Our History

The first meeting to pray for the establishment of Trinity was held in August 1982, and five months later the original four Steering Committee members were selected.  The first advertised service (held at Assisi Heights) was on March 6, 1983, and one week later the Charter of Provisional membership was signed at Denis Haack's home.  Trinity was organized as a particular church of the PCA on October 27, 1985.  Reverend John Smith was installed as the first pastor, and Denis Haack, Jim Ingram, Randy Kinnick, Karl Pasch, and David Vagt were elected as the first ruling elders.  The first deacon, Henry Tazelaar, was elected in January 1990.  John Smith served as pastor of Trinity between October 1985 and July 1993.

The Reverend Steve Bickley began his ministry on January 2, 1994. Through contacts from Steve Bickley's prior ministry in England, Simon Jordan was invited to serve as a Ministry Staff Trainee for one year, concluding in June 1997, after which he returned to England.  Beyond Eden, a Bible study ministry to Mayo Medical Students, was started in the winter of 1997.  In May 1997, the Reverend Richard Good was called as Assistant Pastor, and served for nearly three years before leaving to serve as Associate Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois.  Steve Bickley announced his intent to resign in the fall of 2000 and concluded his service at Trinity on December 31, 2000.

The Reverend Dr. Max Rogland began his ministry on November 26, 2001 after completion of his MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary and his Doctoral training in Hebrew at Leiden University in October, 2001.  During his tenure, Trinity started a church plant in Mankato, MN.  Christ Church was formed in 2002.  In the spring of 2007, Max Rogland announced his acceptance of a professorship in Old Testament at Erskine Seminary, Columbia (SC) campus, of the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church.  He completed his ministry at Trinity on May 20, 2007.

The Reverend Chris Harper began his ministry as our Senior Pastor on August 6, 2008, after moving from Indianapolis, Indiana, where he had served for 6 ½ years as an associate pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church. The Reverend David Richter served the church in various capacities beginning June 15, 2007, and was ordained on November 9, 2008 as our Associate Pastor.  Reverend Richter left Trinity in early 2012 to "plant" a church in Boston, Massachusetts, which TPC helped to start.

In 2012, Taylor Howsmon joined the TPC family as a full-time youth intern working with the senior and junior high students. In the summer of 2014, Taylor moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, to become the new Director of Youth Ministries at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.

In September 2016, Reverend John Gordy moved with his family from Decatur, Alabama, to become TPC’s new assistant pastor overseeing ministry to the youth of  the church and outreach into the community. Reverend Gordy assumed the position of RUF campus minister for Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, in the summer of 2019.

Our Assistant Pastor Stephen Johnson began his ministry at Trinity in August 2020 and became Associate Pastor in August 2022.

Trinity purchased the two buildings at 1300 10th Avenue NE in 1988.  The mortgage for those buildings was paid for in full at the close of 1994. In 1996, Trinity purchased 20 acres on Viola Road from Guy Hostetter for a future church location.  This land was paid for in full in 2004.  With the land fully purchased, Trinity Presbyterian Church completed Phase One of a building project in July 2013.  In order to expand our facilities to allow further growth in ministry, another building phase was completed in October 2017 adding education and fellowship space.

A fuller description of our history, Trinity Presbyterian Church: A Brief History by Dean Wallace, is available for those interested.