Set high on Monte Sano Avenue among the broad lawns and old trees of Augusta's historic Summerville neighborhood, Trinity on the Hill is a Global Methodist congregation about to mark its hundredth year in the city. The church sits as a landmark in its part of town, and its members speak of it that way: a place where neighbors, longtime Augusta families, transplants from other churches, and students from the nearby university all show up at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 on a Sunday morning to worship together.
Trinity on the Hill is preparing for its 100-year anniversary celebration on October 18, 2026, capping a year that also included a churchwide New Testament Bible reading plan and a 100 Days of Prayer devotional. The congregation's mission statement is short enough to put on a single line: "To Know Christ and Make Christ Known." Everything from the three Sunday services to the basketball league and the Wednesday night children's program bends toward that two-fold calling.
Sunday Mornings: Three Services, Two Styles
Worship is the front door of Trinity on the Hill, and it is intentionally wide. Two traditional services meet in the Sanctuary at 8:30 and 11:00 in the morning, and a modern service meets in Wesley Hall at 9:45. The traditional services use the church's long-established liturgy with choirs, hymns, and congregational singing led from the pipe organ. The modern service is band-led, visual, and designed to feel a little more relaxed, with words projected and a contemporary song rotation.
All three services offer a nursery for infants through PreK-4, located in the preschool building between the Sanctuary and Wesley Hall. The 11:00 traditional service is broadcast live on NBC 26 and streamed on YouTube and Facebook. The 9:45 modern service streams on YouTube. Recorded services remain available on YouTube afterward for anyone who wants to worship on their own schedule. The Order of Worship for each Sunday is available, and the church nursery asks that a parental consent form be on file for every child before their first visit.
The 8:30 traditional service tends to be smaller and a touch quieter; the 11:00 is the biggest sanctuary gathering of the week and is the one that fills the broadcast booth. Members and guests are asked to sign in when they arrive, either through the Realm Connect mobile app or at a kiosk just inside the doors, so the staff can stay in touch about Sunday school classes, small groups, and upcoming events.
A Global Methodist Congregation at 100
Trinity on the Hill was founded in 1926, and the church's 100-year anniversary celebration is set for Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The congregation describes itself plainly: "A Global Methodist Congregation." The Global Methodist Church catechism, the Articles of Religion that John Wesley wrote in 1784 for the Methodist movement in America, and "The Faith Once Delivered: A Wesleyan Witness" are all documents that shape what the church teaches.
The leadership traces its own story with care. A Charles C. Stebbins, III Fund was established in 2023 as a legacy honorarium for Clay Stebbins, in deep appreciation and gratitude for his extraordinary and sacrificial work that allowed Trinity on the Hill to complete the disaffiliation process. The endowment exists to fund scholarships for seminary and law school candidates and honors the church's history of members who answer the call into full-time ministry.
Pastoral transitions have marked the recent seasons of the church's life. Rev. Roy McVeigh's retirement was observed on May 31, 2026. His longtime ministry to children and the broader congregation shaped generations of Trinity families, and the announcement was folded into the regular flow of Sunday worship. The current staff includes Rev. Scott Hearn as Senior Minister, a graduate of Candler School of Theology at Emory University who was ordained in the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1985 and has served churches in Toccoa, Augusta, Jefferson, Commerce, Cumming, Grayson, and Gainesville before coming to Trinity. He is married to Sandy Mathis Hearn, and the couple have three daughters.
What Trinity Believes
The congregation's statement of faith is built on three pillars it calls its values: Biblical Truth, Transformation, and Disciple Making. Biblical Truth, in their words, is the absolute truth anchored in the Old and New Testaments, known as the church encounters and applies God's Word. Transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit taking a confessed and forgiven people and shaping them into a new creation in Christ. Disciple Making is the conviction that the primary way to make Christ known is by intentionally discipling a few who then in turn disciple a few.
From those values flow three behaviors the church tries to live out. The first is to study and apply God's Word, which means daily Scripture reading and a steady diet of biblical teaching. The second is to invest in a few, modeled on Jesus' own pattern of pouring into a small circle who would then carry the work forward. The third is to serve the needs in the city of Augusta, the church's hope being that no one would come through Augusta without encountering the love of God through his people.
In worship Trinity confesses the historic creeds of the wider church: the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, printed in full in the What We Believe materials. Alongside those, the congregation affirms the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church and the 2023 catechism of the Global Methodist Church. Confirmation classes are offered for eighth-grade students, and a Confirmation Sunday is observed each spring.
