A Brief History of Trinity

In 1819, a Methodist circuit rider, Rev. George Ferguson rode through the area, holding meetings for the people in the bush country near Berlin, now Kitchener.  Trinity’s first church, the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, was built in 1841.  It was a wooden, white frame building on the corner of Church and Benton Streets. It was used until 1875 when it became too small.  The former township hall, now the location of Commerce House at Queen and Weber Streets, was purchased and the congregation worshipped there until 1904.  The church and its contents including the organ, were sold to St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church.  The congregation worshipped in the Opera House and the Salvation Army barracks while the present building was being erected.  This building was dedicated on June 10, 1906. 

Additions to the building include the Fellowship Hall, the Memorial Chapel, and a covered access with elevator.  Extensive restoration work was done on the exterior brick and the choir arch mural depicting great moments in church history. The stained glass windows on the north side of the gallery portray Old Testament scenes and the south side New Testament scenes.  Downstairs the south windows depict the life of Jesus and the north ones his ministry.  The great east window in the gallery illustrates the preaching of Jesus with emphasis on the place of women in his ministry. 

Through the years Trinity has assisted in the formation of St. Paul’s College as well as other United Church congregations in the Twin Cities.  Trinity founded the Interfaith Pastoral Counselling Centre which operated from these premises from its beginning in 1962 to 1985 when it was moved to larger offices. 

The church is host to the ‟Out of the Cold” program on Monday nights from November to April, that provides dinner and shelter for one night every week during the winter months.  Trinity continues to work in partnership with the prenatal program of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo Community Health, and a parenting program offered by the Community Action Program for Children. 

In 2009, the Church Council of Trinity established a committee to consider Trinity’s options for redevelopment and relocation, and how we might best use our resources to respond to pastoral needs in downtown Kitchener.