An Episcopal Anchor in the Central West End
Trinity Episcopal Church has stood at 600 North Euclid Avenue in St. Louis's Central West End since 1855. Over more than 170 years the parish has built a reputation as a progressive Anglo-Catholic congregation where commitment to the radical gospel of Christ calls people to worship God, welcome the seeker, sustain the faithful, and serve those in need. The church's building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior, recognized as the first Missouri site for notable LGBTQIA+ history and the first Episcopal church in the country to be honored for that distinction.
Trinity describes itself as a community that prays and studies scripture together, learns, grows, and plays together, celebrates and eats together, and supports one another. Members come from a diversity of backgrounds, bound by what the parish calls a belief that Christ's love binds them together and is shared with friend and neighbor.
Anglo-Catholic Worship with Open Doors
Trinity's worship is rooted in the holy and ancient liturgies and rituals of the Christian church. The parish is High Church, using incense, chant, bells, vestments, and candles to enhance the beauty and majesty of the community's praise. The congregation believes that devotion to the Real Presence on the Altar leads to devotion to the Real Presence in the neighbor, and that Jesus is found in the Bread and Wine at Communion as well as among people, especially the poor and vulnerable.
At the same time, Trinity insists that the worship is not stuffy, exclusive, or uninviting. Visitors are told to come as they are and wear what they like. All are welcome to worship, and all are invited to the table.
Sundays and a Thursday Eucharist
Two Sunday services mark the rhythm of the week. At 8:00 a.m., a quiet Rite I Eucharist gathers in the traditional language of the Anglican tradition, without music. Scripture is read, the Gospel is proclaimed in a sermon, and the Lord's Supper is celebrated.
At 10:30 a.m., the principal service takes place as a Rite II Eucharist. The community gathers to partake in Holy Communion and retell the story of the Christian faith in scripture, music, and prayer. Incense, chant, and other flourishes accompany choral music. Childcare and Sunday School are offered during this service. The 10:30 service is livestreamed each Sunday on Vimeo, and recordings of previous services remain available there.
On Thursday mornings at 7:00 a.m., a brief weekday Eucharist offers a short and simple opportunity to begin the day in God's presence. The service features Holy Communion, readings from scripture, and usually a short biographical account of one of the saints of the church. Attendance typically runs between six and ten people.
A Food Ministry That Has Run for Fifty Years
Trinity Food Ministry was founded fifty years ago with the mission to be as Christ in the midst of the people. The work is grounded in Jesus's words, "You give them something to eat," and the conviction that people should never have to choose food over other living expenses. The ministry offers food to those who are hungry, drink to those who thirst, basic clothes to those without, a place to sit and rest, and care for the sick.
The pantry and a take-out hot meal operate on Tuesday from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. and Thursday from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. A drop-in café, where visitors come for a meal and conversation, runs on Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. A hot lunch is served on Sunday from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. Together, Trinity Food Ministry provides groceries for over 9,000 individuals each year and serves meals three days a week. Donations can be dropped off during scheduled windows; the ministry asks that gifts not be left outside the doors.
Children Welcome in the Nave
Children of all ages are always welcome in worship at Trinity. The nave includes a "soft space" designed for children and their caregivers, with extra room for strollers, crawling, and getting out the wiggles.
Professional childcare is provided during the 10:30 service. Parents and guardians using Trinity's childcare drop children off in the North Parish Hall on arrival and pick them up after the service. Children are also welcome to remain with their families throughout the service.
During the program year from September through May, children are invited to participate in Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. Trinity uses Godly Play, a Montessori-based curriculum that encourages children to interact with the stories of the Bible creatively and imaginatively. The method emphasizes storytelling, wonder, and play, and serves children through early, middle, and late childhood. All childcare workers, teachers, and aides at Trinity are fully vaccinated, and masks are required.
A Historic Site for LGBTQIA+ History
The parish building is officially recognized in the National Register of Historic Places for its LGBTQIA+ history, covering in particular the years from 1969 to 1993. That period includes Trinity's early support of gay rights, its embrace of LGBTQIA+ parishioners and community members, and its compassionate response to the first local AIDS patients in the 1980s.
