Occupation Pastor, Politician Name Andrew Evans | Party Family First Party | |
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Born 17 June 1935 (age 88) ( 1935-06-17 ) Children Ashley Evans, Russell Evans Role Former Member of the South Australian Legislative Council Previous office Member of the South Australian Legislative Council (2002–2008) Similar People Steve Fielding, Jacquie Petrusma, Bert van Manen, Bob Day, Robert Brokenshire | ||
Organizations founded Family First Party | ||
Andrew Lee Evans (born Wilfred Andrew Lever Evans) OAM (born 17 June 1935, in India) is a Pentecostal Christian pastor in the Assemblies of God and a former politician in the South Australian Legislative Council. Evans is most notable as pastor of the then Paradise Community Church (now Influencers Church) for 30 years and co-founding the conservative Family First Party.
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History
Andrew L. Evans was born to missionary parents Tom and Stella Evans in India, and is the older brother of pastor Fred Evans. From 1958 to 1960, Evans studied for Christian Ministry at the Assemblies of God Commonwealth Bible College in Brisbane (now known as Alphacrucis in Parramatta, Sydney). He graduated with a Diploma in Theology in December 1960 and was ordained to the Ministry in 1963. He then served as a missionary with AOG World Missions in the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea from 1963 to 1969.
From 1970 Evans served as Senior Pastor first of Klemzig Assembly of God in Adelaide, then Paradise Assembly of God when the church relocated there in 1982. In 1977 he became the National Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Australia, before being succeeded by Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church in 1997, who then changed the position's title to National President.. He retired as the senior pastor of Paradise AOG in 2000, after 30 years, when his oldest son assumed the leadership.
After retiring, Evans helped co-found the Family First Party and was elected into the Legislative Council at the 2002 state election., retiring from service on 3 July 2008.
Awards and achievements
Evans received a Doctor of Divinity from the unaccredited California Graduate School of Theology on 5 August 1981. He was also awarded a Doctor of Ministries on 20 September 1994 from the School of Theology in California. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal OAM for his service to the Christian Church 26 January 2003.
In the South Australian Parliament from 2002 to 2008, the Hon Andrew Evans MLC: