The Trinity Story

In the summer of 1962, with strong support from Salina’s First United Methodist Church and the Salina District of the Kansas West Conference, a new church was planted in south Salina. The Conference Board of Missions had purchased land on East Neal, and a parsonage was built in the Bonnie Ridge addition of south Salina.

The Rev. Jay B. Schwartz was appointed as the church’s first pastor and began meeting with families in the parsonage. Soon after, on September 9, 1962, the first worship service was held at Grace E. Stewart School. As the service concluded, the congregation sang “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” and 79 individuals stepped forward to become members of the new South Salina Church.

Just weeks later, on October 14, 1962, a Church Conference was held to select a name for the new congregation. Eighteen names were proposed, and a ballot was taken to narrow the choices to three. The top contenders were Faith and Aldersgate, with Agape and Trinity tied for third. After multiple rounds of voting, Trinity won by just two votes over Aldersgate.

On January 20, 1963, Trinity United Methodist Church was officially chartered with 136 members, marking the beginning of a rich history of faith, community, and service.

As Trinity United Methodist Church grew rapidly, a building committee was formed to plan the construction of a permanent facility on East Neal. To gather inspiration, members of the congregation traveled to Wichita, Wellington, and Beatrice, Nebraska, visiting various churches to determine the most suitable design.

Preliminary plans included a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, classrooms, office space, and restrooms, with an estimated cost of $135,000. After multiple attempts, Lee Spellman successfully secured a $110,000 loan from Homestead Savings, making the project possible.

On January 12, 1964, despite frigid temperatures of 12 degrees above zero and 40-mile-per-hour winds, nearly 100 people gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony. Due to the extreme cold, much of the ceremony was held indoors, but the most memorable moment came when those breaking ground had to work together to pull the shovel from the frozen earth.

By November 1964, the new church building was completed, and the first worship service in the sanctuary took place on Thanksgiving Sunday. A Service of Consecration was held on January 10, 1965, with Salina District Superintendent Dr. Glenn Matthew preaching on “The Dimensions of Trinity Church.”

The sanctuary of Trinity United Methodist Church has a truly unique design. Its roof, spread out like the wings of a hovering bird, symbolizes the presence of the Holy Spirit over our place of worship. The three crosses on the outer and inner forward walls of the worship area represent the three crosses of Calvary. Inside, the semi-circular seating arrangement of the nave, along with the free-standing altar, creates a powerful symbol of unity, reminding us that God’s love, grace, Word, and sacraments are available to all people.

On September 9, 2012, Trinity joyfully celebrated 50 years of ministry. Since its early years, the church has grown in both spirit and size. To meet the needs of a thriving congregation, two major additions were built onto the original facility, providing more classroom space and fellowship areas. In 2007, a major sanctuary renovation expanded the choir seating to accommodate more than 50 singers, and new technology was installed to enhance worship.

As part of Trinity’s 50th Anniversary celebration, the church undertook its largest building expansion yet—a $2.5 million project that added new Sunday school and office space, a kitchen, additional parking, and a 6,600-square-foot multipurpose room. This expansion was completed in February 2014.

In 2022 and 2023, Trinity invested in technology upgrades, including campus-wide Wi-Fi, new staff workstations, and large-format TVs in both the Sanctuary and Family Life Center. In 2023, we celebrated the arrival of a new four-manual Rodgers organ and launched a capital campaign to pay down the $1.2 million debt on the Family Life Center. In just a little over a year, that debt was reduced to less than $700,000!

In January 2025, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of our Sanctuary’s Consecration, giving thanks for all who have come before us, sharing their time, talents, gifts, and service.

Today, Trinity is a thriving congregation of more than 750 members, with an average of 400 in worship each Sunday. We are a progressive community of faith that values education, mission, music, and an inclusive spirit—welcoming all who seek answers to life’s questions.