We are a multi-generational church who strives to demonstrate God's love by developing meaningful connections and relationships through Sunday Morning Services, Small Groups, weekly Bible Studies, Men's & Women's Ministries, Children & Youth Ministries and Outreach.
MEET THE PASTORS
Jake Merriman
LEAD PASTOR
Jake comes from South Dakota, where he grew up in the Evangelical Free Church. He trusted Christ for salvation in early childhood and felt called to ministry during his high school years. He received his degree in Religious Studies from the University of Sioux Falls and his Masters of Divinity from North American Baptist Seminary. Just before graduating Jake married his wife, Caroline.
They moved to Cheyenne in 2009, when Jake accepted the call to be an Associate Pastor at Cheyenne Evangelical Free Church. Since that time, God has blessed them with 3 daughters. In 2017, Jake was called as the Lead Pastor. He is working to see CEFC demonstrate Christ’s love as we grow in unity as His family, in maturity as His body and in spreading new life as His disciples.
Micah Labovitch
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Born and raised in Minnesota, Micah attended Northwestern College in St. Paul, graduating with Bachelor’s degrees in Pastoral Studies and Theatre Arts in 2007. He then moved to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin where he served as the Pastor of Student Ministries and Director of Adult Discipleship for six years.
In 2012 he married his incredible wife Kasia. In 2013 they moved to Portland, Oregon, where Micah attended Western Seminary. He graduated with his Masters of Divinity in 2017. The Lord brought Micah, Kasia, and their two sons to Cheyenne in early 2019 to serve as an Associate Pastor at Cheyenne Free. Micah’s current pastoral responsibilities include overseeing the Servant (Ministries) Team, Student Ministries, Children’s Ministries, and partnering with Pastor Jake in the preaching of the Word.
Vincent Tomei
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Vincent (Vin) Tomei comes to us from California, although he lived in Illinois and Philadelphia as a younger child. Raised by his Christian mother, Vin received Christ as Savior around age eight after his father's death. At 16, Vin surrendered to God's will for his life and sensed God's clear call to vocational ministry by his senior year of high school. His education includes a Bachelor's of Liberal Studies Degree with a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from Fresno State University and a Bachelor's in Music Degree from San Jose State University, studying music composition, theory, and conducting. Vin is currently working on a Master's in Worship Studies Degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, FL.
Vin and his wife, Cindy, have been married for 33 years and have three young adult sons and one daughter-in-law. Prior to serving as Associate Pastor at Cheyenne EFC, Vin served in worship ministry in several churches in California and Washington state. Vin and Cindy also toured with the Continentals, and Vin directed five tours throughout the U.S. and Europe. Vin's current pastoral responsibilities include worship, missions, and outreach.
CHURCH HISTORY
The story of Cheyenne Evangelical Free Church actually began in Greeley Colorado. In March 1978, Mountain View EFC began outreach efforts in Cheyenne, WY. Eventually a Bible study began among 5 couples; that meeting, January 7, 1980 at the home of Mick and Sherri Merrill, was the first formal meeting of Cheyenne Evangelical Free Church.
A group of pastors met, Jan 22, 1980, to begin the process that would lead to the official creation of Cheyenne Evangelical Free Church. On March 22, 1980, 10 charter members ratified the constitution and were received into membership as the new congregation of Cheyenne Evangelical Free Church (CEFC). The first public worship service was held on April 13, 1980 at the YWCA playhouse.
On May 10, 1981, as the congregation grew, the church called its first pastor, Dave Blossom. In June of 1982, the church rented the "Carriage House" at 1721 Warren Avenue. Soon an opportunity came to purchase the former Covenant Church building at 1826 East 17th Street. That purchase was completed in 1983.
On June 20, 1989 after serving as the EFCA District Superintendent in the Pacific Northwest, Pastor Vic Walter was called to be the 3rd pastor of the congregation. He served nearly 14 years, and the church saw many changes during that time. An additional worship service was added in 1990, and a third service added in 1993. On November 1, 1992, our current property was purchased at 7006 North College Drive and dedicated. The 10,000 square foot steel building on 15.5 acres was completed, and the first worship service was held on October 1, 1995. The groundbreaking for the gym building was held on October 15, 2000.
Pastor Dave Carlson was called in 2004 and also served for 14 years. During his first 5 years, he led the church through the development of our current leadership structure, a new framework for future staffing and building developments, and of a vision to demonstrate Christ’s love to those in the church, the community and the world. During that time the church doubled in size.
In 2013, the congregation approved the expansion of the gym to add more classroom and youth activity space in order to better facilitate a growing youth group and interest in adult Sunday School. A tithe of that building expense was dedicated to the exploration and support of a new church plant in Wyoming. John Byerly was called to be a one-year church planting resident at CEFC in 2016 and has since planted Lighthouse Church in Douglas, Wyoming. That same year, Pastor Dave moved into a one-year role as an associate pastor and Jake Merriman, who had served as an associate for 8 years, was called to serve as Lead Pastor. In the fall of 2018 Pastor Dave officially retired and Pastor Jake has continued to lead and serve as the Lead Pastor ever since.