(Swedish/Danish Evangelical Free earliest preacher of note: Fred Edquist in 1882, American EFCA founded by merger in 1950)
Began with a 1950 merger between the Evangelical Free Church of America (Swedish) and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association. The Swedish group had its formal beginnings in Boone, Iowa, at a conference held in October of 1884. Although, there is historical evidence that a Swedish preacher named Fred Edquist began preaching in McKeesport, PA

2 years earlier and named his church the first Swedish Evangelical Free Church. Also in 1884, two Norwegian-Danish groups began to worship and fellowship together in Boston, Massachusetts and Tacoma, Washington. Ultimately, the Evangelical Free Church can trace its roots back to the Church of Sweden which is the state-recognized Reformed Church of Sweden. In the 18th and 19th centuries, strict religious regulation inhibited the free practice of religion by many and many of those that did not adhere to the Church of Sweden liturgy, immigrated to America and began to set up churches “free” of government control, as in the case of Fred Edquist.
As a result of the EVFCA’s direct lineage to the Reformed Church, they are decidedly “Calvinist” in their theology and adhere to Sola Scriptura, Salvation by Faith alone through Grace in Christ Alone.