Church guide

Thanks to Allyson Henning, reporter for News 4 Jax. Your recent story on Trinity's efforts to save this historic Saint Augustine church was done well and will,hopefully, inspire others to get involved. https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/st-johns-county/st-augustine/st-augustine-to-help-pay-for-much-needed-repairs-to-historic-church

Please contribute through our FB Donate page towards the $250k goal to repair and preserve this historic church which played a pivotal part in the passing of our great nation's Civil Rights Act of 1964. Signed on July 2 by President Lyndon Johnson, the bill banned discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and nationality and led to the passage of more protections under the law, including the 1965 Voters Rights Law.

Thank you to the City of St. Augustine for supporting our effort to "Save Historic Trinity of Lincolnville". Your generous commitment of CRA funding will cover the cost for necessary repairs and reconstruction of the church's iconic Bell Tower. http://www.staugustine.com/news/20180926/st-augustine-budgets-up-to-250k-to-repair-church-with-ties-to-african-american-history

Many thanks to The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation for selecting Trinity Church of Lincolnville as one of Florida's 11 To Save in 2018. Stay tuned as our much-needed repairs and restoration take place -- our hope is that this project will benefit the entire city!

For those interested in giving a a tax exempt donation to our efforts to repair and preserve this historic property, you may give on this site on either a laptop or desktop (sorry, not available by mobile). A website, which will enable contributions on all devices, is currently under construction. Thank you so much.

Thank you to all of our FB friends who have liked our page. Please stay tuned as we amp up our fundraising efforts for the restoration of this important historic property.

This is one of those rare years in which the official celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life falls on his actual birthday, January 15. April 4, 2018 will also mark the 50th anniversary of his assassination. That a half-century has passed since King was cut down by an assassin’s bullet underscores how young he was — just 39 at his death — when he commanded the nation’s attention. Not to mention that his considerable achievements — from the Montgomery bus boycott to the Poor People’s Campaign — spanned just 13 years.

The current Trinity Independent Methodist Church is one of the great architectural landmarks of the city and has been included on the annual tour of historic churches. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Trinity was one of the main churches where rallies were held, in preparation for marches downtown to protest racial discrimination. When marchers were cursed and had bottles thrown at them in the downtown plaza, they made their way back to Trinity for sanctuary. Their courage and determination impressed the world and led to the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960's, Trinity UMC hosted many rallies to encourage all locals in the St. Augustine area to protect their communities from racial discrimination. Nightly public marches began and ended here, with the marchers enduring verbal and physical attacks as they made their way back to the church. The Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress in 1964.

By giving to the Resurrect Trinity campaign, you and your family will be a part of the history of not only the nation's oldest Black Christian congregation, but you will also join a whole community devoted to saving a vital part of the histories of both Saint Augustine and Civil Rights in America. Like this page, Follow and Share us with your FB friends as we develop this effort to save the church bell tower and restore this beautiful historic facility for future generations.

Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated!! Send us a FB message or mail your contribution made payable to SAVE HISTORIC TRINITY OF LINCOLNVILLE, Trinity Independent Methodist Church, 83 Bridge Street, Saint Augustine, FL 32084.

Rev. Craig Anderson pastors the Trinity Independent Methodist Church in Lincolnville. Here he pauses after installing the banner for the "Beauty from Ashes Fundraising Campaign" to restore and repair Historic Trinity Church.

Trinity's iconic bell tower symbolizes community unity in the effort to save this historic landmark. The church will house the same congregation, newly renamed an Independent Methodist Church.

Trinity's origins date to 1821 when the St. Augustine Mission Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church was established here. In 1881, George I. Adkins, owner of the Florida House, helped start a Methodist Episcopal Church on St. George Street. Early members included English, Spanish, Black, White and Native American. In 1907, the newly renamed Trinity United Methodist Church purchased a site on Bridge Street, an old orange grove. The new church building was completed in 1913 and remains today an architectural landmark in St. Augustine. Fast-forward to 2017, the now Independent Methodist congregation remembers its rich historical roots and strives forward to restoring the church to its original beauty, functionality and cultural preservation. Won't you consider your part in this worthy fundraising effort?