Former Associate Pastor Had History of Community Involvement

A former associate pastor at West Suburban Community Church, Darin Evans was an active and well-liked member of the Elmhurst community—making his recent admission of a physical relationship with an underage member of the congregation all the more shocking.

Evans' admission was announced Sunday by West Suburban Community Church Senior Pastor Jim Lennon.

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After 11 years as associate pastor at WSCC, 825 N. Van Auken, Evans, 41, resigned at the end of last year and moved with his wife and three teenage children from his home in Villa Park to Ohio, Lennon said. 

As associate pastor of West Suburban Church, one of Evans' responsibilities was to oversee the youth ministry, Lennon said. He primarily was involved with middle school and high school-aged children.

Outside of the church, Evans was a leader of Young Life—a Christian organization that works with high school kids, but it is not affiliated with a particular church or school. 

Once very engrained in the youth community of Elmhurst, Evans is now the subject of an ongoing police investigation.

An  recognized Evans as a 10-year York High School volunteer. 

In October 2011, he was appointed to serve on the Elmhurst Commission on Youth, which sponsors the annual Character Counts Service Awards for Youth and Adults.

The Commission on Youth was established in 1995 to promote the health and well-being of Elmhurst youth, lay the groundwork for the Elmhurst District 205 mentoring program and provide youth-oriented activities. 

When Evans moved to Ohio, he joined a ministry there that works with college-age students, Lennon said, adding he has since left that ministry.

After 11 years in the congregation, Evans was considered by many to be a beloved member of the church family—and of the Elmhurst community.

"We had nothing but good reports about him," Lennon said.

Given the public reading of Evans' letter and Evans' role as a public figure, Patch has identified him by name in this story. Evans has not been charged with a crime but has been interviewed by police and remains a subject of investigation.

Anyone with information about interactions with Darin Evans should contact Detective Paul Carney at (630) 530-3206.

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