How about a story about a church that broke away from another due to theological differences? I’m talking about the Trinitarian Congregational Church. This church has quite a history.
Let’s step back to 1834. A group of members from North Parish felt something was amiss. They disagreed with the increasing Unitarian theology practiced there. They believed Unitarianism didn’t uphold traditional Christianity. So these thirty-one members split off and formed the Evangelical Church.
A year later in 1835 the name changed. It became the Trinitarian Congregational Church.
Early on ministerial leadership came from a special place. Students and faculty from Andover Seminary often helped. Andover Seminary was the oldest Protestant graduate school of theology in the country. Many seminarians walked across the fields to teach at the Sabbath School. Later they became well-known religious leaders. This created a strong tie between the Trinitarian Church and Andover Seminary. Now it is the Andover Newton Theological School.
The original meeting house was near the North Parish church. But the congregation quickly grew. They needed more space. Much of the church’s support came from the owners of the Machine Shop. Many members lived in the newer part of town near the shop. So the decision was made to build a new church there.
In 1865-66 the original part of the Trinitarian Congregational Church was built. It stood at the center of what became known as “The Machine Shop Village”. The village was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The building cost $25000. Four-fifths of that amount was donated by three owners of the shop.
John Stevens of Boston was the architect. He was well-known. Stevens designed many imposing wooden churches in New England. One example is the South Church in Andover built in 1861.
By 1885 about 60 percent of the town’s population attended the Trinitarian Church. It was unofficially called “the Brown Church”. This was because of the brown paint covering its exterior. That paint stayed until the mid-twentieth century.
The Trinitarian Congregational Church played a big role in town celebrations. In 1896 the town held its 250th anniversary. The Trinitarian Church hosted the all-day festivities. When the town celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1996 Trinitarian was again at the center of the festivities.
The church had a close relationship with the Davis and Furber Machine Company. This lasted throughout the first half of the twentieth century. The company gave an annual contribution of $1000. This started in 1897. By the 1950s the relationship became more historical. The church’s members no longer had strong ties to the Machine Shop.
Music has always been important at Trinitarian Church. In 1988 the church installed a 24-stop tracker organ. The Andover Organ Company rebuilt it. Bradley Rule designed it. He was the church’s organist at the time. Around the same time the church acquired a 3-octave set of handbells.
Over the years the Trinitarian Congregational Church has welcomed everyone. It is a safe space to worship reflect and practice Christian discipleship. The church shares God’s love through food drives outreach programs and youth mission trips. Trinitarian Congregational Church is a place for spiritual growth Christian fellowship and outreach. It is a place where the human spirit can feel the touch of the Creator.
The Trinitarian Congregational Church stands as a testament to faith community and the enduring power of music. Its rich history continues to shape its identity today.