Holy Trinity Lutheran Church was started in the summer of 1961, when the Rev. Wayne Koenig was called to canvass the northwest area of Livonia.  On Sunday, November 5, 1961, the first service was held in Lincoln Elementary School.  Over 100 people attended that first service.  On January 21, 1962, this new mission was first chartered as Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

On June 17, 1962, Pastor Koenig was installed as first pastor of Holy Trinity.  About this time a building committee was formed and plans were made to construct a building on the newly purchased site on Five Mile Road.  On October 7, 1962, ground was officially broken for construction of the first sanctuary and multi-purpose addition.  On November 4, 1962, the cornerstone was laid.  On May 19, 1963, the first church was dedicated.

By April 3, 1966, the growing mission went off district subsidy and became a self-supporting congregation.  At that time, there were 280 confirmed members and a total of 500 souls.

Pastor Koenig accepted a new call in May 1967, and Holy Trinity faced a long vacancy until March 1968, when the Rev. Fred Balke accepted the call as second Pastor of Holy Trinity.  The need for a second full-time parish worker was filled by Deaconess Shirley Geyer (1969-1971) and Deaconess Diana Werlinger (1971-1979).  A number of Vicars also served with Pastor Balke until January 4, 1976, when Rev. James Spilos was ordained and installed as Assistant Pastor.  In August of that year, Pastor Balke accepted a position with the Adult Christian Education Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin. Pastor Spilos served the vacancy.  Affiliation with the English Synod of the new Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches (AELC) came in November 1976.  The following February, the Rev. Robert Seltz was called as the third Pastor of Holy Trinity; Pastor Spilos remained as Associate Pastor until 1993.

Throughout these years, the church’s ministries continue their expansion.  A new, larger sanctuary was built and dedicated on February 4, 1973.  The Tiny Tots Preschool began operations in 1974, and a new Rodgers combination pipe/electronic organ was installed in 1985.  In 1984, Epiphany Lutheran Church, an LCA congregation in Plymouth, consolidated with Holy Trinity.  Epiphany sold its buildings, investing the proceeds in a perpetual mission fund.  Epiphany’s 40-foot-high triple crosses were installed in front of Holy Trinity in October 1984 as an enduring symbol and beacon to the community.

On January 1, 1988, Holy Trinity became a member of the newly formed Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a merger of the ALC, LCA, and AELC.  Additional staff, some lay, some ordained, served through the 1990s, a continued period of growth and expansion.  New classrooms, fellowship hall, and office wing were built, with dedication celebrations in July 1997.  The Rev. Dennis Bux was installed as Senior Associate Pastor in November, 1994, and then later as Senior Pastor prior to Pastor Seltz’ retirement in 1997.  The Rev. Joel Brandt was called as Associate Pastor in April 1999.  Pastor Bux resigned in February 2000, and in November the congregation called the Rev. Linda Golden as Interim Associate Pastor.

On August 11, 2002 Holy Trinity called Rev. Joel Brandt and Rev. Linda Golden as a Pastoral Ministry Team.  As a formal structure, the Pastoral Ministry Team is a new concept at Holy Trinity; neither is Senior Pastor, neither is Associate or Assistant.  But this is not new in practice to Holy Trinity, as Pastors, other staff and lay leaders have worked as a team for many years.

August 2007 brought changes to our pastoral leadership when Pastor Brandt accepted a new call.  In December 2007, Rev. Kurt Fangmeier was called as Transitional Pastor.  The Congregation extended a call to Pastor Golden in May 2009 to serve as Senior Pastor and she was installed in September 2009.  Pastor Fangmeier accepted a call in November 2009.  Rev. Michelle Werner was called as Associate Pastor in January 2011.

In 50 years, the congregation has experienced growth, change, challenge and faithful witness to Christ. We pray for continued faithfulness for many years to come.