February Ministry Moment: Who Is TLC? - a brief history

RIC Ministry Moment for February 25, 2024.

During our recent visioning session with Pastor John Wertz, those in attendance shared their experiences and perceptions about Trinity.

To provide some context for our reflections about who we are as Trinity Lutheran Congregation, and how we envision our future, the RIC Team thought it would be fascinating to explore Trinity’s Roots. Who better to help with this endeavor, than the Archives Committee.

This brief history of Trinity’s first 74 years was made possible with the enthusiastic support of Sandy Cobb, Judy Hunt, Anne and Cliff Obara. We found that they welcome questions about our history!

Trinity’s Roots

In 1881, under the leadership of Collis P. Huntington, the C&O Railway was completed. This “modern” transportation connected the coal reserves of West Virginia to Newport News, thus opening foreign trade to our port. Among the new residents arriving from abroad were a few North Germans and a few Scandinavians who were sailors par excellence of the world, and, also Lutherans.

In 1887 Collis P Huntington founded the shipyard, and people seeking work from the Valley of Virginia, and from Pennsylvania, added to the number of local Lutherans.

In 1898 Trinity Lutheran congregation was organized, as a mission of the Virginia Lutheran Synod. Trinity had 30 members. As a Lutheran Church in non-Lutheran territory, Trinity’s history was one of struggle to keep pace with the other denominational groups that were more indigenous in this community. A quote written in 1939 explained: “While the congregation is forty years old, it is one of the younger, if not the youngest, of the denominational groups in Newport News. It has such a polyglot membership that it has been necessary for it to spend much of it time and energy integrating its own members. In a survey of the congregational roll we find people of almost every national origin, and members from almost all the major groups of Christians. These have had their own ideas about the church life, depending upon their origins. But withal, each in his own way has made some valuable contribution to the life of the congregation. Thus, Trinity Lutheran Church becomes both a center of Christian culture and an Americanizing force for those who enter its membership.”

In 1939 the church interior was conducive to worship and beautiful. However, one of the great needs of Trinity was a more suitable building for the Sunday School and better location with reference to the residences of the members. The membership at that time was: 250 confirmed members and more than 100 in the Sunday School. These members’ residences were scattered throughout the Peninsula from Williamsburg to the lower end of the territory. (Daily Press) So the congregation set out to buy property, hire an architect, and build a new church and Sunday School building.

In 1954, (15 years later) the congregation was attending consecration services in a splendid new red brick building on a most imposing site—the triangle of land at 68th Street between Huntington Ave. and River Road. At this time this land was in Warwick County. The site, as described in the Daily Press: “seemed predestined to provide an unusually attractive setting for the steepled house of worship.” By the way, the total cost for the building was estimated at $240,000.

Six years after moving to this site, Trinity embarked upon another innovation. Shortly after the arrival of Pastor Elmer Bosserman, Trinity opened a day school for children. The hope at that time was to begin with Preschool and Kindergarten, and then to expand the school eventually to include the sixth grade, following the standard curriculum approved by the state. Pastor Elmer Bosserman said the school was “just another function of the church and is not slanted to denominational religious teaching. ...We do have morning devotions, and on Friday mornings I conduct a chapel service, but we are careful always to take a general approach that cannot be offensive to anyone. After all, we are happy to have Catholic and Jewish children among our students.”

On February 1, 1960, Trinity Day School held its first classes from 9 a.m. ‘til 12 Noon. Students were Pre-K Ages 3 – 4 1⁄2 years, and Kindergarten ages 5 and 6 years. Tuition was $15/month. There were 29 students and two college trained teachers. Student transportation was furnished by Trinity Guild Ladies. After summer break, First grade was added in the Fall of 1960.

In 1964 Pastor Elmer Bosserman was asked how funds had been raised for the church, its expansion, and the purchase of two adjacent residences. He replied: “It was raised by faith, which is the greatest strength of Trinity’s congregation. This is the only church in the Virginia Synod to follow what is known as the Grace Movement. There are no pledges. Giving is based entirely on the concept of free will. Our annual budget is always made on faith—we invariably have the money we need and a little more, without asking for pledges or sending out statements or reminders. I am deeply inspired by the Grace Movement which only asks that people follow their consciences in giving according to how God has prospered them. Faith allows us to go ahead within reason—it is Trinity’s warm spot.”

By 1972 (12 years amer its opening), Trinity Lutheran School had 435 students in grades Preschool through seven.

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So here, in a nutshell, is 74 years of Trinity’s history. You may have nooced that there is a historical gap of 50+ years from the end of this history unol today. That’s where YOU contribute to the story of Trinity. So, we invite you to consider the quesoon: Who is Trinity Lutheran Church? We suspect that the answers will be as varied as we are, and that’s why it is important that each of US shares.

We are handing out a brief quesoonnaire in worship this morning. If you are worshiping by FaceBook, Sharon will send a copy this week through Constant Comment to everyone on that list. Once completed, we ask that you submit your responses electronically or that you put your hard copy responses in the offering plate, or in any RIC boxes at the church entrances.

We will compile all responses and give you a summary of who our Trinity Lutheran Community is in 2024!. Thank you!