100 years of welcome

TIFFIN — A century ago, two churches combined into one and created the longstanding Tiffin landmark, Trinity United Church of Christ. On Sunday, June 15, at 10 a.m., the Trinity congregation will hold a special service to "praise our Lord, as well as honor the past, celebrate the present, and build hope for the future." Derrick Smith first attended Trinity UCC with his cousin when he was eight years old. "I walked in there wearing holey jeans and a holey flannel shirt," Smith said. "That church taught me that my clothing was not holey, it was holy." Now 37, he serves as Trinity's Communications and Marketing Specialist. Trinity has several missions, both local and with a wider impact. For two-thirds of its life, Trinity has hosted the Tiffin Seneca County Child Care Center. It is active with F.I.S.H. of the Tiffin Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity and Transformation Life Center. To fulfill its wider mission, the congregation works with Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi, with Grace Community Center in Toledo and many others. Its name has changed several times, but its place as a leader in Tiffin's history has never wavered. The history of the church begins in 1833 when First Reformed Church (also known as First German Reformed Church, or sometimes just as the German Reformed Church) purchased a lot from Josiah Hedges on the corner of Monroe and Madison streets. In 1883, eighty members left the First Reformed Church and established Grace Reformed Church. Their size grew so rapidly that they purchased a lot on the corner of East Perry Street and Jefferson Street the next year to build Grace Church. Both churches were badly damaged in the 1913 flood. Although faced with initial resistance, the churches were reunited in 1924 by petition from 97 percent of members. The following year, on June 7, 1925, Trinity Reformed Church was created, with 921 founding members. This is the date celebrated as the founding of the church. The current church building sits on the site of the former Grace Church at 131 E. Perry Street. The site of the First Reformed Church is now City Lot 6, behind First Presbyterian. In 1957, the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ. The site has seen incredible changes, but the current membership of the church holds on to its heritage. Smith explained, "Many members of the church today can trace their lineage back to Germany. One of our current members of the church is the granddaughter of Rev. Dr. A. C. Shuman, one of the two Co-Pastors when the town merged to become Trinity Reformed." Today, the greatest challenge faced by Trinity is a challenge faced by many historic churches: membership. He said retaining members is difficult, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. But, he said, "God's love shines the light on the path through troubled times." New congregants Patrick and Beth Nee are shining their light on the Church. The couple is celebrating one year since joining Trinity UCC. Beth Nee is on a journey of her own. She is studying to become a minister under Trinity's Rev. Karsten Snitker. Patrick Nee said, "We were welcomed to participate in the many ministries that the church engages in, and we soon found a loving community of people to worship and serve with. We are excited to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of Trinity's founding, and we look forward to many more enriching experiences with our 'Church Family'." A favorite story of the church family is the distant memory of Christmas Eve 1928. The last service in the old First Reformed Church building was held on December 24. After the Christmas Eve service, members carried chairs in a procession and marched to the new building, so that Christmas Day could be held the following morning in the new but unfinished Trinity Reformed Church building. The building would be finished in 1927. Trinity UCC's resilience reminds Tiffin that welcome and family will outlast every change.