At 5700 Bartels Road in Hanover Park, Illinois, a single church building hosts four distinct language communities who worship in English, Spanish, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and Polish every Sunday morning. Evangel Church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God, is the visible result of a vision that began in a Schaumburg living room in February 1966 and has grown into a multicultural congregation whose mission is summed up in a single phrase: "Creating Opportunities to Experience the Real Jesus."
Four Languages Under One Roof
What makes Evangel distinctive in Chicago's western suburbs is its four-language ministry model. Each Sunday, services run concurrently on the same campus:
- English at 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM
- Spanish (Evangel Español) at 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM
- Indian (Evangel Indian) at 10:45 AM in the North Chapel, with worship in Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi plus a Bible teaching in English
- Polish (Evangel Polish) at 10:45 AM
Each language community has its own pastoral couple. José and Yorleydis Bendeck lead Evangel Español; Philip and Betsy Philip lead Evangel Indian; and Radomir and Agnes Niewrzol lead Evangel Polish. Lead Pastors Ron and Tamra Heitman oversee the English ministries and the whole church, while Children's Pastor Patti Chapman coordinates Evangel Kids from infants through fifth grade.
The Indian ministry supplements its Sunday gathering with life groups that meet in homes during the week for fellowship, shared meals, prayer, singing, and Bible discussion, along with seasonal events such as summer picnics and Christmas fellowships. The Spanish-language ministry hosts "Mujeres con Propósito" (Women with Purpose) on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in Classroom 113, a weekly gathering for women to grow as women of God, wives, mothers, and leaders through Bible-centered teaching. Evangel Español's stated vision is to be "a thriving community of diverse and healthy families that impacts the Chicago area through the authentic Jesus." The Polish service on Sunday mornings includes worship, prayer, Bible teaching, a children's ministry, and a time of fellowship with coffee afterward.
Sixty Years from a Living Room Prayer Meeting
The story of Evangel Church begins with Rev. Howard Nelson. In February 1966, he felt God place a vision on his heart to begin a simple prayer gathering in the Schaumburg community. A small group met in a home, and on June 6, 1966, the church held its first public service at Winston Churchill School with approximately seventeen people in attendance.
In 1970, the congregation purchased its first three acres of land. By 1973, Rev. Paul B. Tinlin became the first full-time pastor, and a sanctuary expansion and new classrooms followed. In 1982, the church celebrated the opening of a new sanctuary in Schaumburg.
The move that defines the present campus came in 1993, when Evangel purchased property in Hanover Park off what is now Illinois Route 390. Four years later, the first worship service took place at 5700 Bartels Road, the same campus that still serves the church today. More than a new address, the new building became a launching point for a greater mission.
Beginning in 2013, the church launched new campus ministries to serve people from different cultures and languages while remaining united under one Gospel and one mission. By 2022, the Spanish, Indian, and Polish ministries had all joined the English congregation under one roof. Sixty years after that first living room prayer meeting, Evangel Church continues to write new chapters.
Sunday Mornings at Bartels Road
The church's philosophy for visitors is simple: every person, regardless of where they come from or what they are going through, has a place in God's family. Services typically run just over an hour and include dynamic worship, a biblically based sermon, a café that supports ministry partners around the world, and dedicated children's programming. Communion is observed together on the first Sunday of every month, and anyone is welcome to participate.
For first-time visitors, hosts are stationed throughout the building to help with directions and questions. A connect card filled out during the service results in a follow-up note and a free specialty drink from the café, but the church promises not to hassle anyone. After services, info booths are staffed to answer questions and offer campus tours.
Parking is available in both the front and side of the building. Families with young children are encouraged to use the front entrance for the closest access to EC Kids, which is located at the back of the mall area.
Services are livestreamed on YouTube each Sunday at 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM, with recent messages archived on the church's online platform. The Evangel HP mobile app helps members stay connected, follow events, check kids in, give, and share prayer needs.
Eight Values and Sixteen Fundamental Truths
Evangel's "What to Expect" page outlines eight values that shape the church community. Experiential Worship describes an atmosphere where people do not merely listen but interact with God's truth in prayer and contemporary worship. Process Discipleship is the commitment to making healthy, growing disciples through the Word, prayer, and personal testimony. Relational Influence means the church uses growing relationships with Jesus to create a warm, inviting home for those seeking family. Global Missions fuels financial giving, mission trips, and sending others to the uttermost parts of the earth. International Impact is the conviction that the multicultural world around the community should be welcomed into the family of God. Miraculous Expectation is the prayer that signs, wonders, and miracles would follow. Emerging Generations invests in children, students, young adults, and various people groups with creative, age-minded ministry. Active Truth treats the Bible as absolute truth, applied through interactive Bible studies, small groups, age-specific discipleship classes, and multiple worship services.
As an Assemblies of God congregation, Evangel subscribes to the denomination's Sixteen Fundamental Truths. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the verbally inspired, infallible Word of God and the authoritative rule of faith and conduct. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, and the church confesses his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary death on the cross, bodily resurrection, and exaltation to the right hand of God.
Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. The evidence of salvation is twofold: the internal witness of the Holy Spirit and the external fruit of the Spirit in a transformed life. The church teaches that believers should seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit, accompanied by the initial physical sign of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4), along with the nine gifts and nine fruits of the Spirit exercised in love and order.
Sanctification is separation from evil and dedication to God, lived out by faith. The ordinances of the church are water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper. The church also teaches divine healing as an integral part of the gospel, the imminent rapture and blessed hope of Christ's return, the millennial reign of Christ, the final judgment, and the promised new heaven and new earth described in Revelation 21 and 22. The Spanish-language ministry publishes the same Sixteen Fundamental Truths on its own page in Spanish.
Hands of Hope on Tuesdays
Every Tuesday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, neighbors come through the doors of Hands of Hope Food Pantry at 5700 Bartels Road. The pantry operates in a client-choice grocery-store format with free produce, meat, dairy, shelf-stable items, and paper products. No appointment is needed and there is no cost. Spanish-speaking assistance is available. To shop, guests bring a valid Illinois photo ID and a current utility bill in their name. Hands of Hope is not a government program and runs through the church's volunteer network, supported in part by the wider Hands of Hope organization.
Hope Projects and Missionaries Around the World
Beyond Hanover Park, Evangel channels financial and prayer support through what it calls Hope Projects. Two major partnerships are featured: Project Rescue, which works to rescue and restore victims of sexual exploitation through the love and power of God; and Convoy of Hope's "One Day to Feed the World" campaign, which channels one day's salary from donors into children's feeding initiatives, community outreach, and disaster response. The church also partners with Administer Justice, a network of more than 130 Gospel Justice Centers in 22 states providing vulnerable neighbors with legal help and the hope of God's love through local churches.
The congregation supports a large family of missionaries serving around the world. Billy and Katy Willis are U.S. Missionaries with Youth Alive, reaching students in Illinois schools. Will and Jen Jones lead GoEthne, mobilizing the church to reach unreached peoples. Bobby and Lindsay serve in a remote area of Asia Pacific with their four children. Earl and Laura Goodrich work with Africa's Hope and Pan Africa Theological Seminary. Todd and Shawndra Lucas direct Chi Alpha campus ministry across Illinois. Ben and Kathleen Struss planted International Church Bogor in Indonesia. Jeff and Mary Ann Stone serve in Morocco among Muslims and work with a house church called Maranatha. Charles and Kehinde Moodie lead Chicago City Life Center in Englewood. Jamie and Tasha Kemp pioneer campus ministry among Muslim university students in Indonesia. Manny and Barbara Mill lead Koinonia House Ministries to the incarcerated at Cook County Jail. Bill and Kim Snider are founders of Asia Pacific Media, producing Gospel content across Asia and the Pacific. Joe and Noemi Szabo teach in European Bible schools across Spain and Belgium. The church also supports missionaries serving in sensitive regions whose identities cannot be shared publicly, including fields in Spain, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Evangel Kids, Wednesday Youth, and the Dream Team
Evangel Kids serves children from infancy through fifth grade, with check-in kiosks in the mall area at the back of the building. Kids' services run concurrently with both English services at 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM. The church points parents to the YouVersion Bible App's Kids Bible Experience as a daily home resource.
Middle and high school students meet on Wednesday nights. The evening starts at 6:45 PM with games and activities in the Next Gen space, and worship begins at 7:30 PM. Students participate in age-appropriate services designed for their grade, games, and relationship-building activities meant to last a lifetime. Each summer, the ministry sponsors Breakaway Teen Camp for students coming out of sixth through twelfth grade, a week of competition, games, and Spirit-filled worship services.
For those ready to put down roots, the church offers a four-step Growth Track. Step One introduces the four core purposes of the church and how to become a member. Step Two uses personal assessments and round-table discussion to help participants understand their personality and spiritual gifts. Step Three focuses on leadership development and the standard of leadership at Evangel. Step Four helps participants connect to the right area of the Dream Team, the church's volunteer network. Water baptism by immersion is offered throughout the year as a public profession of faith in Christ, and child dedication is available for parents who want to publicly commit to raising their child in the faith. Membership is formalized through a written application and review of the church's constitution.
Pastors, Elders, and Deacons
The Lead Pastors of Evangel Church are Ron and Tamra Heitman. Pastoral couples lead each language community: José and Yorleydis Bendeck for the Spanish campus, Philip and Betsy Philip for the Indian campus, and Radomir and Agnes Niewrzol for the Polish campus. Patti Chapman serves as Children's Pastor.
Spiritual oversight is provided by elders: Gary and Michelle Etheridge, Ron and Kathy Graf, and Jack and Olena Puckett. Deacons include Victor and Janet Cuevas, Przemek Komsta, Christian and Favour Samuel, Anthony and Latrice Mular, and Phil and Angie Zuziak.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Visitors who fill out a connect card can expect a friendly follow-up and a free café drink. Giving is available online, by texting "Give" to (833) 613-5698, through the church app, or at giving stations in the building. The address is 5700 Bartels Rd., Hanover Park, IL 60133, and the main phone line is 630.671.1570.