Trinity Chapel A.M.E. Church

Duane's take

Here's the story as the official marker tells it, and I wouldn't change a word. Back in 1882, something took root in Trinity County that the years just flat refused to pull up. That was the year Trinity Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church came into being, established first as a mission church.

The Reverend W.M. Apling stepped in as its very first pastor, and from that beginning, a whole community started gathering. Five years on, in 1887, the New York and Texas Land Company, Ltd. donated the land the congregation would build on.

Think about that for a moment. A land company, reaching down and saying, here, this ground is yours. By 1890, a small one-room building stood on that donated earth.

One room. That was enough to start. But Trinity Chapel was never content to stand still.

The members looked around at their growing numbers and decided that one room simply wasn't going to hold what they were becoming. So they got to work redesigning the sanctuary themselves. They relocated the entrance.

They added a bell tower. They attached a wing to the north side and another to the south. And the pews, well, those weren't ordered from any catalog.

They were hand-hewn wooden benches, with backs decorated by nine-inch spindles. People shaped this place with their own hands, and then they sat in what they had made. Several prominent area citizens counted themselves among the membership over the years.

The congregation built programs around Sunday school and vacation Bible school, and they didn't stop at the church door. Local scholarships went out into the community. Financial patronage flowed to Paul Quinn College in Dallas and to the Trinity Community Cemetery.

They sponsored a clothing bank, promoted an African American parade, and contributed to other social outreach programs. One century became more than a century, and Trinity Chapel A.M.E. Church is still serving the Trinity area today.

Some roots, once they take hold in 1882, just don't let go.

What the marker says

The Trinity Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church traces its beginnings to 1882 when it was established as a mission church. The Reverend W.M. Apling was appointed as the first pastor. Land for a church was donated in 1887 by the New York and Texas Land Company, Ltd. A small one-room building was erected by 1890. To house its growing numbers, the members redesigned the sanctuary. Changes included relocating the entrance, adding a bell tower, and attaching a wing to the north and south sides. The pews were hand-hewn wooden benches, supported by backs decorated with nine-inch spindles. Several prominent area citizens have been members of this church. The congregation promotes programs such as Sunday school and vacation Bible school, and supports civic responsibility through local scholarships and financial patronage of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, and the Trinity Community Cemetery. The Church also sponsors a clothing bank, promotes an African American parade and contributes to other social outreach programs. The Trinity Chapel A.M.E. Church continues to serve the Trinity area as it has for more than a century.