Updates from congregations around the Church of the Lutheran Confession
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church has proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the corner of Wall and Wellesley Streets for seventy-nine years. This is a much-needed message for a community that has more recently been plagued with the many troubles and difficulties of inner-city life. Trinity sits just a few miles north of downtown Spokane, the Spokane River, and Gonzaga University. As such, the local demographic of our area seems to be made up mostly of college students, life-long residents, and transplants from other parts of the country looking to enjoy the temperate climate and beautiful scenery.
Trinity’s membership is made up mostly of the latter two categories. It is a congregation with deep roots. It was first served by Pastor Maynard Witt, who led the congregation out of the WELS and into the fledgling CLC at the time of the split. Many of the current members joined Trinity in the following decades and have been long-time, faithful members since. Still others have been led by the Lord to our flock through spouses, family members, or coworkers.
One of the current challenges that Trinity eagerly welcomes is outreach. Washington State is one of the least religious states in America, and it shows. It is rewarding when our efforts prove fruitful with new visitors and adult instruction classes, though these have been few and far between. We currently have one adult instruction class and will have one catechism student beginning this fall.
Trinity eagerly faces this challenge because the Lord has seen fit to train our flock carefully and patiently with many trials in the last few years. Among these trials was an extended vacancy (three years), which was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Washington’s strict handling of the pandemic made normal worship practice quite difficult to maintain until just last year. Thankfully, both difficulties have been resolved by God’s grace in bringing the pandemic to a close and by bringing a full-time pastor to shepherd the flock.
In the spring of 2021, seminary graduate Drew Naumann accepted the call to serve Trinity and was ordained on the Fourth of July. It’s certainly easy to see the Spirit’s wisdom in guiding this call at that time, especially since the two congregations in the greater Seattle area would have their pastors called to other fields in the following year. Pastor Naumann has been serving the dual vacancy call to Redemption of Lynnwood and Ascension of Tacoma in recent months. Trinity has been more than gracious in offering whatever assistance they can. This Christian charity comes from being themselves intimately familiar with the hardships a vacancy can bring, and it provides an outlet for the gratitude they have toward those whom the Lord gave to serve them during their time of need.
In addition to regular worship in Spokane and assisting the coastal vacancies, Trinity also serves a preaching station in Mansfield, Washington. Services take place at a member’s home once a month. The families in this group are farmers, a profession which grants them a deep appreciation for God’s providence and care.
Like many CLC churches, Trinity is also challenged by our contemporary society’s growing complacency toward things religious. One may be tempted to ask, “What’s the point in preaching a message no one wants to hear?” An aging membership roster leads many to wonder, “How long will we be able to meet our financial obligations with older members being taken to eternal rest faster than younger members come to take their place?” A dwindling clergy roster may cause one to look to the horizon and think, “I don’t know that we’d be able to survive another vacancy.”
And yet, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, along with the entire Holy Christian Church on earth, has never been defined by our self-sufficiency. We live alone by God’s grace in this life and our sure hope in the next. The Spirit has provided us the opportunity to proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to a sin-sick world that desperately needs Him. As His redeemed people, called to afflict the comfortable with the Law and comfort the afflicted with the Gospel, we are privileged to show through the clear and inerrant Scriptures that our sufficiency is in the grace of God alone. And so our purpose remains the same as it always has been and always will be, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit .” (Matthew 28:18) To our Triune God alone be the praise!
is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Spokane, Washington.