A History of Trinity Episcopal Church in Belleville Michigan
The history of Trinity Episcopal Church in Belleville Michigan began in 1884 when Violet Clark, the daughter of a Quaker father and an Episcopal mother, traveled to Ypsilanti to ask the rector of St. Luke’s to conduct Episcopal services in Belleville. The Rev. Thomas W. MacLean agreed, and held services at 3:00pm, on Sunday afternoons, in the Baptist church at Main and Third Streets for a group of Episcopalians which became known as Grace Mission. Rev. MacLean and other clergy from St. Luke’s continued to hold Sunday afternoon services until sometime in 1890.
Grace Episcopal Church 1890
Grace Mission, wanting a church of their own, erected a wooden church on a lot they purchased at Main and First Streets in Belleville in 1890. St. Luke’s donated an altar, windows and a lectern. The Gothic-style sanctuary seated 200 parishioners.
Violet Clark’s brother, William A. Clark of Bay City, donated a bell for the church’s belfry in 1892, in memory of their mother Sophia Clark, who died in 1881.
The Bell is engraved:
The Gift of Wm. Clark, Bay City
to the Episcopal Church in Belleville
in Memory of his Mother, Sophia Clark
who died on April 10, 1881
The first Rector of Grace Episcopal Church was Rev. S Trivett, an Indian Missionary from Canada.
Violet Clark’s brother, William A. Clark of Bay City, donated a bell for the church’s belfry in 1892, in memory of their mother Sophia Clark, who died in 1881.
The Bell is engraved:
The Gift of Wm. Clark, Bay City
to the Episcopal Church in Belleville
in Memory of his Mother, Sophia Clark
who died on April 10, 1881
The first Rector of Grace Episcopal Church was Rev. S Trivett, an Indian Missionary from Canada.
After World War I, many people lost jobs in the factories in the area and had moved away, church membership dwindled and Grace Episcopal Church was forced to disband. The church was sold to St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Mission in 1921. St. Anthony’s used the church until 1956 when they built a new church and Grace Episcopal Church was torn down soon after that. Father Albert Folta of St. Anthony’s, realizing the importance the bell held for the Clark family, returned it to Aleck and Frances Clark Shook, where it was stored in the barn behind their house on East Huron River Drive.
A few families of Grace Episcopal Church had remained in the area after Bishop Williams sold it to St. Anthony’s in 1921. In 1942, they and a number of new Episcopal families in the area, banded together to start a new Episcopal congregation in Belleville. “Grace” Baptist church in Belleville was going strong at the time so they needed a new name. Trinity Episcopal Church in Hudson had loaned the new congregation altar fittings so they decided to adopt the name “Trinity” and in 1943 Trinity Mission in Belleville was born, and like the previous Grace Mission, was under the sponsorship of St. Luke’s in Ypsilanti.
For a while, services were held in the farmhouse of Aleck and Frances Shook, followed by the Seventh Day Adventist Church and then in the Van Buhler’s ice cream parlor. Aleck Shook served as lay reader, and an ordained priest came once a month for a Eucharist.
For a while, services were held in the farmhouse of Aleck and Frances Shook, followed by the Seventh Day Adventist Church and then in the Van Buhler’s ice cream parlor. Aleck Shook served as lay reader, and an ordained priest came once a month for a Eucharist.
In 1947, under the direction of Rev. William Saunders, planning started for the construction of Trinity Episcopal Church, on land donated by Earl and Ruth Jacox at the corner of Belleville Road and Venetian Road, (the present location). In 1948 the Rev. James B. Guinan joined the congregation as its first resident, full time, priest. Ground was broken in June of 1950, and the first service, in the new Trinity Episcopal Church, was held on June 14, 1951.
The little Church served the parish for nearly 9 years with Church services, Church school classes, adult classes, meetings, and social functions including church suppers and children's parties. It was soon realized the church was too small as classes overflowed into the kitchen area and various parish organizations were forced to meet outside because the church was used every night of the week. Records of the era mention 200 children registered in the church school.
The little Church served the parish for nearly 9 years with Church services, Church school classes, adult classes, meetings, and social functions including church suppers and children's parties. It was soon realized the church was too small as classes overflowed into the kitchen area and various parish organizations were forced to meet outside because the church was used every night of the week. Records of the era mention 200 children registered in the church school.
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The rapidly growing Trinity Episcopal Church desperately needed more space, so in the late 1950s a new sanctuary was planned and built. The new Sanctuary was attached to the church and the little church would now serve as the fellowship hall and included office, kitchen and classroom spaces. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in the spring of 1960.
The new Sanctuary design included a very special design feature; part of the new sanctuary was a 50ft high Bell Tower. |
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During construction, the bell from Grace Episcopal Church, that had been stored in the Shook (Clark) family barn after its removal in 1921, was carefully lifted and placed high in the new Sanctuary’s Bell Tower, serving to directly link the new Trinity Episcopal Church and the old Grace Episcopal Church that was started in 1884.
With the installation of the bell complete, it was now time for the finishing touch - the laying of the cornerstone. In a special ceremony, held on September 11, 1960, the cornerstone was mortared in place after the following items were placed inside:
The Cross of Christ, By Aleck Shook - Senior Warden
The Holy Bible, By Merrill Bird - Junior Warden
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, by Mabel Ridley, Alter Guild Directress
The Record of Founders, by the Vicar, The Rev Charles Schmidt
To mark the completion of the ceremony and while the congregation rejoiced,
Henry Amrhein, church treasurer and former bell ringer from Grace Church, officially rang the old bell, in its new home at Trinity, for the first time in 39 years.
Trinity Episcopal Church officially became a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan on September 24th, 1959 and the first services in the new sanctuary were held on Christmas Eve in 1960.
