There is only one living and true God who is an eternal, infinite, uncreated, and immutable Spirit (John 4:24). The Scriptures declare that God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent - perfect in all His attributes. He is one in essence yet existing in three persons, defined as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
God the Father, the First Person of the Trinity, is revealed to us as the Creator, Sustainer, and the Ruler of all things (1 Chronicles 29:11). His engagement with the universe is not limited to His initial acts of creation but to His continual provision of endless mercies and providential workings throughout human history (Psalm 145:9, Matthew 5:45). Though Sovereign over all, he is neither the author of evil nor approver of sin (1 Peter 1:16).
His fatherhood is recognized within His connection to the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. Although He is God over all flesh (Jeremiah 32:27), not all humans can relate to Him nor experience Him as their spiritual Father. This right has only been granted to those who have been adopted into His spiritual family by receiving the Son through repentance and faith (John 1:12).
God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, is the exact imprint of the nature of God, meaning that He perfectly shares and displays the divine qualities and excellencies of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). It is through the Son that the Father created and is currently upholding and sustaining the universe (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:3).
Though eternal and uncreated, God the Son entered into the world as a true human, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, yet was without sin (John 8:46, Galatians 4:4-5). The incarnation of the Son does not mean that He lost His divine nature or attributes but that He willfully surrendered His majesty and status of glory that He shared with the Father from eternity past for the sake of our salvation (John 17:5, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 2:9). The incarnation clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man, being the only means of salvation for all by the shedding of His blood. After his salvific mission on earth was finished, God the Son resurrected bodily, ascended into heaven, is currently seated at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and will one day physically return to the earth to judge the living and the dead (Luke 24:39, Acts 1:11, Hebrews 4:14-16).
God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is proven to be more than a powerful force or impersonal energy. He is a true divine person, possessing all the qualities of personality and deity which include His own mind (1 Corinthians 2:10-13), will (1 Corinthians 12:11) and emotions (Ephesians 4:30), while being described as omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent (Isaiah 40:13-14, Psalm 139:7-8, Acts 1:8).
The activity of the Holy Spirit includes His partnership with the Father and the Son in the work of creation (Job 33:4), the incarnation (Luke 1:35), the resurrection (Romans 8:11), and our sanctification (Ephesians 3:16). His engagement with the unregenerate is mainly defined by convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), while He seals, indwells, empowers, transforms, and teaches those who have put their faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18, Ephesians 1:13, 1 John 2:27).
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent by the Son from the Father to glorify Christ on the earth (John 15:26, 16:14). He does so by building up the Church as He administers gifts according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:11) and fills His people with His power for the sake of faithful witness by word and deed (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:18).
The Bible in its totality is God’s sufficient and final revelation to mankind concerning the nature and character of God, saving knowledge, true religion, and obedience to His will. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the only inspired, inerrant, and infallible rule of faith and practice (Proverbs 30:5-6, 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21).
We believe that the Word of God was ultimately authored by God, but was given to us in its original form through the penmanship of human vessels. The Scriptures testify that the Holy Spirit moved upon certain men to record divine revelation without error or fault while maintaining their unique personalities and writing styles (2 Peter 1:20-21). Through this miraculous process, mankind has been granted all that God desired and needed to express by means of dual authorship.
Humans were originally created by God in His own image, free from sin and corruption. It was through the temptation of Satan and the free will of humans that our ‘first parents’ voluntarily transgressed against God, causing them to fall from their original state of holiness and righteousness. This act of rebellion caused the human race to be infected with a sinful nature by birth, inheriting the condemnation of God due to our rebellion against Him. Humans are therefore born with a disposition to break God’s commands and laws, naturally walking in a lifestyle and mindset opposed to His word. (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 1:21; Romans 3:23)
We believe that salvation is the redemption of the entire individual (body, soul and spirit) and is offered freely by the grace of God to those who repent and believe in the sacrificial and substitutionary life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The moment one puts their faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, they pass from death to life and are accepted by the Father as wholly justified. It is solely by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that one may be saved from the judgment and wrath of God that rests on every human being. (John 3:36; John 14:6; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10)
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, which is made up of born again believers who have put their faith in Him. According to the commands of Christ, Christians are to be a part of the Church expressed in local assemblies for the purpose of accountability, discipleship, Christian service, hearing of God’s word, corporate worship/prayer, and being equipped for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:42-46, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:11-14)
Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ, calling every believer to identify with his death and resurrection by being immersed in water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This ordinance is an outward sign of giving oneself to God and walking in the newness of life found in Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38)
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ, expressed by the eating of bread and the drinking of wine for the sake of remembering the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ. It has in no sense a sanctifying or saving work but is designed to commemorate His death, creating a heart of thanksgiving and joy in the believer. (Matthew 26:26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
According to His promise, the Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily for His church and will establish his kingdom on the earth for all time. Believers in Christ will be redeemed with their Lord and will be translated into eternal glory. On the other hand, non-believers will experience the judgment of God for rejecting the free gift of salvation with eternal punishment. (Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10)
After death, the bodies of all humans return to dust but their spirits return immediately to God. The righteous will rest with Him while the wicked will be reserved in darkness until judgment. On the final day, the bodies of both the righteous and wicked will be raised. Those who are saved will enter into eternal life with Christ in heaven whereas the wicked will enter into eternal conscious punishment in hell. (Daniel 12:3, John 5:24-25, John 11:25-26, Romans 6:5)
To welcome people into God's family, nurture them in Christ through His Word and Spirit, and equip them to be His light in the world.
Our church embraces the values in its name, "United":
We strive to deeply understand one another and the needs of the world, listening, empathizing, and offering comfort through Christ's love.
We are called to glorify God, spread the Gospel, and serve humanity through acts of service, justice, and compassion, reflecting a higher standard of living in Christ.
We are committed to acting with integrity in both teachings and actions, emphasizing ethical living and transparency in ministry.
The pursuit of truth, as found in the Bible, is central to our faith. God's Word is the transforming power in our lives.
We build each other up with support, affirmation, and strength, helping believers remain faithful and united in love.
We focus on making disciples through small groups, Bible studies, and mentoring, following Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Evangelical ministry among the Arab community in Chicago began in 1972, when God used Rev. Farah Fakhoury, Rev. Soweilm Sidhom, and Rev. Issa Fakhoury to shepherd His church, alongside the ministry of Brother Youssef Girgis. The congregation was initially established under the name United Arab Evangelical Church.
During its early years, the church met for worship in various locations because it did not yet have a permanent building. Over the years, the congregation was affiliated with several evangelical denominations, the last of which was the Presbyterian Church (USA).
In 1991, the church became an independent congregation, received its own official charter, and adopted the name United Evangelical Church of Chicago as a non-denominational church. The congregation purchased land and began constructing its own church building between 1991 and 1993. The building was officially dedicated in December 1993 and is located in Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois.
The church proclaims the gospel in both Arabic and English. Rev. Wafik Wahba became the church's first pastor in 1993, followed by several other pastors. He later returned to lead the congregation again until his resignation in 2022.
In September 2023, Rev. Wael Haddad was called to serve as the church's pastor after seven years of ministry with the Evangelical Church in Egypt and nine years of ministry in Dubai. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor of the United Evangelical Church of Chicago.