Trinity Lutheran history

A reorganization of the congregation took place, and on Sunday, March 6, 1859, the Rev.

In April 1863, the congregation suffered the first of several fires that were to plague its history.

The congregation then purchased a lot on Juniper Avenue (now known as 69th street). The new schoolhouse was built there and dedicated during the Pentecost season in 1865.

Wagner was founded in 1883 in Rochester, New York, as a “Proseminary”, with the purpose of educating young men to serve German-speaking Lutheran churches.

In the summer of 1888, a small group gathered and was formally incorporated.

Trinity Lutheran Church was formed in 1890 by German immigrants who moved from Lower Manhattan.

People of German and English ancestry start the Holy Trinity English Evangelical Lutheran Church on 10th and Garden streets in 1903.

Fire struck again in 1906 when the old Luther Chapel was destroyed.

By 1907 a new stone church, built on the old cemetery site, was dedicated on Trinity Sunday, June 14, 1907.

Our present sanctuary, in the French transitional gothic style, with beautiful stained glass windows, was dedicated in 1909.

St Paul’s Avenues where the current Gothic structure was built and occupied by the congregation in 1913.

On February 12, 1914, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church requested a full-time Pastor dedicated solely to the congregation, marking her official place as a church in the Bronx.

By 1915, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was legally incorporated.

The property was purchased and Wagner College moved to Staten Island in 1918.

The hall was built in the mid 1930’s.

SERVING MIDDLE VILLAGE AND MASPETH SINCE 1938.

In the 1940’s German immigrants welcomed Latino immigrants and through most of the 50’s provided sanctuary space for a French-speaking Haitian congregation and a Chinese congregation.

In 1965, the congregation of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church made the bold decision to build a new church building, which would become Trinity’s current home.

Piecemakers Started in 1971

In 1975, plans were being made to completely renovate the “Church in the Cemetery,” but before work could begin lightning struck the highest peak directly above the altar causing structural damage.

Formal dedication of the new facility took place on Reformation Sunday, October 28, 1979.

By 1993, only 26 members of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (25 communicants) can be found.

Microburst Hits Middle Village On September 16, 2010, a tornado, which spawned a microburst, took the siding off the front of the building on Dry Harbor Road and sent it flying into the street and onto some houses opposite the church.

In May of 2011, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church called her 11th pastor, the Rev.

Trinity will celebrate 150 years of ministry to this community under the guidance of Pastor Leo E. Longan in 2013.

Pastor Martin Malzhan became our new shepherd in 2016 and brings with him an extensive background in congregational and campus ministries.