The Music Ministry
Music sits at the heart of Trinity on the Hill's identity. Kevin Pollock directs the music and worship program, and his staff includes a church organist, a staff pianist, and a music assistant. The Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and sings at the 8:30 and 11:00 traditional services, with an auditioned ensemble called Trinity Singers drawn from its ranks. Nursery is available during Wednesday evening rehearsals by request.
Children have their own choirs. The Littlest Angels (4-year-olds) rehearse on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in the preschool building. Joyful Sounds (K-1), Jubilee (2-3), and Wesley Choir (4-5) rehearse on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. beginning each August. Three handbell choirs round out the program: Wesley Ringers for grades 3-5 on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., Joyful Ringers for grades 6-12 from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m., and Celebration Ringers for adults rehearsing as needed.
The Love Unlimited Youth Choir, for students in grades 6-12, rehearses on Sunday evenings from 6:15 to 7:00 p.m. in the Choir Room and supports a recurring mission trip to Jamaica. Each spring the choir holds a "Stock Sunday" campaign that lets members of the church "purchase stock" in the students at Bronze, Silver, or Gold levels to underwrite the trip. Prime Time Singers, the senior adult choir, rehearses on Thursdays.
Twice a year the music ministry takes the music outside the congregation. The Evensong Concert Series is a community concert offering, and the Christmas Festival draws together Sanctuary Choir, Love Unlimited, Trinity Singers, and a full orchestra for two performances on a Sunday in mid-December. The Ruth June Rozier Music Fund, an endowment of the Trinity on the Hill Foundation, has provided more than $300,000 in support of music ministry events since 2007, including Holy Week worship and the Evensong series.
Children's Ministry
Children's ministry is led by Lillian Howard, who grew up at Trinity and has directed the program for more than thirty years. The church's shorthand is TOTH Kidz, and the program follows children from the nursery through elementary school. TOTH Kidz Sunday meets at 9:45 a.m. in Children's Hallway classrooms B213-4 for kindergarten through 4th grade, and Children's Church meets at 11:00 a.m. for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Both programs pause during the summer and resume in mid-August.
The nursery is open during all three Sunday morning services for infants through PreK-4 and is staffed by a Church Nursery Coordinator, Kalinda Hathorn. Parents are asked to complete a one-time nursery registration and a yearly parental consent form before their child attends. The consent form is shared across children's and student ministry areas, so one form covers a child for the entire program year.
On Wednesday nights during the school year, Friends' Bible Club meets from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. for kindergarten through 5th grade, with a $45 activity fee that covers supplies and materials. Each parent is asked to serve four Wednesday evenings during the program year, two before the holidays and two after, and to complete the church's Safe Sanctuary training. Vacation Bible School is held in mid-July, four mornings of music, crafts, and Bible teaching for rising kindergarten through rising 6th grade.
Student Ministry
The student ministry exists to "equip young adults to become lifelong disciples of Christ." Charles Knox, who grew up at Trinity and returned after college and seminary, directs the program; his wife Julia serves as Assistant Director. Both were ordained as deacons in the Global Methodist Church, Charles in 2024. Sunday School for grades 6 through 12 meets at 9:45 a.m. in the Youth Building, just behind Wesley Hall. Youth Group gathers on Sunday nights from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for grades 6-12 with food, fellowship, games, teaching, and small groups, followed by a worship practice for the student choir in the Choir Room from 6:15 to 7:00.
Each spring the student ministry observes Graduate Sunday, recognizing high school seniors at the 11:00 service. Confirmation is offered for 8th graders on a yearly cycle, and the Martha Selman Maxwell Scholarship is available to active Trinity members enrolled in college or secondary school for the fall semester. The scholarship was the first endowment created at the church and has supported 55 students since 1988.
Adult Discipleship, Sunday School, and Trinity Tribes
Adult discipleship is led by Rev. Liz Millar, the Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Missions. The church offers nine adult Sunday school classes that meet at 9:45 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. in classrooms scattered across campus. The Navigators, led by Kyle Jones, meets at 11:00 in the Youth Building. Acts 29 uses RightNow Media videos and open discussion. Adult Couples and Singles uses the lectionary and offers Zoom attendance. Cornerstone is a lecture-and-discussion class that has worked through Genesis, John, and the prophets. Faithful Foundations is built for couples in the early years of marriage. Open Door follows the Bible and Christian apologetics and often pairs its studies with Pastor Scott's sermon series. Pairs and Spares is a long-running class of about 90 members, mostly in their 60s and 70s, who raise several thousand dollars each year for mission projects through a December auction. Truth, Grace and Faith is a diverse group of singles and couples. Women in the Word is a women's class, and Theology through Wesleyan Eyes is offered periodically as a deeper dive into Methodist distinctives.