With the installation of the bell complete, it was now time for the finishing touch - the laying of the cornerstone. In a special ceremony, held on September 11, 1960, the cornerstone was mortared in place after the following items were placed inside:
The Cross of Christ, By Aleck Shook - Senior Warden
The Holy Bible, By Merrill Bird - Junior Warden
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, by Mabel Ridley, Alter Guild Directress
The Record of Founders, by the Vicar, The Rev Charles Schmidt
To mark the completion of the ceremony and while the congregation rejoiced,
Henry Amrhein, church treasurer and former bell ringer from Grace Church, officially rang the old bell, in its new home at Trinity, for the first time in 39 years.
Trinity Episcopal Church officially became a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan on September 24th, 1959 and the first services in the new sanctuary were held on Christmas Eve in 1960.
In 1962/63 a new rectory was built on the church’s property and the Rev. Robert MacDonald became the first resident in June of 1963.
The Vestry, headed by a Senior and Junior Warden, serves as the governing body of the church. For many years, only men of the parish were allowed to serve on the Vestry. In 1962 Mabel Ridley became the first woman to serve in this capacity, and Madelyn Blend became the first woman Senior Warden in 1972.
In 1987, under the direction of Rev. John Hagan, a decision was made by the Vestry, that flourishes to this day; the Vestry set a goal of
“50/50 GIVING” with the hope that we would give away as many of our resources as we keep for ourselves - it was decided that 50% of the proceeds from the strawberry festival would be set aside for outreach.
The Vestry, headed by a Senior and Junior Warden, serves as the governing body of the church. For many years, only men of the parish were allowed to serve on the Vestry. In 1962 Mabel Ridley became the first woman to serve in this capacity, and Madelyn Blend became the first woman Senior Warden in 1972.
In 1987, under the direction of Rev. John Hagan, a decision was made by the Vestry, that flourishes to this day; the Vestry set a goal of
“50/50 GIVING” with the hope that we would give away as many of our resources as we keep for ourselves - it was decided that 50% of the proceeds from the strawberry festival would be set aside for outreach.
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In 1989, the memorial garden was built and consecrated by Bishop
Mayson on Ascension Sunday. 
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On August 11, 1993, in a ceremony held to commemorate the 50 year anniversary
of Trinity Episcopal Church, members of the congregation carefully removed and opened the cornerstone laid by the congregation of the church back in September of 1960. To their surprise there were a number of other artifacts not mentioned in the 1960 records: The Record of Founders contained the signatures of all who were present at the 1960 ceremony, building plans, the front page of the Enterprise-Roman dated September 7, 1960, a Church Brochure, a Sunday bulletin dated September 11, 1960, the Church's 1959 Annual Report and a parish Handbook. On October 17, 1993 the artifacts were replaced with the addition of a number of similar items of the present time, and a Trinity Cross. Re-enacting the 1960 ceremony, the cornerstone was replaced in its original location, and the Church bell was rung 50 times.
of Trinity Episcopal Church, members of the congregation carefully removed and opened the cornerstone laid by the congregation of the church back in September of 1960. To their surprise there were a number of other artifacts not mentioned in the 1960 records: The Record of Founders contained the signatures of all who were present at the 1960 ceremony, building plans, the front page of the Enterprise-Roman dated September 7, 1960, a Church Brochure, a Sunday bulletin dated September 11, 1960, the Church's 1959 Annual Report and a parish Handbook. On October 17, 1993 the artifacts were replaced with the addition of a number of similar items of the present time, and a Trinity Cross. Re-enacting the 1960 ceremony, the cornerstone was replaced in its original location, and the Church bell was rung 50 times.
In 2001, the 50 year old church/parish hall was torn down and a new parish hall was built. The new, air conditioned, parish hall included a nursery, offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, store rooms, a kitchen and bathrooms to support a thriving congregation focused on outreach and children’s ministries.
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In 2005 the congregation commissioned a stained glass artist to work with them and design the new stained glass windows in the Sanctuary.
2013 – 70 years ago a small group of local residents decided to “Step Out in Faith”, to found a local Episcopal Church, and today it stands, hopefully a worthy testament to their hopes and dreams.
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THE CLERGY
1949 The Rev. James B Guinan, Vicar
1953 The Rev. A. E. Tavener, Vicar
1958 The Rev. Charles A. Schmidt, Rector
1962 The Rev. William Wood, Interim
1963 The Rev. Robert MacDonald, Rector
1972 The Rev. Davit E. Lee, Rector
1980 The Rev. Robert A. Schiesler, Rector
1986 The Rev. John R. Hagan, Rector
2013 The Rev. Eric Williams, Interim
2014 The Rev. Ian Reed Twiss, Rector
2020 The Rev. Alice Sawyer, Priest in Charge
Bibliography:
Through the Years 1834 - 1988 - A history of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, The Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul
TRINITY CELEBRATES!! 1943 - 1983 - Old Roots / New Shoots, by Diane Wilson
Trinity Episcopal Church 1943 - 1993, 50th Anniversary Celebration - Reprint of Old Roots / New Shoots, with added commentary by Diane Wilson
From Grace to Trinity -The story of a Bell, by Diane Wilson
Old photos from Trinity Archives, provided by Virg Stoltz
Through the Years 1834 - 1988 - A history of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, The Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul
TRINITY CELEBRATES!! 1943 - 1983 - Old Roots / New Shoots, by Diane Wilson
Trinity Episcopal Church 1943 - 1993, 50th Anniversary Celebration - Reprint of Old Roots / New Shoots, with added commentary by Diane Wilson
From Grace to Trinity -The story of a Bell, by Diane Wilson
Old photos from Trinity Archives, provided by Virg Stoltz