A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRINITY A spark of interest for Lutherans in
Versailles was ignited when Rev. Isaac Hursh held the first Lutheran service in
the Methodist Church in 1856. Various reasons stimulated growth of the Lutheran
faith and in March 1872 the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Versailles was
organized and a new building was dedicated on July 12, 1873. Music was provided
by a foot pump organ which was later replaced with a self-contained bellows pipe
organ. Young men of the congregation had to work it by pumping a hand lever
until a motor was later added. This building served the congregation for forty
two years. The gradual and constant growth made it apparent that the present
structure would not meet their expanding needs.
In April 1914 the church
council brought a proposal to the congregation to build a new modern and larger
building. On December 5, 1915 a completed structure was dedicated. On June 17,
1923 a new pipe organ was dedicated. This instrument served the congregation for
40 years when our present organ was installed in 1963. The Traditional
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service was held for the first time on December 24,
1930. The present church parsonage where the pastors of the congregation
normally lives was built in 1931. In 1940 a major improvements project was
held. A new heating system was installed, a new pulpit and lectern was added.
New carpet was laid and the church pews were refinished. On
October 13, 1966 the dedication service was held to celebrate the new Sunday
school wing, the new communion rail addition as well as the new location of the
choir loft.
From 1902 until the end of 1953 the
pastors of Trinity also served as pastor of Friedens Lutheran Church in Bloomer,
Ohio. In 2009 this shared ministry began again of serving both Friedens and
Trinity. In 1959, two hundred red hymnals were purchased. In 1979 they were
replaced with the green hymnals. Since the fall of 2008, we have used online
resources to print the entire service in the bulletin.
Kinder Korner
Preschool began using the church facilities in 1979 and are still at their
present location. The origin of Kinder Korner was organized by the Versailles
Council of Churches. At the present time they are governed by a Board of
Directors.
During 1981-1982 the sanctuary was redecorated and ceiling
fans were installed. New side walk and protective covers were installed over the
stained glass windows. The youth group and young adults did different projects
to raise the funds to install the chair lift, which was installed prior to
Christmas Eve of 1982. The annual spaghetti dinner is an event which began in
1978. This is a wonderful congregational event that reaches out to others of the
community. In 1988, a completely new microphone and speaker system was installed
in the sanctuary. New carpet was installed in July 1989. A larger kitchen was
built in the church basement in 1988. The Shelter House in the side yard was
built on November 15, 1992. On March 11, 2001, the newly decorated sanctuary
was dedicated. The walls were painted, the sound system updated, new
electrical wiring and lighting were installed and the altar was moved out to a
free-standing altar. In July 2005, the Pastor’s Study was redecorated which
brought the office up to date for the pastor.
On January 10, 2007,
Trinity began a new ministry of serving meals to the Versailles community. In March, we were able
to serve the meals every Wednesday of each month due to the participation of
other churches and groups from the community. This is truly a community effort
and we have been blessed in many ways with this outreach ministry. Also in May,
2007 a new roof was installed on the parsonage. In the summer of 2009, Trinity
was fortunate to raise enough money to remodel the downstairs bathrooms to make
them handicap accessible. The congregation has had many new projects over the past 125 years. This
is a sign that Trinity has a viable and important ministry to the members and
people of this community. May Trinity continue to serve the members and
community for many more years to come!!! In the spring of 2010, a team was formed to implement the
installation of new carpet in the Sanctuary at Trinity. This became a reality
as the carpet was installed in January of 2011. This project also
included upgrades to the sound system and electric, a new arrangement for pews
and the development of a Fellowship area at the back of the Sanctuary. New
carpet was also installed in the Narthex, Sacristy and office area.
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