A Bayfront Congregation at the Corner of South Mobile Street and Fig Avenue
Trinity Presbyterian Church sits across from Mobile Bay in Fairhope, Alabama, on the corner of South Mobile Street and Fig Avenue, roughly one mile south of the Fairhope Pier. The church describes itself as a community of faith, hope, and love, and as a congregation centered on Christ, committed to bringing hope to the community and to a faith that transforms lives.
Worship is at the center of life at Trinity. Two Sunday services, at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., gather in the sanctuary, with Sunday school for all ages meeting at 9:00 a.m. between them. The 10:00 a.m. service is also streamed live each week, and recent services remain available in the church's video collection for those who cannot attend in person.
Sunday Morning at Trinity
Trinity describes its worship as primarily traditional, drawing on ancient prayers and creeds alongside current expressions of faith. The congregation sings old and new songs, and the leadership emphasizes that God, not style, is the object of worship. The 10:00 a.m. service includes a brief message designed for children, after which those in preschool through second grade may be dismissed to Children's Church in the Christian Education building or remain with their families in the sanctuary. The church's pipe organ, installed as part of a 2009 sanctuary renovation, supports congregational singing alongside the choir.
Following the 10:00 a.m. service, members and guests are invited to Trinity Hall for fellowship and refreshments. Visitors are greeted and offered a welcome bag with a small gift and information about the church, but no one is singled out or put on the spot. The pastor and congregation encourage guests simply to come as you are.
What to Wear, What to Do, and Where the Children Go
Trinity's first-time visitor guidance is plainspoken. Some men wear jackets and ties, while many prefer khakis and a sports shirt; ladies are often dressy-casual. The church puts it this way: God is much more concerned with hearts than outward appearance.
Children are welcome in worship at any service. The nursery, located in the Christian Education building next to the sanctuary, is available before either service and is described as clean and safe. Older children may attend Children's Church after the children's moment at the 10:00 a.m. service. Sunday school classes meet for all ages at 9:00 a.m., with programs for children downstairs in the CE building, youth upstairs in Room 204, and adults in Trinity Hall.
Children, Youth, and Adults
Trinity's Christian Education committees organize programming from birth through adult life. Children's ministries span nursery care, Sunday school, Children's Church, an annual Vacation Bible School, family ministries, church-wide events, music, and worship participation. Abigail Anderson serves as the church's Children's Director.
Youth in grades 6 through 12 meet for Sunday school at 9:00 a.m. and for TRIYouth on Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. The youth group also takes part in the Montreat Youth Conference, mission trips, an annual Youth Sunday, and church-wide service projects. Carrys Sasser leads the youth ministry as Trinity's Youth Director.
Adults have a wide range of weekly and monthly options. A Men's Bible Study on the Book of Romans gathers on Tuesdays at 6:30 a.m. in Trinity Hall. A study of the Wisdom books (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) meets on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Parlor, led by Toby Gurley and Harry Toothaker. A Book of Acts class meets during the Sunday school hour in Trinity Hall, Room 201, led by Carol Smith. "How Should We Then Live?," a study of the Gospels led by Margaret Davis, meets in Trinity Hall, Room 206. The Trinity Support Group gathers on the first Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m., and a Men's Lunch Bunch meets on the second Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at Julwin's Restaurant. Presbyterian Women's Day Circle (Martha) meets on the second Monday at 9:30 a.m. in Trinity Hall, while the Night Circle (Sarah) meets that same evening at 6:45 p.m. Trinity's music ministry is led by Alexandra Trosper, Director of Music, with Joe Rambo serving as organist.
Witness and Outreach Across Baldwin County and Beyond
Trinity's Witness and Outreach Committee coordinates the congregation's response to needs locally, nationally, and internationally. The committee's work centers on the command to love our neighbor, and includes regular partnerships with a network of Baldwin County ministries: Alabama Free Clinic, Family Promise of Baldwin County, Ecumenical Ministries, Prodisee Pantry, Under His Wings, Kairos Prison Ministry International, Baldwin County Habitat for Humanity, and the Rotary Youth Club.
