Reverend Dr. Robert J. Johansson (1936-2016) was a prominent leader in New York City's evangelical community, serving his for over 50 years as the head of Evangel Christian Church and School. Born in Queens on January 4, 1936, he attended local public schools and graduated from Flushing High School. After Bible school and Roberts Wesleyan College, he entered the ministry in 1956 and pastored in Rochester, New York. In 1965, after leading three upstate New York churches, Reverend Johansson returned to New York City to lead the church his grandfather had founded. In the 1980s, seeking more space for the growing congregation, Reverend Johansson purchased the former P.S. 4 building and established Evangel School in the heart of Queens Plaza, Long Island City, Queens. By 2017, the school had grown to over 550 students and earned a reputation for academic excellence, also distributing $600,000 annually in scholarships. The church also played a vital role in providing social services to the community, organizing clothing drives and supporting residents of Pam's Place Homeless Shelter.