Our Church
Trinity Evangelical Congregational Church
165 N. 67th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Phone: 717-564-1528
Church Office Hours: M-F 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Trinity Evangelical Congregational Church
165 N. 67th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Phone: 717-564-1528
Church Office Hours: M-F 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Our Staff
Terry Brosius, Pastor
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Nancy Frey, Church Secretary
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Harold E. Heller, Music Director
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Nancy Deimler, Assistant Organist
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The Vision Statement of
Trinity E. C. Church
As a dynamic church proclaiming the Word of God we purpose to make Disciples of Christ by:
Trinity E. C. Church
As a dynamic church proclaiming the Word of God we purpose to make Disciples of Christ by:
- Providing a climate in which personal spiritual growth and worship occur.
- Encouraging Christians to consecrate themselves to God's purpose in their lives.
- Equipping believers for effective ministry to reach the Harrisburg area and beyond.
- Attracting and leading the unsaved to Jesus.
Our History
The Evangelical Congregational Church actually took root when a young convert by the name of Jacob Albright traveled around looking for a church with which he could unite that served his Lord Jesus Christ and upheld good discipline. Albright was of the evangelical conviction that all men are lost and need the grace of God as it is expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He believed that the most important words of Jesus were “You must be born again,” and the proof of the authenticity of this Christian experience through faith is seen in holy living.
Aligning himself to the tenets of the Methodist Church, it was in the year 1796 that his deep passion for his spiritually neglected German speaking neighbors led him to begin proclaiming the saving power of Jesus Christ. Albright had no thought of founding a new religious denomination, but in 1800 he yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit and the continued requests of those to whom he ministered to begin the work of organization. In 1803 the leaders of this new group of Albright’s followers, solemnly ordained their spiritual shepherd, Jacob Albright, as a “genuine Evangelical preacher.” In 1807, at an annual conference, he was elected the first bishop of the group, which had become known as the Evangelical Association.
The Church continued to grow at a rapid rate until 1894, when because of administrative and polity differences, a split occurred. The “Majority” continued as “The Evangelical Association,” while the “Minority” became the “United Evangelical Church.” An attempt was made in 1922 to bring The Evangelical Association and The United Evangelical Church together, but the large body of congregations in eastern Pennsylvania, which had been the birthplace of the Church, decided that they could not be a part of the planned merger and still retain their democratic spirit and their Articles of Faith. They chose not to join the merger and later selected the name “The Evangelical Congregational Church.”
Going back in time, in 1908 a small group of people living in Rutherford Heights met in homes for Sunday School studies. From this group an Advisory Committee was formed and met on May 3, 1909, to study the possibility of forming a church. It was with great enthusiasm that they agreed a church should be erected and become a part of the United Evangelical Church. A motion was made to build, and at that moment Trinity United Evangelical Church was born. In 1928, the congregation then voted to withdraw from the United Evangelical Church and affiliated itself with the newly birthed Evangelical Congregational Church. Membership, witness, changed lives, and ministry continue to grow in the Rutherford Heights area and throughout the world today, because of the faithfulness and dedication of Trinity’s members to the Lord Jesus Christ. The future is even brighter than the past and the present. We invite any who desire to be part of God’s exciting plan of ministry to join with us as we venture forward to His new blessings.
The Evangelical Congregational Church actually took root when a young convert by the name of Jacob Albright traveled around looking for a church with which he could unite that served his Lord Jesus Christ and upheld good discipline. Albright was of the evangelical conviction that all men are lost and need the grace of God as it is expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He believed that the most important words of Jesus were “You must be born again,” and the proof of the authenticity of this Christian experience through faith is seen in holy living.
Aligning himself to the tenets of the Methodist Church, it was in the year 1796 that his deep passion for his spiritually neglected German speaking neighbors led him to begin proclaiming the saving power of Jesus Christ. Albright had no thought of founding a new religious denomination, but in 1800 he yielded to the power of the Holy Spirit and the continued requests of those to whom he ministered to begin the work of organization. In 1803 the leaders of this new group of Albright’s followers, solemnly ordained their spiritual shepherd, Jacob Albright, as a “genuine Evangelical preacher.” In 1807, at an annual conference, he was elected the first bishop of the group, which had become known as the Evangelical Association.
The Church continued to grow at a rapid rate until 1894, when because of administrative and polity differences, a split occurred. The “Majority” continued as “The Evangelical Association,” while the “Minority” became the “United Evangelical Church.” An attempt was made in 1922 to bring The Evangelical Association and The United Evangelical Church together, but the large body of congregations in eastern Pennsylvania, which had been the birthplace of the Church, decided that they could not be a part of the planned merger and still retain their democratic spirit and their Articles of Faith. They chose not to join the merger and later selected the name “The Evangelical Congregational Church.”
Going back in time, in 1908 a small group of people living in Rutherford Heights met in homes for Sunday School studies. From this group an Advisory Committee was formed and met on May 3, 1909, to study the possibility of forming a church. It was with great enthusiasm that they agreed a church should be erected and become a part of the United Evangelical Church. A motion was made to build, and at that moment Trinity United Evangelical Church was born. In 1928, the congregation then voted to withdraw from the United Evangelical Church and affiliated itself with the newly birthed Evangelical Congregational Church. Membership, witness, changed lives, and ministry continue to grow in the Rutherford Heights area and throughout the world today, because of the faithfulness and dedication of Trinity’s members to the Lord Jesus Christ. The future is even brighter than the past and the present. We invite any who desire to be part of God’s exciting plan of ministry to join with us as we venture forward to His new blessings.
What the Evangelical Congregational Church Believes
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- Assurance and Apostasy
- Salvation
- Sanctification
- The Church
- The Faith of Our Church
- The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible
- The Sacraments
- The Trinity
(Note: You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents. A free download is available.)