Family Promise is a hands-on ministry at Trinity. Through this program, the church hosts homeless families in Baldwin County for two weeks at a time, with members providing evening meals and serving as overnight hosts. Within the same block as the main campus, Trinity's property includes a house renovated through Habitat for Humanity that now serves as temporary housing for Family Promise guests. The church also organizes an annual adult mission trip to Guatemala and supports regional mission opportunities, the Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega, and the Kairos prison ministry.
How a 1904 Bible Study Became Trinity Presbyterian Church
Trinity's story begins in 1904, when a small Bible study group that was an outreach of Government Street Presbyterian Church in Mobile began gathering on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay during the summer months. The group, started by women who saw a need for study and fellowship on this side of the water, originally met in members' homes. As the years passed, the gatherings grew larger.
In 1919 the Alethea Cobbs Bible Class began meeting in an open-air tabernacle at Mobile Street and Fig Avenue in Fairhope, formally establishing the Presbyterian presence on the Eastern Shore. In April 1954, forty-four charter members together with the Mobile Presbytery organized Trinity Presbyterian Church as a separate congregation. The church's first pastor was Charles L. Smith, Director of Church Extension from the Mobile Presbytery, who served as an interim minister, followed by John M. Reagan, Jr. from 1954 to 1956.
Trinity's campus grew alongside the town of Fairhope. An Education Building was constructed in 1966, the sanctuary was dedicated in 1972, and the present Christian Education Building and a remodeled Fellowship Hall followed in 1988. In 1999, the forty-fifth anniversary of the church and the dedication of Trinity Hall, an approximately 10,000 square foot space with a large dining area, kitchen, and upstairs Sunday school classrooms, were celebrated together. A 2009 renovation of the sanctuary included the installation of the church's pipe organ.
Today the campus includes the sanctuary, Trinity Hall, the Christian Education Building with infant, toddler, and early childhood nurseries and a Children's Library, vacant lots for parking, and the renovated Family Promise house. The Columbarium and Prayer Garden sit at the front of the property overlooking Mobile Bay, between the sanctuary and the administrative wing.
Baytreat Retreat and the New Horizons Campaign
Beyond its Fairhope campus, Trinity is developing Baytreat, a waterfront retreat property at Battles Wharf, into a year-round center for ministry, mission, and fellowship. The New Horizons Campaign, anchored in the words of Isaiah 43:19, "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert," is the campaign to make that vision a reality.
Baytreat is a ten-bedroom, ten-bath facility with a deep screened porch overlooking the lawn and wharf, a full commercial kitchen, walking trails, a prayer labyrinth, and a worship site. The property's history dates to 1842, when the original log house was built. Expanded in 1904 as the Beach Hotel, it was later acquired in 1957 by Government Street Presbyterian and has been used as a retreat center ever since. Baytreat has hosted mission camps, retreats, officer training sessions, summer day camps, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Presbyterian Home for Children from Talladega. Members and friends can support the campaign with one-time or multi-year pledges, gifts of stock, or other contributions.
The Columbarium and Prayer Garden Overlooking the Bay
The Trinity Visionary Fund, with the theme "From Generation to Generation," establishes a permanent source of funding for ministry that lies beyond the scope of the operating budget.
Trinity's Columbarium and Prayer Garden sit at the front of the property, overlooking Mobile Bay. A columbarium, from its early Roman origins as a nesting place for doves, became the Christian term for sacred compartments used to hold the cremated remains of the faithful. The Prayer Garden offers a space for private prayer and meditation, and inside the garden a labyrinth, a form of walking meditation used by Christians for nearly a thousand years, is available for spiritual practice. Niches may be reserved through an agreement with the church; the price per niche is $1,500, which includes the urn and engraving but does not include cremation.
Leadership and Life with the Presbytery of Mobile
Trinity Presbyterian Church is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), received into the Presbytery of Mobile when it was chartered in 1954. Its ministries are coordinated with the agencies of the PC(USA) alongside local and national partners.
Rev. Matt McCollum serves as Senior Pastor. Dr. Bob Stauffacher serves as Parish Associate for Pastoral Care and Counseling. Alexandra Trosper is the Director of Music, and Joe Rambo serves as Organist. Carrys Sasser leads the youth ministry, and Abigail Anderson directs children's ministry. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Trinity's members, in the words of the church, "look forward to growing with and nurturing the residents of Fairhope and the Eastern Shore for many years to come."