The Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association was founded by Jacob Albright, a German-speaking Christian influenced by John Wesley and the Methodist movement. The first meetings were held in 1803, and a Book of Discipline was introduced six years later. In 1816, the church took on the name "The Evangelical Association". Then in 1891, some members of the Evangelical Association left to form the "United Evangelical Church". Thirty-one years later the two groups reunited and renamed themselves "The Evangelical Church".

In 1946, the Evangelical Church merged with the United Brethren in Christ at a meeting in Johnstown, PA to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. This body, in turn, united with the American Methodist Church in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church.

For information on evangelicals and the evangelical movement, see Evangelicalism. Evangelische Gemeinschaft (Methodismus)