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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 Pastor 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, Pastor 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 continue period of growth
and expansion. New classrooms, fellowship hall, and office wing were built,
with dedication celebrations in July 1997. Pastor 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.
August 11, 2002 Holy
Trinity called Pastor Joel Brandt and Pastor 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 been working as a team for many years. In
its 40 years, the congregation has experienced growth, change, challenge and
faithful witness to Christ. We pray for continued faithfulness for many
years to come.
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