Andrew Evans (pastor)

Infobox Person
name = Andrew Evans


image_size = 150px
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birth_date = 1935
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occupation = Pastor, Politician
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children = Ashley Evans, Russell Evans

Andrew Evans OAM (born June 1935, in India) is a Pentecostal Christian pastor in the Assemblies of God and a politician in the South Australian Legislative Council. Evans is most notable for pastoring Paradise Community Church for 30 years and founding the Family First Party.

History

Andrew L. Evans was born to missionary parents in India. From 1958 to 1960, Evans studied for Christian Ministry at the Assemblies of God Commonwealth Bible College in Brisbane (now known as Southern Cross College in Chester Hill, Sydney). He graduated with a Diploma in Theology in December 1960 and was ordained to the Ministry in 1963. He then served as a credentialed missionary with AOG World Missions in the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea from 1963 to 1969.

For 30 years, Pastor Evans served as Senior Pastor of Paradise Assembly of God in Adelaide, now known as Paradise Community Church. He was National Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Australia for 20 years, from 1977 to 1997. He was succeeded by Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church, who changed the title to National President. Andrew Evans then started the Family First Party and was elected into the Legislative Council at the 2002 state election. He retired from service in the Legislative Council July 3rd 2008 [ [http://www.sa.familyfirst.org.au/pdfs/0703%20EVANS,%20HON.%20A.L.,%20RESIGNATION.pdf The Hon Andrew Evans MLC Adjournment debate motion - Resignation, Valedictory speech and well-wishes from the Council] ] .

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:
* introduced the Bill that abolished a South Australian criminal legal anachronism, his Bill removing the bar to prosecuting people for sexual offences committed before 1 December 1982 [ [http://www.sa.familyfirst.org.au/pdfs/0703%20SEXUAL%20OFFENCES.pdf Question without Notice by the Hon Dennis Hood MLC, South Australian Legislative Council, July 3rd, 2008] ]
* introduced the motion that established the Select Committee into the Status of Fathers in South Australia [ [http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Committees/Select/LC/50/StatusofFathersinSouthAustralia/Report/Fathersreport.htm Final Report of Select Committee (tabled April 6th, 2005)] ]
* Spearheaded the defeat of the Equal Opportunity (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill which restricted freedom of speech and association [ [http://sa.familyfirst.org.au/pdfs/Family%20First%20Newsletter%20Issue%207.pdf Newsletter of the Hons Andrew Evans MLC and Dennis Hood MLC, Issue 7, p1] ]
* Compelled the State Labor Government to include an interim 2020 target for its climate change legislation [ [http://sa.familyfirst.org.au/pdfs/Family%20First%20Newsletter%20Issue%208.pdf Newsletter of the Hons Andrew Evans MLC and Dennis Hood MLC, Issue 8, p2] ]

External links

* [http://www.aogaustralia.com.au/default.asp?ContentID=1000544 A brief history of the Assemblies of God in Australia.]
* [http://sa.familyfirst.org.au Family First Party (South Australia) website]

References