Outside the classroom, Trinity Tribes are the church's small-group network. Each tribe gathers at a different time and place: Sundays at 4:30 p.m. at Mosaic Church in Evans, Mondays at 7:00 p.m. near Savannah Rapids, Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. for a men's-only group at Trinity, Wednesdays at 6:00 near the Piedmont Summerville campus, and Thursdays at 6:00 near Augusta Exchange. Tribes are not Bible studies; each meeting revolves around the single question, "How did you experience God this week?" Membership is open to anyone willing to sign up, and mixed ages and life stages are encouraged. Free digital tools support study at home, including subscriptions to RightNow Media and the YouVersion Bible App, and curated Wesleyan devotional resources from Seedbed.
A churchwide New Testament Bible reading plan walks the congregation through Matthew, Hebrews, and the rest of the New Testament at the pace of one chapter a day and seven chapters a week, with one memory verse per week. Each Wednesday evening an EPIC Discussion Group meets in room A259 from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. to reflect on the week's readings.
Marriage, Women, Men, and Senior Adults
Marriage Ministry pairs couples with mentor couples for one-on-one walks through the seasons of marriage, hosts interactive seminars, and partners with No Regretz Marriage Ministries for premarital counseling and marriage coaching. Mentor matches are open to anyone, not just church members, and the time commitment is one year. Marriage Mentee Applications are available.
Women's Ministry is led by Tracie Long. A class called Women in the Word meets every Sunday at 9:45 in room A005. Loaves of Faith, a Monday lunchtime Bible study, gathers in Wesley Hall during the fall and winter months. A North Augusta women's walking group meets Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. on the Greeneway, and a monthly Women's Prayer Team meets on the first Monday at 10:30 a.m. in person or by Zoom. A women's winter retreat is held each January at The Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
Men's Ministry, under Rev. Tony Gatter, gathers for a Wednesday Meet and Eat from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in Wesley Hall. A light lunch is served, donations are welcome, and registration is required by Tuesday at noon so that enough food can be prepared. Men's ministry also organizes the church's annual mission trip to Jamaica, partnering with American Caribbean Experience (ACE) to lead conferences and building projects in St. Mary's.
Senior Adult Ministry is also under Rev. Tony Gatter. Prime Time is the umbrella for adults over 50 who want to grow in faith, have fun, and share friendships, with regular gatherings that require preregistration and prepayment.
CareForce: Caring for One Another
Congregational Care at Trinity is organized under the name CareForce. A pastor on call is available 24/7 at 706-426-1378 for emergencies, hospitalizations, deaths, family crises, marriage conflict, prayer requests, and counseling referrals. Pastors rotate through the on-call week.
CareForce oversees several specific ministries. Hospital Visitation sends two volunteer teams to area hospitals and rehab centers, and every Trinity pastor makes hospital visits to members and attendees. In-Home Ministry pairs homebound members with regular visitors. Grief and Bereavement Ministry supports those who have experienced loss, and Bereavement Volunteers provide meals and comfort to families. Correspondence Ministry sends cards in seasons of joy and sorrow. Counseling referrals are available through a list of approved local professionals. A Compassion Fund quietly helps members in a bind with a utility bill or other urgent need.
Angel's Touch is a faith-based ministry for parents whose children have predeceased them. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in North Augusta, South Carolina, where it gathers with parents from other congregations. GriefShare, a 13-week support program, has returned to Trinity in 2026.
Missions: Local, Global, and Hands-On
Missions at Trinity is led by Rev. Liz Millar. The church funds a network of local and global partners through an annual Faith Pledge separate from the general budget. Local Partners include Project Refresh, a ministry that operates a mobile shower day and a clothing closet for people experiencing homelessness; GAP Ministries, which provides laundry access, ID recovery, and other practical support; Oaks Ministries, which runs New Town, Urban Leadership Project, and Walton Adventure Centers for elementary through high school students; Master's Table Soup Kitchen; Mission of Hope; Sons of Consolation, which repairs wheelchairs for people with disabilities; and Prepare for Babies. The church's Global Partners are coordinated through American Caribbean Experience (ACE) and other relationships that extend the church's reach beyond Augusta.
