SMETHPORT — The Trinity Lutheran Church in Smethport is 125 years old this month.
To mark this milestone in ministry to the community, the congregation has planned a fellowship hour from 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday, followed by a dinner at the social hall of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at Church and West Main streets in Smethport. A worship service is scheduled at 9 a.m. Sunday at Trinity on Fulton Street.
Two former pastors, the Revs. Martin Roth of Greenville and James Seeley of Grove City, are scheduled to attend the dinner, according to Sandy Ford, chair of the anniversary committee. Significant changes occurred during Roth’s pastorate, 1971-76. Not only was the style of worship enhanced, but Trinity merged with Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Port Allegany as a parish. Additionally, lay assistants were introduced, council was reorganized, a parish cabinet was formed, parish secretary and newsletter were begun and the St. Emma Guild was organized. Seeley was pastor from 1982-88.
During his tenure, a free-standing altar was introduced, weekly Eucharistic services were held on Sundays and frequent special services were held with the Episcopalian congregation. After seven years of sporadic services and devotional meetings, a group of Swedish Lutherans were determined to organize a congregation in Smethport. Under the leadership of pastors E.S. Ternberg and M.M. Nordstrom, the Swedish Ansgarius Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded on Oct. 1, 1891, as a congregation of the Augustana Synod, a body that had
its roots among the Swedish immigrants of the 19th century.
As stated in a Pastoral Chronology from 25 years ago, “the small group of Swedish peasants and artisans had to struggle day by day, year by year, to keep a Lutheran witness in this community.”
The need for a place of worship became paramount, and the present church building was
purchased from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Oct. 15, 1892, for $1,200. A new measure of stability was brought to the congregation in 1917 with the association of Gethsemane Church, an affiliation that continued until April 1, 1957, when both churches agreed to continue as
separate congregations.
The Rev. Robert Linke was the first full-time pastor of Angarius Church. The church was not quite 53 years old when the final service was conducted in Swedish in February 1941. Since the name of Angarius Church had been confused in legal documents over many years and a misunderstanding about the Swedish character of the congregation abounded in the community, in order to clarify these matters, the name of the congregation was changed to
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in May 1957.
Today, Trinity is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Synod in Erie. Several major improvements were made to the physical church during the pastorate of the Rev. Roy Christensen from 1961-65. Among these were the remodeling of the narthex, choir loft and kitchen, as well as the addition of a new choir room and library facilities.
In a letter inviting friends and members of Trinity to the 125th year anniversary recognition activities, the celebration committee wrote, “Your prayers of thanksgiving are requested for God’s spirit of guidance. The past several years have been very challenging for our congregation, but we’re thankful for our past and the many people who have guided and shared with us in our ministry. God has blessed us and we look forward to the future.”
For two years, the Rev. Joanne Piatko, Vicar, and Deacon Deb Cavagnaro conduct Services at Trinity on an alternating schedule.
