HISTORY

Evangelical Student Fellowship was founded in Seoul Korea in 1976 by some Christian students who were concerned about world evangelism through reaching out to college students. In late 1970s and early 1980s, several alumni of Evangelical Student Fellowship in Korea came to U.S.A. as immigrants and began to pray to continue the campus ministry for young students in U.S.A.

In 1986 Timothy Hong, who was one of staff in Korea Evangelical Student Fellowship, came to Chicago and started a campus ministry at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus with several Korean American Christian students.   Then on February 22nd in 1989 the ministry was registered at the state of Illinois as a Not For Profit Religious Organization.

During the first several years the ministry had been focused only on the students at U.I.C but from early 1990s the ministry was extended to the students at other campuses in Chicago area, such as Oakton community college, Truman college, Northeastern university, De Paul university.

In  April, 1994   the ministry purchased a church building, which is located at 4601-11 N. Lawndale, Chicago, IL 60625.  In August 2002, the ministry purchased a new building located at 6050 W. Touhy, Chicago, IL  and has moved to the new location.

Currently the ministry is serving international students and multi-culturally diverse people in the city of Chicago that are from 26 different countries through worship gatherings, small group gatherings, house group fellowships, language and mission trainings, and leadership trainings.  The ministry also offers a ministry for the homeless, a ministry for Muslims, a recovery ministry, and a ministry for single mothers.

Foreign missions – Some of our alumni and trained leaders who have returned to their home countries are working as full time or part time campus ministers in several different countries such as Peru, Dominican Republic, Philippines, India, Benin and Cuba. 

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of E.S.F are;

1. Reaching out to people of all nations with the gospel of Christ, making Christ’s disciples of them and sending them to the end of the earth to preach the gospel (Matthew 28:16-20).

2. Building up God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven through reconciling grace of Christ for all people regardless of race, sex or status (Revelation 7: 9-10; Galatians 3:26-29).

3. Transforming people’s lives through the love of God, the grace of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit.