Editing Futures Church (section)

==History==
The church was founded in 1922 by British evangelist [[Smith Wigglesworth]].{{citation needed|date=March 2011}}, becoming known as Adelaide [[Assembly of God]] (AOG) when a property on [[Franklin Street, Adelaide]] was purchased in 1944.<ref name="fredandbettyevans1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fredandbettyevans.com/about-our-ministry-in-australia/klemzig-and-paradise-days/|title=Fred and Betty Evans' Website » Klemzig Assembly of God (South Australia) 1976 – 1982 (Part 1)|website= Fred and Betty Evans}}</ref> In 1951 Tom Evans, a British missionary from India, became senior pastor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fredandbettyevans.com/my-years-of-training-in-bible-college-1958-1960/the-church-i-attended-as-a-youth/thomas-lever-evans-1901-1996/|title=Fred and Betty Evans' Website » My Father – Thomas Lever Evans 1901 – 1996|website= Fred and BEtty Evans}}</ref> Pastors John and Beryl Jobe commenced as senior pastors in 1959. Their vision was to move into the suburbs where the people lived, so the Franklin Street property was sold, and the church relocated to [[Payneham, South Australia|Payneham]], before it shifted to Main North East Road [[Klemzig, South Australia|Klemzig]].<ref name="fredandbettyevans1"/>

In 1970, [[Andrew Evans (pastor)|Andrew Evans]], the oldest son of Tom Evans, became the first non-founding senior pastor of what was by then called Klemzig Assembly of God.<ref name="fredandbettyevans1"/> Under his ministry the church grew from weekly [[church attendance]] of 150 to over 2,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTDIg6Ltj0E|title=Building of Paradise Assembly of God - Part 1|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

In 1982, the church moved to its current location in [[Paradise, South Australia|Paradise]], becoming known as Paradise Assembly of God, and later changing its name to Paradise Community Church. At this time, Paradise AOG also set up [[Adelaide College of Ministries|Paradise (later Adelaide) College of Ministries]], as an accredited [[bible college]] in South Australia. In 1994, members from the Paradise church formed a sister church, originally called Southside Christian Church, but later renamed [[Edge Church]]. The church also fostered the formation of [[Youth Alive Australia]].{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

In 1997 the [[contemporary worship music]] band [[Planetshakers]] was created out of the first Planetshakers Conference.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.daystar.com/events/planetshakers-live/about-planetshakers/|title=About Planetshakers |website= Daystar Television|publisher=| access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref> In 2000, Andrew Evans's youngest son Ashley and his wife Jane took over as senior [[pastor]]s at Paradise, and the Planetshakers youth movement grew.<ref>{{cite web | title=Planetshakers Music | website=Planetshakers | url=https://www.planetshakers.com/music/planetshakers/ | access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> In 2004, his eldest son<ref>{{Citation |title=Whole Leaders For The Whole World |url=https://oru.edu/about-oru/governance/board-of-trustees/russell-evans.php |access-date=2023-12-13 |language=en}}</ref> Russell and wife Sam Evans moved to [[Melbourne]] to form [[Planetshakers Church]].<ref name=":0"/>

In the 2000s, Paradise's church attendance grew to over 6,000 people, and it expanded to three other locations (Elizabeth, West, and City), introduced a Friday night service, and had become the fifth-largest church in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Million-dollar church at Paradise – Adelaide's largest – from 1983 becomes Pentecostal force spreading to USA |url=https://adelaideaz.com/articles/adelaide-evangelical-church-at-paradise-becomes-nation-force--spreading-to-us |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Adelaide AZ |language=English}}</ref>

In 2012, Paradise Community Church changed its name to Influencers Church (Global) to reflect that the church is expanding internationally.{{cn|date=March 2025}} In 2015, it was one of the biggest churches in Australia.<ref name=benns2015/>

The Evans family moved to [[Atlanta, Georgia]], US, and launched the church there, earning $631,728 in its first year there, as in Australia, all tax free. Ashley and Jane Evans with their youngest son moved into a three-storey five-bedroom, five-bathroom mansion, with a wine cellar and theatre, in Atlanta.<ref name=benns2015>{{Cite web |date=April 10, 2015|first=Matthew |last=Benns |title=South Australian Pentecostal preachers Ashley Evans and Jane Evans expand their religious enterprise into the United States |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/south-australian-pentecostal-preachers-ashley-evans-and-jane-evans-expand-their-religious-enterprise-into-the-united-states/news-story/05945daba7220691a74776797c1f4525}}</ref>

In November 2022, Influencers Church celebrated their 100th year anniversary.<ref>{{Citation |title=100 Year Celebration Re-Broadcast |publisher =Influencers Church| via =YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1myTACliad8 |language=en |access-date=2022-11-17}}</ref> In 2023, the church was renamed Futures Church.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Influencers Church to change name |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/influencers-church-to-change-name-over-connotations-and-context/news-story/592d8c0985697aa9176930f1d734befe&usg=AOvVaw0cEUeVAgGujSXwy54zSmlM&opi=89978449 |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Adelaide Now |url-access =subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://adelaideaz.com/articles/futures-new-name-in-2023-for-adelaide-megachurch-influencers-with-ongoing-overseas-ambitions|title=Futures new name for Adelaide megachurch Influencers in 2023, with ongoing overseas ambition after land sale|website=Adelaide AZ}}</ref>

In March 2025, a staff member who had previously been a youth pastor at the Salisbury branch was arrested in Atlanta, charged with allegedly sending several videos depicting child sexual abuse.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bermingham | first=Kathryn | title=Former Salisbury Futures Church pastor arrested in US for alleged possession of child abuse images | website=ABC News | date=17 March 2025 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/former-futures-church-pastor-daniel-menelaou-arrested-in-us/105060940 | access-date=18 March 2025}}</ref>