Our History
The Beginning
Trinity began in 1941 as an extension of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Port Jefferson, with 20 students gathering for weekly Sunday School classes. They met in a small building on Jefferson St., and soon began to hold regular worship services in addition to Sunday School classes.
In 1949, the members of the “Rocky Point Annex” voted to incorporate as an independent congregation, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. At first, Trinity shared a pastor with St. Paul’s, but the congregation grew quickly and by 1956 could afford its own pastor.
A New Building
By 1960, the congregation had grown too large for their current space, and they hired architect Edward Slater to design a new building. He designed it in the shape of a phoenix rising.
Groundbreaking took place on December 9, 1962 and construction was finished within two years. The building was dedicated on June 28, 1964.
A parish hall, Witzmann Hall, was built behind the main building in the early 1970s to accommodate the large Sunday School program. Parents began the Trinity Nursery School in 1974.
The roof of the sanctuary was originally made of fiberglass, but it was replaced with a copper roof in the late 1970s, making the building look more like a fish. That’s how we got our nickname: “The Fish Church.”
Called to Serve
At the end of the Vietnam War, Trinity sponsored the resettlement of a refugee family from Southeast Asia. The congregation also participated in Operation Leap Frog, a program which provided disadvantaged inner-city youth with the opportunity to spend part of their school vacation in the safety and relative freedom of suburban Long Island homes.
In 1988, Trinity became a covenant member of Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, helping to build and refurbish homes for the economically disadvantaged.
In 1992, Trinity began a weekly hot meal program, Invited INN, now known as Friends Kitchen, serving a delicious dinner every Thursday at 5pm for anyone in need of food or fellowship.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Trinity launched its Mission Team with a trip to Bayou LaBatre, Alabama, serving with Lutheran Disaster Relief. The Mission Team continues to make week-long trips each February, most recently working with WARM (Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry) to repair, rebuild, and make homes accessible for low-income homeowners in North Carolina.
Continued Growth
As the congregation continued to grow, a narthex and office wing was added to the east side of the church in 1998. The sanctuary was also renovated to create additional seating, and the church parking lot was expanded.
Robust programming for children and youth continued to attract families, and, in 2016, the congregation added an addition to Witzmann Hall.
Covid brought many challenges, but one blessing was the initiation of an online ministry. Trinity now live-streams its 9am worship service each week.
Trinity Today
Today Trinity is a vibrant congregation, with a wide variety of ministries and programming. We invite you to join us for worship, grow in faith, and serve alongside us in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are the FISH Church:
F - Faithful to God,
I - Intentional in Witness,
S - Spiritually Centered, and
H - Hospitable to All