Trinity’s Short Recitation of a Long History.
Trinity opens for all to enter
On March 1, 1959, the people entered Trinity Congregational Church for the first time. Architecturally the newly built church was typical of the period. Entered at ground level through a short narthex, the auditorium style sanctuary has a center aisle leading to the altar with its lectern, pulpit, and suspended cross. This is a large two-story building with several Sunday School rooms, a fellowship hall with a full kitchen, a chapel and a meeting room.
The Congregational denomination began in the 16th century in the United Kingdom of England, Wales, and Scotland. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. Congregationalism was a non-conformist, dissenter church. Faithful church members wanted to worship God without being told how to do so by a secular government or unyielding religious hierarchy. From the early days until now, church members are responsible for management of their individual church within a frame work of the greater denomination.
Early Services
The biography of Trinity is complicated as it has existed for 150 years, but not as one church. After a couple of early locations, it was one church, split into three, then reunited into one.
Early religious services were held in a school house near the iron furnaces. Soon followed Scranton’s earliest Congregational church built on Mifflin Avenue in 1854. More Welsh immigrants arrived, settling on the west side of the Lackawanna River. The Mifflin Avenue church closed in ten year spinning off churches in Providence and the First Welsh Congregational Church of Hyde Park on Main Street in the borough of Hyde Park. First Welsh opened its doors in 1866.
Three Churches
First Welsh grew in strength and importance. All services were in the Welsh language creating a gulf with the 2nd generation members who did not understand the old country’s language. In 1882, with the blessings of First Welsh and $500, 66 members left the “Old Church” creating Plymouth Congregational at 1125 Jackson St. Six years later, 1888, a second group splintered creating Tabernacle Congregational at 135 S. Hyde Park. The three churches went on to have vibrant congregations, lots of preaching services, raising children in the youth groups, and participating in the local community.
One Church
Near the end of World War II, the structures of the three churches were in great need of maintenance, and struggling to maintain ministers and members. Ensuing conversations produced a once again united church, officially merging on April 1, 1947. All three buildings were used: First Welsh became a recreational center; Tabernacle hosted meetings and social events; while Plymouth served as the spiritual and religious center. The unified churches chose the name Trinity. Funding raising for a new, united church home began in 1951.
Trinity Congregational Church, UCC
The site of First Welsh, the “Old Church,” at 229 S. Main was the perfect and preferred location. In 1957, 90 years after it was built, the First Congregational Church of Hyde Park was no more -- demolished to make way for the new brick church. During this period the General Council of the Congregational Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches creating the United Church of Christ denomination. There are about 6000 UCC churches today.
Within the church, stained glass windows representing the story of creation in First Genesis encircle the Sanctuary. The pipe organ, from Tabernacle, has been replaced with a new digital organ; a cherished gift from a member. Historic stained glass windows from Plymouth Church, one of Christ on the Road to Emmaus is in the chapel and the other depicting the pilgrims’ landing in Plymouth, MA. is in the Pilgrim meeting room.
