Trinity's Beginning

The History of Trinity United Methodist Church
In the 1870s, two congregations joined to become the congregation of Trinity United Methodist Church. Trinity has a rich history of thriving and journeying together as a family of God, determined to fulfill its calling to make passionate disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the community and the world. All are invited to journey together as we seek to fulfill God's mission and create a new future.

HALL COUNTY BOOK “K”, PAGE 111

We Find a deed from Z. B. THOMASON and M. W. FINGER made on MAY 12, 1873 of four acres more or less. The area in which the church was located was not without Methodist People and Methodist Churches before Trinity came into being. In fact, there were two churches which merged to form Trinity Church. The two churches were Sunshine Church and Williams Chapel. The two churches agreed to consolidate and build another church. The new church was to be located halfway between Sunshine and Williams Chapel. Thus, the way was paved for erection of the first house of worship to be known as Trinity. These two churches were both log buildings much smaller than the proposed sanctuary. Williams Chapel was west of the proposed church on the left of Ransom Free Road on William Hovie Chambers’ Farm. The Williams Chapel Graveyard can still be found on Chambers’ Farm. Williams Chapel was sold by Trustees Oscar E. Floyd, D. Turner Quinlan, and P. Lonnie Gailey on April 7, 1913 to R. Homer Haynes for Forty Dollars for the Three Acres more or less. Sunshine Church was east of the proposed church on Skitts Mountain Road. It was also known as Campground Road. The congregation at Sunshine was composed of Methodist and Baptist who joined together because of similar tragedies. 

A church named Holly Springs Baptist burned, and before another structure was built, the congregation met with the Methodists at Sunshine. The Methodists who formed Sunshine used to worship in a two-story house called The Polkesville Church; however, it burned also. Since both congregations were without a place to worship, they formed Sunshine. Later, the Baptists built another sanctuary and called it Holly Springs. Some of the Methodists also built another sanctuary and called it Clemons Chapel. Both of these churches are still in existence today. The rest of the Methodists from Sunshine combined with Williams Chapel Methodists in forming Trinity. Rev. David L. Anderson was the pastor when Trinity was built in 1873. He helped to erect the new church. Later he became a missionary to China.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
1. Rev. Bill J. Cox, Pastor (1952-1954)
2. Minutes of Quarterly Conferences for Trinity charge
3. Mrs. J. N. (Vallie) Irvin
4. Members of Trinity Congregation and friends of the church
5. District Superintendent Rev. William A. McKoy
6. The 1915 Woman's Missionary Society Record Book

Trinity's Pastors

David L Anderson
1873

J. S. Embry
1874

J. H. Mashburn
1875

C. L. Patillo
1876

M. J. Cofer
1877-1878

N. E. McBreyer
1879-1880

Q. B. Quillian
1881

R. P. Martin
1882-1883

F. F. Reynolds (s)
1884

B. E. Ledbetter
1885

Sanford Leake
1886

H. L. Edmondson
1887

Geo. K. Quillian (s)
1888

J. N. Myers
1889

C. P. Marchman
1890

Col. H. H. Perry (s)
1891

S. H. Braswell
1892

T. P. Graham
1893

W. A. C. Baker
1894

A. F. Nunn
1895

A. M. Pierce
1896

C. E. Harmon
1897

J. W. Austin
1898

John R. Jones
1899-1900

W. E. Venable (s)
1901

J. H. Farr
1902

G. W. Tumlin
1903

Name not known
1904

W. H. Clark
1905-1906

G. M. Davis
1907

W. A. Wells
1908

John L. Franklin
1909

J. O. L. Morgan (s)
1910

W. M. Barnett
1911-1914

J. W. Brinsfield
1915-1916

R T. Harrison
1917-1918

F. G. Spearman
1919-1921

W. B. Hughes
1922-1923

E. C. Swetman
1924

S. A. Dailey
1925

N. A. Parsons
1926

L. M. Davidson
1927

T. E. Sherwood
1928

H. L. Gurley
1929-1930

P. H. Stokes
1931

M. M. Brackman
1932-1934

Marvin L. Warwick
1935-1937

E. W. McDougal (s)
1938-1940

J. W. Eberhart
1941-1942

Claude Patterson
1943

H. G. Garrett
1944

J. H. Smith (s)
1945-1946

W. E. Atkinson (s)
1947-1949

Doc Patterson
1949-1952

Billy J Cox
1952-1954

John R. Brabham
1954-1956

J. Alton Johnson
1956-1958

Chas. Dennis
1958-Mar 1960

J. D. Ferguson
Mar 1960-Jun 1960

Dewey E. Bailey
1960-1962

Truman Thomas
1962-1968

Paul Smith
1968-1970

Dan Welch
1970-1971

Paul Davis
1971-1974

Gary Blain
1974-1979

Jimmy Moor
1979-Feb 1983

Roger Bourgeois
Feb 1983-Dec 1985

Allen Jernigan
Jan 1986-Jun 1986

Don Martin
1986-1992

Carroll Miller
1992-1994

Jeff Ross
1994-1996

Rob Crawford
1996-2000

Rebecca Jones
2000-2003

Lee Almy
2003-2008

Don Underwood
2008-2012

John Moore
2012-2016

Brian Funderburke
2016-2019

Jeremy Noffsinger
Current

(s) = Supply (Interim) Pastor