Our History
AFFILIATION
We as a church are affiliated with The Evangelical Free Church of America and are a part of the New England District of the EFCA.
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous and interdependent churches and church plants united by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. We are committed to cooperate with one another in ministry and fellowship as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission which Christ has entrusted to His Church. The growing ministry of the EFCA currently extends to some 50 countries of the world.
The terms “Evangelical” and “Free” in our society have come to mean different things to different people. Though they may seem outdated to some, or watered down to others, we invite you to read the definitions below to get a glimpse of why they are foundational to us as a denomination. Though they may be older terms, they are as relevant today as when they were chosen by our EFCA forefathers.
What does “Evangelical” mean? The term “Evangelical” refers to our faith, our theology. We are committed to the proclamation of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, and to the Scriptures as being the inspired, inerrant, authoritative and sufficient Word of God.
What does “Free” mean? The term “Free” refers to our polity, our structure and organization. We are committed to a congregational form of government.
In sum, we are evangelical, which is an affirmation of our “like faith,” our theology, our theological convictions (Statement of Faith); we are free, which is an affirmation of our polity, our structure, our organization—we are autonomous, congregationally governed, and interdependent (Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws).
OUR HISTORY
God has been faithful to us through these many years as we have proclaimed the Word and Christ’s redemption for the world. The church was first started as a mission outreach of the New Haven Evangelical Free Church of which Rev. Arnold Malmberg was pastor. In 1952, visitation was done in the Shore Haven area of West Haven by the Rev. Dennis Anderson. Under the direction of Rev. Gerald Gillaspie, Assistant Pastor of the New Haven E.F. Church, a Sunday School and Prayer Service was begun in the home of Mr. and Mrs David Goodell on Easy Rudder Lane.
As the number of children grew, so did the vision of the New Haven Church. In the fall of 1953, a committee was formed by that church to oversee the West Haven Mission Project. A piece of land was purchased at the corner of Jones Hill Road and South Street far $4,500.00. In January 1954 authorization was given by the Town of West Haven for the erection of a church at an estimated cost of $18,000.00.
The building was completed and dedicated on June 6, 1954. The church was incorporated on November 2, 1955 and became known as the Evangelical Free Church of West Haven with 27 charter members.
A constitution which had been previously drawn up was adopted by the new membership. The Rev. Gerald Gillaspie served as first pastor until August 5. 1957 From there many faithful pastors and families have served this church through the decades. In September of 2018, Pastor Travis Phillips and his wife Jaime joined us from Ballston Spa, NY. He currently serves as senior pastor.
Since 1953 God has blessed this church in many ways. With the help of many the sanctuary was expanded and upgraded to multipurpose use. The property next door was purchased for classroom use. In 1999 we changed the name of the church to [New Life Church] reflect the community and culture.
Ever present has been the continued commitment to Jesus and his Word. Part of that has been a conviction that we give to the world around us through international and local missions. May God continue to be honored by this church family and may we do our part to build God’s Kingdom till he comes again.