I was raised in a pretty conservative United Methodist church growing up. I went to a couple different churches when I left home to attend college and never felt comfortable or accepted or fit in when I attended any of those churches. The churches I encountered growing up and in college sure wouldn’t have been marching in gay pride marches, hanging the BLM or pride flag on the front of their buildings or be a place a homeless person would go to in order to seek hope.
I had given up on church until a friend told me about MCC in the early 2000’s and told me Toledo had a church and that was when I first discovered how progressive and diverse Trinity was. Trinity was kind enough to let them meet in their chapel. I have worked downtown almost my entire working life out of college and have always loved the beauty of the Trinity building. I met several people from Trinity in passing in the hall or in the parking garage and everyone was so welcoming and friendly.
When MCC closed their doors in 2008 I knew I would be looking for a new church. Trinity was the first one on the list. After my first service, I knew I found my new church home. That first Sunday I attended with a couple other former MCC members and we were all welcomed and greeted as soon as we sat down in the Nave.
I love all the partners we help out like Toledo Streets and the food pantries. There have been several times I’ve been to a Sunday service and people that were homeless attended and were guided to nearby shelters and given resources. All are truly welcome at Trinity.
Progressive, inclusive, creative and downtown are four words I hear mentioned almost every Sunday at church and are in our vision statement. These four words describe Trinity perfectly and make me proud to be a part of the Trinity community. This brings me back every week.