TRINITY

 628 Boston St,

 Lynn, Ma. 01905

Pastor:  Rev. Dr. Joyce Gray, Pastor...

Tel 781-598-6311

  Our worship is at 11AM  Sunday morning

We have Bible study at 3 PM on Mon. on selected weeks usually the 2nd Mon.

  From I-95 (Route 128): Take exit 44 (Route 1 South) to Walnut Street exit. Continue as below. from Route 1: Exit at Walnut Street. Take Walnut Street East to second working traffic light (flasher in between) at intersection of Myrtle Street. Bear right on Myrtle (go through flashing light to next working light) at Myrtle and Boston Street. Turn right. Church is on your left.

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	History of Trinity United Methodist Church Tower Hill Mission In 1857, the First Congregational Society of Lynn, established a Sunday School at Tower Hill. As the school grew it added a chapel (1865) on the site of our former parsonage on Laurel Street. In 1870, the main church on the Lynn Common burned down. Since the cost of rebuilding a new main Congregational Church building became too costly, the mission school and chapel closed. Methodists Purchase School and Chapel The Lynn extension of the missionary society of the Methodist Episcopal Denomination purchased the chapel in 1871. Reverend Sanford Sweetzer, from the Cliftondale Methodist Episcopal Church, preached on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 O'clock, following morning services in Saugus. Trinity Established The April 1873, the Methodist New England Conference, held in Lynn, appointed Reverend Alonzo Sanderson, to the new Tower Hill Mission as its first permanent pastor. On 7 May 1873, Sanderson, gathered his congregation of thirty-six, and officially organized Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, as a missionary arm of the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The ladies Aid Society organized the next day, and continues as Trinity's United Methodist Women. Growth of a New Congregation Soon the chapel became too small as membership increased. The membership purchased the land next to the chapel, the current site of the church, and laid the cornerstone of our present church building during a torrential rain storm on November 17 1873. The first floor quickly sprung up. The church sold the chapel for $250, and it was later moved down the street opposite Pearly Street. Trinity built the parsonage on Laurel Street in 1890, and sold the one on Walnut Street. A group home purchased the Laurel Street parsonage in 1975 for $22,500. Church built and Completed After eleven years of construction, the Trinity building was completed at a total cost of only $19,91l. A week long celebration culminated on 4 June 1885, with the dedication of the sanctuary that included a newly installed pipe organ. In addition to Bishop Randolph Foster, former Massachusetts Governor Thomas Talbot, and Henry Cabot Lodge attended the dedication. From an architectural standpoint, the building is a fine example of post Civil War Gothic design and construction. The interior of the sanctuary is two stories high and displays massive exposed cross beams against dark richly colored wainscot paneling. Remodeling of the interior sanctuary occurred in 1913, 1920, and 1948. A prominent feature of the building is the three story high steeple with a bell tower. The church building follows a design by noted architect Amos P. Cutting, of Worcester, Massachusetts. During his distinguished career, he designed and built more than seventy-five churches, factory buildings, fine residences, and other public buildings in central and eastern Massachusetts. His most prominent project remains the state library at Concord, New Hampshire. The general contractor for Trinity was C. Blanchard, of Lynn. Interior of sanctuary The stained glass windows installed in 1920 stand as memorials. The two windows with the red stars remind us of J. Frank Austin, and Rollin W. Free, who gave the supreme sacrifice during World War I. Remodeled in 1948 for the church's seventy fifth anniversary, the chancel remains a fitting memorial to PFC. Leon F. Renaud, PFC. Raymond F. Rogers, ARM 3 Richard A. Smart, and PFC John A. Wright, killed during World War II. The cross and crown stained glass window above the chancel with its Gothic design is original to the building. The stained glass window and was a gift of Reverend and Mrs. Sanderson. The round rose stained glass window in the narthex is a memorial to Harold and Martha Bodwell. The large stained glass complex Christ window facing Boston Street was given in memory of Florence Moore. The chancel memorial organ is a Rogers electronic organ that dates from 1988. The digital memorial piano was presented in December 1997 in memory of Col. Albert Hannon. Other Improvements The exterior of church building underwent major improvements in 1951, including aluminum siding and a much needed face lift. Built in 1961, the Maden Wing added office and classroom space. The roof re-shingling in 1998 cost $34,000, almost twice the cost of the original church building! Changing faces of Methodism During the 1950s in post World War II America, church memberships grew rapidly. Trinity was no exception. By the late 1950s church membership rose to 490 members and 1,200 constituents. As the turbulent 1960s and 1970s proceeded, membership. at Trinity and other Methodist churches plummeted. This development was consistent with changing societal forces and with other Methodist memberships throughout the Northeast. In 1968, the denomination merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church, and organized as the United Methodist Church. Lynn Methodist Mergers In 1974, Dorr Memorial UMC and South Street UMC merged with Trinity. A discussion ensued about the name of the new congregation. Because three churches merged the decision to keep the name Trinity remained. During this period other Lynn Methodist churches merged. First Methodist (1791), and Saint Paul's (1811), formed Christ Church in January 1968, and Lakeside (1892), and Saint Luke's (1887), merged into Wesley in June 1974. These churches became new congregations changed their names and created new identities, however Trinity did not. West Lynn Parish: The New Trinity United Methodist Church Before the church mergers in 1974, the West Lynn Parish included South Street, Boston Street, Dorr Memorial and Trinity. Reverends Kenneth Lehman and Harold Sims led the parish. Boston Street closed a few years later and the Boston Street Fund administered by the Lynn Cluster of UMC emerged from assets when the Boston Street property was sold. South Street and Dorr remained but merged into Trinity in 1974. Located at the south end of Lynn Common. today "the Gregg Neighborhood House, South Street traced its roots to 1830. It was the third oldest Methodist parish in Lynn. In Lynnhurst. Dorr Memorial began it's ministry in 1893, and served a small faithful congregation. The Church buildings burned down in 1975. The land was later sold as house lots in 1977 for $15,000. Yoke ministry and Beyond At the time of these mergers, Trinity did not strengthen. We did however, share a fifteen year successful yoke ministry with Lake Shore Park (1908), under the leadership of Reverend Wayne S. Underhill. In 1993 when Reverend Underhill retired, the decision to return to full time ministry followed. Reverend Anthony Jarek- Glidden was chosen to lead this renewed venture, but Trinity returned to part time ministry in the fall of 2000. Today Reverend Robert C. Parady continues the work begun by his faithful predecessors at Trinity, and at Essex UMC, in Essex Massachusetts. Jack Herlihy March 1998, Rev. Feburary 2002