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In 1833, sixteen years after the first settlers arrived in what is now Tiffin, the population had grown to 400. Among these early settlers were many Reformed Church people who had come from Maryland and Pennsylvania, and who desired to establish a church of their own denomination. Rev. John L. Sanders, of Frederick, Maryland, was invited to become their pastor. He began his labors here on June 8, 1833. On August 16, 1834, a lot for the construction of a church building at the corner of Madison and Monroe Streets was purchased for the sum of $250.00 from Josiah Hedges, the founder of Tiffin.
FIRST REFORMED CHURCH
The raising of money and the erecting of the church, a brick structure 40 by 60 feet, progressed slowly. Two years after the building was started, the Consistory passed a resolution “that a rough floor be laid in the church” — the inference being that prior to this, the bare ground was used as the floor. In July 1837, the walls were plastered and the windows faced. Slab benches were used until the first pews were installed in 1841. The building was finally completed and dedicated in July 1847 after thirteen years of labor and sacrifice.
The congregation grew so rapidly that by the end of another thirteen years, the first building was razed and a new one erected. This building, completed in 1861, served throughout the remaining years of the life of the congregation. The cornerstone of that building is now in the wall leading to the furnace room of the present Trinity United Church of Christ.
The last service held in First Reformed Church was on Christmas Eve, 1928. Christmas Day services were to be held the following morning in the new, but still unfinished, Trinity Reformed Church (our current church building). There were still no pews in the new building, so after the Christmas Eve service, everyone carried chairs in a procession and marched to the new church. We still have two of these chairs.
The two ornate chairs used by the Pastor and Liturgist, along with the pews we still use today, were eventually moved from First Reformed Church to Trinity.
GRACE REFORMED CHURCH
As First Reformed Church grew in numbers, apparently there was some controversy as to whether to add to the old building or build a new church. Eighty members withdrew their membership, and on January 15, 1883, they organized Grace Reformed Church, under the leadership of Rev. H.W. Hibschmann, D.D. The first meetings were held in the Methodist Protestant Church on East Market Street (where Burns Electric is now located). It was feared that the two smaller churches would not be able to bear the strain, resulting in two weak organizations struggling for existence. This did not prove to be the case, for both congregations grew and prospered.
Property was purchased on the corner of Jefferson and Perry Street for $6300.00, and the cornerstone of the new Grace Reformed Church was laid on June 15, 1883. This cornerstone is also now in the wall leading to the furnace room of Trinity church.
The building was dedicated free of debt on May 18, 1884. It was a red brick building with a slanting floor and circular seating plan.
A parsonage was erected adjoining the church on Perry Street, and a chapel equipped for Sunday School purposes was added at the rear of the church auditorium.
First Reformed Church during the 1913 flood
Both First Reformed and Grace Reformed Churches were badly damaged in the 1913 flood. The necessity of extensive cleaning and repairs became evident to both congregations. This led to a discussion about the possibility of merging the two congregations.
Trinity Reformed Church
Both churches were badly damaged in the 1913 flood. The necessity of extensive cleaning and repairs became evident to both congregations. This led to a discussion about the possibility of merging the two congregations. Quietly, a few women of both congregations began meeting together to pray that a spirit of unity might be born in both churches. Although many did not know of these gatherings, more and more people began thinking that one well-equipped building and one congregation would mean an opportunity for larger and more efficient services. By February 4, 1916, the desire to unite the two congregations became so pronounced that a joint meeting of the two consistories was held. Then, on November 12, 1916, each congregation was asked to vote to approve or reject the merger, and while a majority were in favor of the union, there were enough votes against it to lead to a decision not to unite at that time.
