Trinity United Methodist Church celebrates 101
Special to the American
Led by a group of Christian pioneers, the Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church opened its doors in 1908 on Nectar Street in the City of East St. Louis, Illinois.
Benevolent guidance, pastoral leadership, and the dedication of the laity enabled the church to grow and relocate to a new edifice at 813 North Second Street in East St. Louis on “The Hill” in 1940 and then to 1301 Summit Avenue, followed by its current edifice located at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Rev. Dr. R. B. Lyles served as pastor for 46 years, which equates to almost half of the church’s existence. In honor of this centennial celebration, the East St. Louis City Council passed legislation to rename the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Dr. R. B. Lyles Drive.
The presence of the Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church for one century serves as a testament to the faith believed and upheld by its members throughout the years.
Led by Pastor Vincent D. Collins, current members of the church continue to build upon the foundation laid by countless pioneers under providential direction. The centennial celebrations to commemorate this monumental achievement were held this past weekend, October 24-26, with a Gospel Explosion featuring Lady Eneazer Moore and The Parade of the Century from 813 North 22nd Street to 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue/Dr. R. B. Lyles Drive.
A Worship Service on Sunday, “Celebrating the Past and looking forward to the Future!” was led by the Rev. T. E. Hendricks of King Baptist Church, Denver. An afternoon program was led by Dr. F. James Clark, pastor of Shalom Church City of Peace. The Mistress of Ceremonies was Deborah E. Holmes, Station Manager, KSTL 690 AM Radio.
101 years of Trinity
Trinity United Methodist Church of East St. Louis also celebrated 101 years of Black Methodism of the United Methodist Church in the Metro East Area.
In 1907 a small Methodist mission was started with five people. Their faith birthed Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church and Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church and inspired other Black Methodist faith communities in East St. Louis and Washington Park.
Trinity commemorated these beginnings Sunday, October 26 with Bishop Gregory V. Palmer preaching at the worship service followed immediately by a fellowship dinner. The community celebration was led by New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church pastor the Rev. Myron Taylor preaching and The New Bethel Church Choir ministering in song.
Dr. Rose M. Booker-Jones is Senior Pastor at Trinity, located at 1411 Missouri Avenue.