A Church on Main Street Since the 1890s
Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church stands at 44 Main Street in downtown Binghamton, New York, occupying a stone-and-brick church building whose cornerstone was laid in 1895. The parish itself is older: it was founded as Trinity Church, then renamed Trinity Memorial Church shortly after its founding to honor the generosity of its founding families. Over time the campus grew beyond the sanctuary to include a Parish House, a Gym, and Trinity House on Oak Street. From its earliest days the parish made a point of being open to everyone; in its first decades that meant not discriminating on the basis of economic status, and the welcome has since been extended explicitly to people of any race, gender, or sexual orientation. The mission statement today reads simply: To serve Christ passionately through self, family, parish and community.
Sundays at 8:30 and 10
Two Sunday services form the rhythm of the week. At 8:30 a.m. a quiet Contemplative Service with Eucharist is offered every Sunday. At 10:00 a.m. the Festive Eucharist Service with Music fills the sanctuary, with the Trinity Choir, the Trinity Ringers, and the Casavant organ supporting congregational singing. Evensong is added occasionally through the year, and a special musical service - the parish's CandleChant, its version of Compline - is held roughly once a month.
Most services and programs are hybrid. Parishioners are welcomed in person or remotely, and services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where a current service bulletin can also be downloaded before each Sunday.
A Building Made for Music
Music is at the core of Trinity Memorial's life. The Trinity Choir is an SATB ensemble of singers from high school age upward, made up of volunteers and paid section leaders. Its repertoire ranges from chant and Renaissance polyphony to contemporary sacred music, with a strong emphasis on the great Anglican choral tradition. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., and under the direction of Timothy Edward Smith has traveled to Washington, Cleveland, and Toronto.
The Trinity Ringers - formerly the Chime Choir - play a three-octave set of chimes and a three-octave set of Whitechapel handbells that were recently given to the church. They rehearse on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and ring at roughly one Sunday service a month, as well as on major holy days.
The organ at the heart of the music program was installed in 1960 by Casavant Frères and is considered one of the finer instruments in the Southern Tier. It is a three-manual organ with 38 ranks of pipes, plus three recent electronic ranks in the pedal division. The organ was the gift of Conrad and Virginia Klee, and the dedicatory recital on September 26, 1960 was played by the internationally acclaimed organist and Trinity son M. Searle Wright. A major renovation in 2018 made the chancel furnishings movable, added chancel steps that improve performance from the nave, and introduced a seven-stop Nave division to bolster congregational singing; a new movable three-manual console sits on a platform so the organist can be seen during special performances.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the church hosts a steady calendar of concerts and recitals. Recent seasons have included Choral Evensong with the Trinity Choir, an early-music program by the Southern Tier Singers' Collective, CandleChant sung by the men and women of the Trinity Choir, a performance of Mozart's Coronation Mass K317 with the Trinity Choir, soloists, and orchestra, and an AGO Young Artist Recital on the Casavant.
Forum and Formation
Most Sundays from September through June, at 11:30 a.m., the Trinity Forum gathers in the Common Room for an hour of adult formation. Topics range across the Christian faith, the history of the Christian Church worldwide, different expressions of Christian faith, and environmental, social, racial, and economic justice - with room occasionally for lighter evenings. Forums are designed as a safe space for sharing, are usually accessible live via TrinityZoom.org, and selected discussions are later posted in edited form on the church's YouTube channel.
For those exploring the Episcopal tradition, confirmation classes are offered to visitors, new members, prospective members, and anyone wishing to refresh or deepen their understanding of the faith. A Sunday school for the parish's youngest members was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic; the parish has expressed its hope of restoring that ministry in time.
Meals, Food, and Outreach Across the Neighborhood
Outreach has long been a defining mark of Trinity Memorial. The current focus is on hunger relief. Each Sunday at 11:30 a.m. the parish teams up with several other local churches to serve a community meal, and on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Trinity joins with Redeemer Lutheran Church (ELCA) to host a major food distribution. The parish also maintains a Trinity Community Fund that provides financial support to local groups addressing community needs; request forms are available by contacting the church office.
Caring for One Another
Pastoral care is coordinated by Rayleen Kie, the Pastoral Care Minister, who works closely with the priest and the staff. Her ministry focuses on visitation, meals, prayers, and bringing the Eucharist to parishioners who cannot make it to church. She can be reached at caring.tmc@gmail.com or 607-312-0962. In matters of a personal nature, the parish suggests calling the church office rather than using email.
Sacraments Across a Lifetime
Trinity Memorial celebrates the chief rites of the Episcopal Church from birth to death. Holy Baptism is normally performed within the Eucharist as the chief service on a Sunday or another feast, with each candidate sponsored by one or more godparents; arrangements are made through the priest.
The Episcopal Church consecrates the marriages of all couples who may legally wed, including same-sex couples. Weddings at Trinity require that at least one member of the couple be a baptized Christian, that the ceremony be witnessed by at least two people, and that the marriage conform to the laws of New York State and the Canons of the Church. Scheduling a wedding date at least six months in advance is advisable, allowing time to plan the service, complete counseling, and meet with the officiating priest.
The Burial of the Dead, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer, includes anthems, psalms, scripture readings, and prayers, with the Paschal candle lit as a sign of resurrection and hope. Trinity Memorial has prepared Guidelines for Funerals and Memorial Services to help families plan, and members may file their funeral wishes with the parish office. The parish also keeps a columbarium in the All Saints Chapel, providing a burial option for cremated remains and giving witness to the risen life and the deceased's place among the Communion of Saints; application materials are available from the church office.
In keeping with the Episcopal Church's 2012 General Convention resolution, Trinity Memorial makes available Rites and Prayers for the Care of Beloved Animals, including a Service at the Loss of a Beloved Animal and additional prayers suited to home use.
Visiting Trinity Memorial
The church is limited-mobility accessible. To enter without steps, visitors use the powered glass doors on Oak Street, right next to the church building, and proceed straight into the Gym; an elevator in the far right corner of the Gym lifts guests to the Sanctuary level. The congregation describes itself as racially diverse, made up of families and singles, professionals and working people, young and old, gay, trans, and straight - and welcomes anyone who wants to share in the love of Christ.
Most parishioners and visitors attend either in person or remotely, and the music program is the same one heard in the room and on the livestream. The parish secretary, Vickie Jones, keeps office hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; the financial secretary, Chris Brown, is generally available Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. by appointment. Donations can be made online through the parish's Tithe.ly page.
The gathered life of Trinity Memorial, its Sunday worship, its music, its Forum, its Sunday canteen, and its monthly food distribution, continues to draw on the Main Street building its founders set apart for worship more than a century ago.