CELEBRATING THEIR 113th ANNIVERSARY

Jesus said to Simon, “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church,and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”  (Matthew 16:18)

After crossing 42 bridges on U S 1, going south on the Overseas Highway,  you end up on what is called “the Rock”, Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States. 

Trinity has a rich and captivating history. For it was in 1892 on this rock that the London Methodist Missionary Society commissioned a group of Bahamian immigrants to organize Trinity. In fact, Trinity was originally organized as an English Wesleyan Methodist Church.  However, in 1931, Trinity Church, due to the difficulty of sending ministers to the United States, sought to join a mainland denomination.  That year the church was accepted by St. Johns Presbytery of the then “southern” church.  In 1938 the church, including the minister, transferred to Knox Presbytery of the “northern” church, where they remained.  In 1983 both denominations were reunited after 122 years of separation.

On this two by four mile island, you will see this beautiful white building, Trinity Presbyterian Church, “the church in the heart of the city with the city at heart.” Upon entering our doors at 717 Simonton Street, you will find, high on the wall, flanking the red brick Gothic arch around a backlit wooden cross, two large scrolls. One reads “Enter to Worship.”

As priesthood of believers, we are a strong and courageous people.  Therefore, with God’s victorious right arm, we are steadfast, unmovable and always abounding in our efforts to keep our doors open. For many ministers have come and gone during the many years since its founding. 

Though Trinity’s pulpit has been vacant intermittently for many years, Trinity’s doors, with God’s help, have always remained open.  For example, from 1995 until August 2002 there was no called shepherd to lead Trinity. However, in spite of this dilemma, with unwavering faith, Sunday morning worship service and Sunday school continued.

Then the Lord called a phenomenal new shepherd with a vision of hope and restoration for God’s people of Trinity.  The Reverend Dr. Gwendolyn D. Magby arrived in August, and under her strong and effective leadership transformation is taking place.

Like the majority of today’s Presbyterian Churches, we are a small congregation.  Realizing that we have the potential to become a diverse multi-cultural, vibrant body of believers, we are doing a new thing at Trinity.

List of 10 items

•  Ushers’ Board has been reestablished
• Men’s Prayer Breakfast was organized for every second Saturday of the month
• Worship Ministry is enhanced with our young, trained and vested acolytes
• A Transportation Ministry was established for pick-up of our members
• Communications Ministry for our upcoming newsletter and web-site 
• Evangelism and Historian Ministry is on the move and documenting our history
• Building and Grounds Ministry is renovating our church, manse and grounds
• A Powerful Prayer and Bible Study every Monday night at 7 o’clock
• Christian Education’s Vacation Bible School returned in 2005 with over 50 children per day in July
• Twelve church members and friends visited Ghana in Africa for mission 2004
• 14 new members have been accepted

This month we are focusing on our 113th church anniversary, which will be celebrated on December 11th.  We are also doing our best to help others. Recently we adopted a family that lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.  We are a small but loving congregation actively supporting our community and presbytery.

By opening our doors we now are sharing our facilities with a mixed Hispanic body of believers.  Pastor Magby says that “if we give, it will be given back to us, in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over with the love and blessings of God”.

We are forever reminded of this.  For on that same scroll you see when entering our doors that tell us “Enter to Worship”, it also commands us to “Depart to Serve”.  As God’s body of believers, with prayer and God’s help, we strive to live out this motto.  For we are indeed “The Church in the heart of the City, With the City at Heart”.

Submitted By:
Elder Auwina Weed, Newsletter Chairperson
Elder Linda McLeod, Historian Chairperson
Elder Hayward L. Magby, Assistant to the Pastor