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Trinity United Church Of Christ

40 West Pine Street
717- 838-3412

Purpose statement:
To worship God, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, celebrate the Sacraments. To realize Christian fellowship and unity within this church and the Church Universal. To render loving service toward mankind by striving for righteousness, justice, and peace.

Our Statement of Faith
:
We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and our Father, and to his deeds we testify:

-He calls the worlds into being, creates man in his own image and sets before him the ways of life and death.
-He seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
-He judges men and nations by his righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.
-In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, he has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to himself.

History:

Our history reaches back to 1754 at the First church of Bindnagles. Both Lutheran and Reformed congregations used it. In 1802 the present Bindnagles Church building was built. In 1845, The Union Church, or Palm Lutheran and Reformed Church was erected on the 700 block of West Main Street. Between 1901 and 1902, plans were made to move the Reformed congregation of about 80 to a building of its own. Land on the corner of East Main and North Chestnut Streets was donated by Elder Jacob A. Loose. The Reformed congregation sold its interest in the Union Church to the Lutherans for $200.00.

On July 13, 1902 the cornerstone was laid. In the spring of 1903, members met after services to decide on a name for the new church. Since it was Trinity Sunday, they named the church Trinity Reformed Church. The new building was dedicated on September 20, 1903. The cost of the new building was about $15,000.00. In 1904 the first pipe organ in Palmyra was installed in Trinity Church. Andrew Carnegie donated half of the cost. The first organist was Miss Ruth Leslie. She held the position for approximately 40 years.

In 1920, Rev. Elmer G. Leinbach came to Trinity. He served from 1920 to 1949, the second longest pastorate at Trinity. Trinity’s membership was 303.

Over the years mergers with other denominations have changed the original Trinity Reformed Church to Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church in 1934, to the present Trinity United Church of Christ in 1957. But the same spirit by which this church was born still remains. The responsibility for the mission and ministry of Trinity lies with the people who make it up. On June 17, Trinity Sunday of 1962, groundbreaking ceremonies were celebrated for our current church site. Mr. And Mrs. Norman J. Rothermel donated the land in January of 1961. The services of Dedication were from November 24, 1963 to December 8. The approximate cost of the new church was $590,000.00.

For more than 160 years, faithful members have sought to carry out the work of Jesus Christ in this local community and throughout the world. It is our prayer that we will continue to be a faithful presence. As important as our history is to us, and as proud as we are of it, the church is really the worship in which we join and the fellowship we share as members of this household of faith.


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