EEFC - Our History

In 1894, a group of Elgin farmers had a vision to start an independent Sunday School and
Bible Church to preach and teach God’s word. They began meeting where the Illinois Park
School is located today. The name of the church was the Illinois Park
Union Chapel. One year later, a “little white church” was built at
1405 Wing Street where it served as their church home for the next
87 years.

In 1958, the Illinois Park Union Chapel was accepted into the
Evangelical Free Church of America. Initially, it was known as the
Illinois Park Evangelical Free Church, but later the name was
changed to the Elgin Evangelical Free Church to reflect its vision to
reach a growing city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Along with a larger vision came a larger
congregation and in 1985 a new church was built on
Big Timber Road.

For more than one hundred years, this body of
believers has been committed to the proclamation of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to the authority of
the Scriptures as the complete revelation of God’s
will for the salvation of men and the final authority for
all faith and life.