A brief history

Holy Trinity A.M.E. Church has been in existence since July 14, 1863 when she was dedicated by Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne as the “Church of the College” at Wilberforce University. Bishop Payne deeply believed “Christianity and culture” were essentials for one’s life.

For years, worship services, revivals and Bible readings were held in the main building on the campus of Wilberforce University, which contained a chapel. The main building was destroyed by fire in 1865. Bishop Payne and others raised money to rebuild a worship building on campus. It was later replaced by a new building known as Shorter Hall naming the addition as the “Old College Chapel.” It was later named Holy Trinity and began serving the religious and spiritual needs of not only Wilberforce students, but also the students, faculty and staff from Central State University as well.

 As Wilberforce continued to grow and the congregation expanded, a dedicated space for worship and fellowship was needed. On December 14, 1895, Holy Trinity Board of Trustees purchased a plot for $5.00 for the building of a church. The church building was never constructed; however services continued to be held in Shorter Hall and Galloway Hall.

In 1953 the Chapel of the Living Savior of Payne Theological Seminary was completed and dedicated. Dean Stokes invited the congregation of Holy Trinity to make her permanent home in the Chapel.

The first Pastor was Reverend Edward P. Davis. Because there was neither a church building nor parsonage, most pastors only served one or two years. The church began to gain financial stability in the 1940s under the leadership of Reverend Earnest Clark. This was accomplished by expanding services to colleges, the Wilberforce Community, as well as using the Wilberforce University Choir on Sundays and college professors and seminary students to teach Sunday School. Membership rose to 155.