them.
Accessibility and Welcome
The building is designed to welcome all. Wheelchair and walker seating is available in the sanctuary, and ushers can direct visitors to those spaces. An FM channel at 90.7 broadcasts the worship audio for those needing hearing assistance; personal FM radios with headphones can pick up the signal, and devices are available to borrow through Deacon Norm Marks. Families who need more space to move during the service are welcome to sit in the Narthex, where the audio of the service is also transmitted. Children's Worship Bulletins, Children's Bibles, and other aides sit in containers in the first six pews on the right side of the sanctuary.
The Property at 308 Possum Park Road
The church sits on eleven acres just off Possum Park Road, with a colonial-style 600-seat sanctuary, a separate Family Life Center with a full-size gym and classrooms, ample parking, fields for sports and community events, and a picnic area. A house on the adjacent acre has long been part of the ministry infrastructure. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Giving is collected each Sunday during the service and may also be mailed in, set up through a bank's electronic bill pay, or made online through the Vanco Mobile app, with electronic gifts processed by Vanco and recognized as 501(c)(3) tax exempt.