Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi

The Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi (TEC) has a significant role in the history and culture of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), dating back to the early 1960s. It all started with the establishment of Oasis Hospital in Al Ain by Evangelicals such as Dr. Pat Kennedy and Dr. Marian Kennedy. They showed Christ-centered compassion towards the Emirati people.

In the 1970s, Carl and Barbara Sherbeck, members of the hospital's governing body, Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM), initiated the move to Abu Dhabi. Their efforts to build strong relationships with the UAE government resulted in the formation of a community through Bible studies, which soon required larger meeting spaces. With government approval, TEAM received land to build the TEAM Center, where Evangelicals gathered for fourteen years.

A significant moment occurred when His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, offered land for the construction of a worship center to accommodate the growing evangelical community. This generous gesture led to the establishment of the new worship center in 1992, opposite the British School Al Khubairat, marking the birth of TEC. Over time, the church expanded and renovated to accommodate its growing congregation, hosting thousands of worshippers weekly.

Today, the Evangelical Community Church serves as a vibrant community hub for thousands of Christians in Abu Dhabi, providing worship services, singing, prayer, children and youth ministries, and Bible study. The church expresses gratitude towards the UAE rulers for their ongoing support and for providing a space where Christian churches can worship freely and legally.