The Trinity Missions Celebration is the congregation's annual kickoff to a year of hands-on service. A Friday Night Dinner brings together mission partners, members, and friends around a free meal and a guest speaker, and Saturday Hands Day sends volunteers to job sites at Trinity and across the city: packing meals for Mission of Hope, repairing wheelchairs at Sons of Consolation, serving lunch at Master's Table, or assisting Project Refresh with its shower day. Hurricane Helene relief is ongoing.
Super Saturday is a monthly fellowship for special-needs adults from across the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area). The group meets at Trinity with a calendar of themed events: a magic show, a Halloween dance party, a Thanksgiving feast featuring Elvis, and a Christmas party. Super Saturday is free, and interested families and volunteers can join the mailing list.
The Trinity on the Hill Foundation
The Trinity on the Hill Foundation was established in 2012 to provide a vehicle for legacy giving. Together with its associated endowments, the Foundation has funded more than $900,000 in projects since its inception. Four endowed funds support specific ministries.
The Beautification and Preservation Fund was established in 1993 in conjunction with the creation of the Tree of Life, a walnut sculpture in the Gathering Area carved with brass and gold leaves. Contributions of $500 (Brass Leaf), $1,000 (Gold Leaf), $3,500 (Acorn), and $10,000 (Stone) honor or memorialize loved ones, and the endowment has funded more than a dozen capital projects totaling nearly $600,000.
The Ruth June Rozier Music Fund was created in 2007 by a gift from a lifelong Augusta resident and Trinity member. It supports the church's music ministries and has underwritten more than $300,000 in worship events since inception.
The Martha Selman Maxwell Scholarship Fund, the church's oldest endowment, has awarded 55 college scholarships to Trinity members since 1988. Applications are accepted annually.
The Charles C. Stebbins, III Fund, established in 2023, will fund scholarships for seminary and law school candidates once it reaches the level required to award $5,000 per year. The fund is approximately halfway to its goal.
Contributions to the Foundation can be made through Realm, by mail, or in person at the church office. A nine-member Board of Directors, including the Senior Pastor and Business Administrator ex officio, oversees the endowments.
Recreation: Basketball, Pickleball, and Softball
The Recreation Ministry exists because, as the church puts it, "no area of life is excluded from the Lordship of Christ." Church League Basketball runs from October practices through mid-March games for ages 7 through adult. Pickleball has its own devoted following: the gym is open for play on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., on Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Softball teams form each spring. All ages are welcome.
Weddings and the Weekday School
Weddings at Trinity on the Hill are officiated by a member of the Trinity clergy or another approved minister and may be held in either the Sanctuary or the Chapel. A Bridal Suite is available to the wedding party on the wedding day. Couples schedule a wedding by calling the church office; the Senior Pastor's assistant discusses available dates, premarital counseling requirements, fees, and introduces couples to one of the church's wedding hostesses. The church expects regular participation in worship once a wedding has been scheduled.
Trinity's Weekday Education program is a weekday preschool housed in the same campus building as the Sunday nursery. Leanna Dyches, the Weekday Education Director, oversees the program along with Assistant Director Elizabeth Jones. The school draws many of its earliest families from the Trinity congregation but is open to the wider Augusta community.
Visiting Trinity on the Hill
First-time guests are greeted at the doors, invited to sign in either through the Realm Connect app or at the welcome kiosk, and given a card to share their contact information if they would like the church to follow up. New Here forms and Guest Sign-In forms are both available, and a Connections team led by Lauren Benson is happy to answer questions, suggest a Sunday school class, or help find a place to serve.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The main line is 706-738-8822, the pastor-on-call line is 706-426-1378, and the fax is 706-738-8824. A weekly e-newsletter is sent on Fridays, and the Trinity Testifies newsletter is published every quarter.
Members and friends support the church's ministry through the annual Faith Pledge for missions and through general offerings for the operating budget. Both can be given through Realm, by cash or check, or by credit or debit card. Capital Campaign, Tree of Life, and Foundation giving are options.
Trinity on the Hill sits on Monte Sano Avenue as it has for a hundred years, and on most any given Sunday its Sanctuary, Wesley Hall, and Youth Building are full of choirs, small groups, mission partners, and Sunday school classes that have been meeting for decades. Three Sunday morning services, a deep music program, a school that walks with families from nursery through high school graduation, and a Foundation that has already planted seeds for another hundred years of ministry: that is Trinity on the Hill in 2026.