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community serve in leadership roles at Trinity today, and the parish continues its active and historic support for gay, lesbian, trans, and queer rights. The church advocates for the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in the life of the wider church and in the world. A project documenting the stories of LGBTQIA+ women connected to Trinity is among the parish's historical records.
Art in Every Corner
The Trinity community has long valued the visual arts, and many professional and aspiring artists have called the church their spiritual home. An online brochure titled the Trinity Guide to Art and Architecture documents the artistic highlights of the building and the arts collection as a self-guided tour.
In 2006, the congregation recruited artists and crafters to create a new interpretation of the Stations of the Cross. The exhibit is installed occasionally at Trinity and sometimes travels to other churches. A separate community project interpreted the Nicene Creed in fifteen works by members of the church. Sanctuary installations are created every year or so, including an origami crane mobile whose version hangs from the north wall of the chapel. The Memorial Gallery in the back hallway as visitors leave the sanctuary through the north door honors artists who have called Trinity home. The Parish Gallery in the North Parish Hall hosts four or five curated exhibits each year featuring local artists. The newest addition to the artistic environment at Trinity is "On the Surface of Things," a work on the west wall of the chapel by John Early, artist and lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis.
What Trinity Believes
Trinity's beliefs are grounded in Holy Scripture, the traditions of the church, the God-given ability to reason, and lived experience. As Episcopalians and members of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the congregation turns to the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds as its most succinct statements of faith, with the 39 Articles of Religion and the 1979 Catechism providing fuller expression. Trinity is not a confessional church, meaning no single theologian or text narrowly defines its faith.
The parish teaches the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, one God in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created the heavens and the earth, and the universe is the work of a single loving God who creates, sustains, and directs all that is seen and unseen. Jesus Christ is confessed as the only Son of God, who by a divine act received human nature from the Virgin Mary, preached the Good News of God's kingdom, healed the sick, upset religious elites by insisting that the lives of poor people matter, was crucified by the state, and rose again on the third day to defeat death's power. The Holy Spirit is God's own spirit at work in the world and in the church, fully God and co-equal with the Creator and the Son, a comfort in distress and an agitator in complacency.
Salvation is received through the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion and is lived out through prayer, fellowship, communal worship, resistance to evil, self-examination, repentance, forgiveness, proclaiming the Good News, service to neighbors especially the most vulnerable, and respect for the dignity of every human being. The Bible is read in community, interpreted through the lens of love rather than literalism, and centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ. The church is described as much bigger than any one denomination, marked by the creeds, the sacraments, holy scripture, and the ministry of all the people supported by bishops, priests, and deacons.
Leadership and the Vestry
The Rev. Dr. Paul Jacobson serves as Rector. The Ven. Harry Leip is Archdeacon, and the Rev. Stephen Weissman serves as Priest Associate. Jeff Nall is Organist and Choir Director, and Chuck Dombek is Food Ministry Operations Manager. Bill Ader serves as Parish Administrator.
The vestry includes Adrienne Fly as Senior Warden and Ben Kiel as Junior Warden. Vestry members whose terms expire in January 2027 are Andrea Callard, Adrienne Fly, and Mary Patton. Members whose terms expire in January 2028 are Carlos Daughaday, Ben Kiel, and Perry Trolard. Members whose terms expire in January 2029 are Jackson Gress and Ted McNamara. Diocesan Delegates are Ted McNamara, Carter Whitson, and Michael Shepley.
Visiting Trinity
The church building sits at 600 North Euclid Avenue, and the parish mailing address is PO Box 4740, St. Louis, MO 63108. The parish office can be reached at 314-361-4655 or admin@trinitycwe.org. Office hours are Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday 8:00 a.m. to noon.
Sunday bulletins are posted each week, and a giving portal accepts one-time and recurring gifts to Trinity Church, the Food Ministry, the Rector's Discretionary Fund, and special campaigns. Text-to-give is available at 314-648-8344, and a 2026 pledge form is offered online for those who wish to support the parish's ministry. A weekly newsletter keeps members and friends connected to the life of the parish. Funeral information is available for families seeking to plan a service at Trinity.