Trinity Memorial Church

Welcome to Trinity! I am so delighted that you are exploring our life as a community of Christ followers in Warren, Pennsylvania, and hope that you are considering joining us. Following Christ through participation in a community of faith is a unique and vital piece of Christian life. With us you will worship God who is present with us, grow as a disciple through the power of the Holy Spirit, and find many ways to share with the world the healing you find in Christ. As we summarize in our mission statement Trinity Celebrates God through Enriching Worship Grows through the Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit and Shares the Healing we find in Christ. During the eighteen-fifties, a small group of Episcopalians in Warren managed to hold three services to worship God, meet their spiritual needs and strengthen themselves for ministry. As our community grew, so too the need for churches where people could experience God and love one another. One hundred fifty years later, we continue this grand tradition. During the eighteen-sixties, the desire for a local Episcopal Church was increasing. In June of 1864, C. Calvin Parker came to Warren and began to hold regular services at a variety of local sites. In 1867, our congregation met for the first time in the newly constructed "Little Red Church". Over ten thousand dollars was raised locally to supplement a gift of one-thousand-two-hundred dollars in memory of Bishop Samuel Bowman. Bishop Bowman had conducted one of the first services in Warren , a service whose attendees included Thomas Struthers and Moses Beecher. In 1861, while on a train trip to the oil regions of Western Pennsylvania , Bishop Bowman’s train encountered a landslide. During the long walk around the landslide, he died of a stroke. Contributions were made in his honor to erect churches in Warren and Titusville , and these gifts in memory of Bishop Bowman are responsible for the word "memorial"; in Trinity Memorial Church. Within thirty years, Trinity had outgrown "The Little Red Church" and our present sanctuary was built, with services beginning in "The New Church" in 1897. In 1981, we built our Narthex, and coffee hour no longer meant a run through the winter snow! Trinity's buildings house us. Our worship and fellowship make them our home. The beauty and structure of our Episcopal liturgy is central to our parish's worship of God. Fifteen dedicated rectors from Calvin Parker to our current priest, Matthew Scott have preached and led us in worship. Our music has been important to the parish from the mixed quartets who sang before we had an organ, to Mr. Cheesewright, our first organist and choir director who also began the first boys choir, to the hundreds of choir members who have sung praises to God and lifted our spirits in worship. Trinity's musical talents have been part of the Warren community through Christmas programs and concerts. The altar guild cares for our altar vessels. Our acolytes, lay readers, Eucharistic Ministers, and ushers help complete our special service to God. We've also planted churches in Kinzua, Youngsville and other surrounding communities. From the beginning, Trinity has been a diverse community. By 1868, Isaac Ruff, an African-American, was one of Trinity's communicants. In 1977, Mary Beale became the diocese’s first female priest. To this day, our Trinity family includes many from different faith traditions and some from different continents. It's a part of our love that also shows up in our fellowship events. Songs burst out at a choir party, smoke alarms go off during Shrove Tuesday pancake suppers, kids throw water balloons at a parish picnic; our parish family prays together and plays together, often loudly. Sunday Morning Worship, if you are coming on Sunday morning for worship, come a few minutes early and be welcomed by the boisterous voices and new friends inside our entryway and nearby Parlor room. We are a happy and talkative bunch. Once you enter our worship space and receive a bulletin for the service from an usher (ask them any questions you might have!), you will find music, silence, and reverence inviting you to prepare for worship. Take a moment to thank God for bringing you here and ask him to help open your heart to greet him in the midst of worship. At 10:30 the church bell will ring, our opening song will signal us all to rise, and then enjoy the ride through our traditional liturgy that comes to us through 2000 years of worship history and theology.