Trinity Lutheran Church Medina

On February 14, 1885, the Rev, A. T. Hanser, Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod missionary in Lockport, made a trip to Medina. This became the first step in the establishment of a Lutheran church here, as a result of a promise made to John Kams by the Rev. John Steck of St. Andrew’s Ev. Lutheran Church of Buffalo. On May 10, 1885, forty people braved a rainy Sunday’s weather to attend the first service held in Loke’s Hall, Main Street.

Organized on May 2, 1886, by Frederick Boots Sr., C. F. Lindke Sr., William Lindke Sr., William Ewald, W. Rahn, Carl Koch, K. Greier, W. Pronath, John Kams, William Fieritz, John Strebe, and August Ewald, our congregation was officially incorporated by resolution on October 31, 1888, as: “The Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Congregation, U.A.C. (Unaltered Augsburg Confession), at Medina, Orleans County, New York.”

Under Pastor Bartling’s leadership, the congregation moved out of the third-floor meeting room to its own house of worship on West Avenue. Approximately one acre of land (132′ x 330′) had been purchased for three hundred dollars. On April 22, 1889, the cornerstone was laid. On July 28, 1889, dedication services celebrated the completion of the $2700 wooden building, measuring 24′ x 50′, exclusive of altar niche and steeple. Statistics then listed 160 baptized members, including 96 communicant members, of whom 26 were voting members and 36 were designated “contributing members.”

The enlarged buff-brick building with new meeting rooms and an auditorium, valued at more that $100,000 was dedicated to God’s glory in October, 1951.

The final building program occurred in 1980’s because of our need for Sunday School classrooms and an elevator. Looking for $35,000 in pledges before proceeding, after much prayer $80,000 was actually pledged. Groundbreaking was done by the children pulling a single-blade plow. 95% of this $150,000 addition (drawings, construction, finish work, electrical, heating, and elevator) was accomplished by the men and women of the congregation and gratefully dedicated to the glory of God.

An unanticipated blessing of this addition was a special, large, comfortable room specifically for the quilters. Throughout the years, Trinity’s faithful Quilting Group has literally made thousands of quilts, which have been and are still being sent all around the world through Lutheran World Relief.

In the years after 2010, Trinity developed a relationship with Rev. John Sundaram, missionary to Peddur, India, a very impoverished area of central India. As a result of special offerings, we enabled them to do the impossible and build a much needed community center (their first) which serves as a church, day care center, school, and community gathering place. Thanks to the Lord, this was made possible due to the tremendous difference in the exchange rate.

In the great words of the Reformation:

SOLI DEO GLORIA

(To God Alone be the Glory)