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AAEC Class of 2023 (Pennsylvania; EST)
Alex Evangelista, MDiv ’19, was born to two Salvadorean immigrant parents in Calgary, Alberta. At the age of five, his family moved to Tulare, California, where he was raised with his sister, Melissa. During his teen years, he was always spending his time at the church. As a teen, his church empowered him and led him to affirm that he was being called to ministry. He then attended Azusa Pacific University to pursue an undergraduate degree in biblical studies and theology. After university, Evangelista worked at the first nonprofit immigration resource center of the San Gabriel Valley. It was during this time that he began to see how his theology in action could make a difference in people’s lives. After his time in the greater Los Angeles area, he believed God was leading him to continue his journey of ministry, as he moved to Princeton, New Jersey, to pursue his Master of Divinity, while acclimating to weather that goes below 65F. He found myself accepting the call to serve alongside Mannofield Church in Aberdeen, Scotland. There, he experienced firsthand what it meant to walk with a congregation. He continued his journey at Princeton Seminary and was surrounded by loved ones as he graduated in May 2019. He then accepted his first call as associate pastor of Christian formation at Swarthmore Presbyterian Church.
A fun fact from Evangelista’s experience in Scotland: “This is where I learned LA Salsa from a Polish dance teacher in Aberdeen, Scotland. It seemed there was no running away from my passion for Latin music and the dancing that follows.” He enjoys spending time either teaching other people how to dance (he led dance fitness courses at the Seminary), or dancing at home or away to Bachata and Salsa music. He is also a musician, playing guitar and bass, and is always curious of where to find the next jazz lounge for a Friday night getaway. His fiancé, Andrea, is currently serving as a nurse. Evangelista describes her as intelligent, compassionate, and adventurous. You can typically find them salsa dancing, listening to jazz, or trying to figure out who found the next best restaurant on Yelp. They also have a little cat, named after King Nebuchadnezzar, though Nebbie is the name he responds to with meows.
