Trinity Today
As the industries that had stoked the Tri-State’s growth began to decline, Huntington’s population dropped from a high of 90,000 in the 1970’s to half that today. Trinity went from a weekly attendance in the 1970 of more than 500 to a low of around 130 in 2011.
By the turn of the 21st Century, the once-grand neighborhood that had surrounded Trinity had morphed into a mixed-use urban environment.
Called on to find a new way to serve
Like urban churches everywhere—along with many of our other social institutions—Trinity had probably never been more challenged in terms of being relevant. Once a quiet city church made up largely of parishioners of wealth and privilege, the Church was suddenly called on to find new ways of serving a mostly poor, geographically dispersed area.
But when you’re an urban church, you don’t need to look far afield for opportunities to do God’s work. They’re right outside your sanctuary door.
Blessed with visionary clergy, strong lay leadership, and a renewed sense of Christian community, Trinity underwent a renaissance.
Translating the spiritual into tangible works in the world
The synergies between church and community were energizing.
We got excited again about being God’s hands and feet, and about translating the mystery of the Holy Spirit into tangible works in the world.
Trinity today is a vital, relevant, resonant place where Christian community is alive and well.
A Renaissance...
- We’ve expanded our existing ministries and introduced others.
- A new, non-traditional Wednesday night worship service, The Gathering, attracts more than 100 souls each week.
- Other outreach programs include a food and clothing pantry and a Saturday morning program that provides a hot breakfast, toiletries, and free medical care each week for as many as 200 needy community members.
- Our “kitchen ministries” this year will cook over 14,000 meals, and provide food for another 60,000 meals to some 5,000 families.
- We’ve partnered with our local food bank to get food for little or nothing for the meals we’ll serve this year.
Thanks to strategic partnerships with other churches and non-profits, Marshall University, and mainstream charities like United Way, Trinity has more than doubled its capacity for community outreach.