In 1924, a petition for union was signed by ninety-seven percent of the resident members of both congregations. On March 10, 1925, a steering committee of three members from each congregation was appointed to coordinate the merger. On April 3, 1925, the steering committee presented a Constitution and Articles of Incorporation for consideration. A merger service was called for June 7, 1925, and was held in Rickly Chapel at Heidelberg College. A vote was taken, and the result was announced with these words: “By your vote this morning, finally adopting the Constitution and Articles of Incorporation, you have now constituted the new congregation, to be known thru (sic) future years as ‘Trinity Reformed Church of Tiffin, Ohio’.” The 921 members of the two congregations became the charter members of the new church, and the two ministers, Dr. A.C. Shuman and Dr. D.W. Loucks, continued to serve as associate pastors.
The two congregations continued to worship separately until September 26, 1926, when both congregations began worshipping in the First Reformed Church building, and Grace Reformed Church was torn down to make way for the new building. The cornerstone for the new church was laid on October 23, 1927, and records of both churches were placed in it by the respective pastors. Both congregations continued worshipping in the First Reformed Church building until the first service was held in the partially completed new building on Christmas Day, 1928. After that, services were held in various rooms until the building was finished.
The final cost of the building was $176,000. The additional cost of the organ, boilers, and interior furnishings brought the final cost to roughly $215,000. The total operating budget for the first year was $12,618.44, of which $7,918.82 was for operating expenses and $4,699.62 was for benevolence. At the time of the dedication, membership was 881.
The Dedication
rinity Reformed Church was dedicated on Sunday morning, May 12, 1929. Three services were held that day. The morning service was titled “Dedication to the Worship of God.” That afternoon at 2:30 p.m., the “Community Service” was held and featured greetings and readings by the pastors of nearly all the protestant denominations in Tiffin, including St. John’s Evangelical Church (now St. John’s UCC), Second Reformed Church, First Presbyterian Church, and even a reading by Mr. A.G. McQuate, secretary of the Tiffin Y.M.C.A. The evening service, held at 7:30 p.m., was dedicated to “Evangelism,” and featured speakers from the “Christian World” magazine, and musical selections by the Trinity Choir and Trinity Quartet.
Services were held every evening for the rest of the week, with a different theme at every service. “Religious Education, Fellowship and Recreation,” “Preaching the Word,” and “Missions” were some of the themes emphasized throughout these nightly services, which concluded on Sunday evening, May 19, 1929 with an organ concert entitled “Ministry of Music” by Trinity’s Organ Master and Choir Master, Prof. Ernest Walker Bray and several other instrumental and vocal soloists from Heidelberg College.
Due to the merger in 1934, Trinity Reformed Church became Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church, commonly known as Trinity E&R.
This ecumenical spirit prepared the way for new mergers. The Congregational Christian Churches were also the result of a union of Christian Churches, a distinctly American denomination, and the Congregational Churches, which were the churches of the Pilgrims and their ancestors in New England.
In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed denomination united with the Congregational Christian churches to become the United Church of Christ. So, while the United Church of Christ is among the youngest denominations in America, it has a background which makes it one of the oldest denominations in American Protestantism. Trinity United Church of Christ shares that heritage.
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On the main floor is the 3,500-square-foot Sanctuary, originally called the Auditorium. The walls of this lofty space are roughly cast and lead the eye up to the beamed and paneled ceiling. A frieze symbolically adorned with gilded cross and cup and with the monogram IHS, abbreviated from the Greek name for Jesus, ornaments the room. Elegant stained-glass windows admit a subdued light to this space. The furnishings are made of oak and executed in the Gothic style.
The space at the back of the Sanctuary, which at one time could be separated from the main worship space with heavy folding wooden doors, was designated as the “Prayer Meeting Room,” and the room to the west of this space was the “Ladies Parlor and Class Room.” These spaces are now called the Resource Center and Trinity Room. Also on this floor, on the east side of the Resource Center, was the “Primary Division Room.” The third floor contained the “College Students Room,” the “Recreation and Young People’s Division Room,” and the entrances to the Auditorium (Sanctuary) balcony. The use of these rooms has changed over the years, requiring some remodeling and alterations for the church's current needs.
To the rear of the pulpit was the Pastor’s Study, with its distinctive bay window extending from the front of the church. Beneath the Choir Loft was the Pastor’s Classroom and the Choir Room. These rooms were later converted into the church office and a small chapel.
