Our Purpose
The purpose of Brooklyn EFC, in accordance with the teachings of the Word of God, is to spread the Gospel for the salvation of souls, the edification of believers and their growth in grace.
Membership Information
Brooklyn EFC, like other Free Churches, is an autonomous congregational church. We are governed by God’s leading through the voting membership. This makes it imperative that our members love the Lord and understand what His Word says.
At least once a year we have a special service for baptisms. We encourage men and women, both young and old, who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, to obey Him and be baptized. This is an opportunity for us as believers to publicly express our faith and give a short testimony of what Christ means to us.
Believers who wish to become members of Brooklyn EFC should contact Pastor John Mochel. We would love you to wholeheartedly join with us in following and serving our Lord.
EFCA Statement of Faith
Adopted by the Conference on June 26, 2008
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel’s promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
What To Expect
Our Sunday Morning worship service is focused upon the Lord God and His Word. People come dressed in ties and coats and dresses as well as jeans and a t-shirt. You are welcome to sit where you want in the sanctuary. The service is not liturgical and we sing both traditional hymns and worship choruses. Sermons are delivered right from the Bible and follow the text. The offering is part of the service. Often there is special music or a testimony and during the service we have an opportunity to meet others. We offer both a nursery during the service as well as a children’s church during the sermon. The service runs about 75 minutes.
Pastor
Pastor John Mochel
Senior Pastor
Church Roots
The Evangelical Free Church traces its roots to Scandinavian pietists who were unhappy in the State-run churches. Their private worship gatherings developed into churches “free” from State control. Some of those “free” church believers moved to America. Brooklyn EFC was organized in 1882 by Swedish immigrants.
Our History
During the 1870's the Swedish pioneers met at homes to worship God. They sang their Swedish songs and read their Swedish Bibles and sometimes a visiting preacher would come. On April 18, 1882, eight men: C. Branch (chairman), L.P. Eggerstrom (trustee), N.J. Larson (trustee), John Sundstrom (trustee), John Holm, Gus Johnson, Oscar Holmes, C.H. Lundin met to form a corporation. The corporation was named the "First Swedish Christian Congregation of Brooklyn Township". The corporation papers were taken to the territorial capitol, Yankton. The papers were recorded May 25th, 1882.