On the first (ground) floor were located several divisions of the Church School. The “Cradle Roll and Beginner’s Division Room” was located directly beneath the Ladies’ Parlor. The Junior, Intermediate, and Adult Divisions shared the large room located beneath the Auditorium, which had “section fold doors” to provide individual spaces for the different age groups. The space, now called Fellowship Hall, could also accommodate up to five hundred diners, with meals prepared in the nearby large kitchen, where the main parking lot entrance to the church is now located.
The economic plight of the 1930s caused some challenges and difficulties, and Trinity was not exempt from this situation. However, looking through the Sunday bulletins reveals a continuing concern for “mission.” Various women’s groups served meals and had bake sales and rummage sales to raise funds to continue the church’s benevolent services. For example, the November 19, 1933 bulletin announced: “The Thursday luncheon this week will be a ‘New England Dinner’ served by the Fourth Division for 25 cents.”
In 1941, the house and property next to the church were bought for a parsonage. Soon afterward, reports on the reduction of the church debt were so encouraging that an effort was made to complete payments. On November 3rd, 1946, a service was held in celebration of the liquidation of the debt on the church building and parsonage. In 1952, as part of the 25th Anniversary of the laying of the church cornerstone, an effort was begun to raise $26,000 to buy property behind the church for parking. In 1967, the “Step Forward” plan was initiated to recarpet the sanctuary, obtain more property to enlarge the parking lot, and to raise money for a new organ. The celebration of the new organ was held on December 21, 1969, followed by a series of events, recitals, and concerts through the next several months.
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The Symbolism of Trinity Church
(based on commentary printed in the 75th Anniversary booklet)
The Building
The building itself is symbolic because it is the stone creation of the faith of those who built it. It symbolizes the desire of the fellowship of believers to express their faith and to provide a place for worship, Christian education, and our various missions and ministries. The main part of the building is built in a modified Gothic style. Looking at it from the sky, it is in the form of a cross. Its shape speaks to the central theme of our faith and the primary motive for its construction.
The tower reaches toward heaven, pointing people to God. However, the building itself is not the Church. Our love, compassion, and good deeds must flow out into the community, reminding us that we are in the community to serve the people who live there.
The wooden ornamentation of the pulpit, which is crafted in the form of a goblet, and the lectern are in the Gothic design of three, which speaks of the Holy Trinity. The point of the carvings reaches upward, indicating the lifting of heart, mind, and soul to God, together with the unity of God in three persons.
NEW TIMES, NEW SPACE!
In 1992, the cornerstone was laid for a new addition to the church. A significant update was needed. Not all of the ideas could be afforded, but a major building campaign resulted in several areas being built and improved.
The back of the church was extended. A new portico was added, with automatic sliding doors, onto the parking lot side. The old kitchen became the new entrance to the church. Now people could drive up and enter under a roof, no matter the weather. A volunteer valet service was added on Sundays. A three-story elevator was added to allow large instruments, caskets, and groups of people to reach each floor, including the sanctuary, without needing the steps.
The kitchen was moved and expanded to include room and appliances for the day care center as well as serving the church. New sinks, refrigerators and freezers, counters, storage, stoves and ovens completed the much larger area.
A new office suite was built that included a large room for the pastor’s study. This room allowed for smaller meetings, as well as desk space and storage for the pastor. The office suite included a U-shaped desk and counter for the church secretary, a desk space for volunteer office workers, a separate room for the financial secretary, another area for the gathering of offertory monies, a workroom with storage, and a restroom.
The crib room was extended with a “bump out” for toy storage. One wall was covered with a mural designed by Brett Huffman and painted with the help of the youth members.
On the sanctuary level, three new classrooms were added, one of which is the Arts workshop, a space for meeting and crafting of visual arts; one which has been used for meetings or “The Brief”, a shorter worship service, and one of which has been used as a Sunday School room. A new women’s restroom completed this area.
