The first sermon was held in the Methodist Church, where the “Old Town” of Emmetsburg first sat. It did not take long to realize that the town needed to move and that is just what happened. Trinity Episcopal Church laid the first corner stone July 28, 1879 on the lot where the church presently stands and the first official service in the church was held in December of the same year. On June 24, 1882 a tornado did severe damage to the church and it was closed for two month for repairs. At this time, the steeple you see today was added.

Throughout the years painting to the exterior has been done; however steam stripping and replacing rotting boards had not been done prior to this summer as far as anyone knows.

“The origins of the Episcopal Church began when Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and created the Church of England,” David Nixon, Church member said. “As the settlers moved across the United States, the American Episcopal Church was formed. The first Presidents were Episcopalian or Anglicans.

The American Episcopal Church does not try and convert anyone; yet everyone is welcome to attend services.

-Messenger photo by Anesa McGregor Dick Zwart primes areas that have been stripped.

According to Nixon, the real heroes of the church were Doc and Eleanor Coffee. They were the driving force behind a lot of the work the church would do.

The challenge for churches today is the number of members and the ability to keep the ones already there and bring in new members. There were numerous clergy in the early years of the church, but as time has passed, it has been harder and harder to keep a minister in the smaller churches. The Trinity Episcopal Church in Emmetsburg might have 10-15 people in attendance for Sunday worship; however, in the winter there may only be six to eight.

“Our church is not really focused on that. We want to keep our church open,” Nixon stated. “Figuring out ways to be able to do this is what we are about.”

“The result of this all this painting and work that people are seeing and all of this initiative from those of us who have been with the church for years, even though the ones like Doc and Eleanor Coffee are no longer around, the rest of the people look around and we wonder how to keep the church open,” Nixon said.

The Episcopal Church has a history of Lay Ministry especially in the frontier days. If there was not a minister available, a member of the congregation stepped forward and lead the services. The concept was to keep the doors of the church open.

-Messenger photo by Anesa McGregor Dave Nixon sits at the pipe organ.

Nixon went on to explain, the bishop of the area had about five or six churches in the same situation and decided that they should develop their own lay ministry program.

“So that is really what is behind the work that is currently being done,” Nixon said. “So the way that we are able to afford the activities here with the few members we have is that we hired a full time priest that also teaches religion at Waldorf in Forest City. She comes over twice a month and does the Holy Eucharist and on the other Sundays there is one of us that distribute the communion that the Rev. Cathleen Bascom has blessed.”

The Diocese recognizes that congregation is unique and knows what is needed in the church. “We discuss and develop plans to be able to achieve those perceived needs. One of the first needs noticed by members of the Trinity Church was the obvious needed repairs to the exterior. The idea of creating a ‘Prayer Garden’ on the east side of the building between the church and Dr. Reedy’s office also became a working project. The church contacted Kevin Fehr, Industry Training Programmer for the Landscape and Turfgrass Program at Iowa Lakes Community College to create the Prayer Garden.”

With the design created, Green Gables Landscaping of West Bend was contacted to install the garden, which contains a Celtic Cross out of brick leading into the garden. The idea was to incorporate the Irish heritage of the community with the church.

“A bench has been donated for the garden,” Nixon said. “They have even been talking about the possibility of adding small mausoleums to hold ashes of deceased family.”

Not only the exterior, but the some areas of the interior are being remodeled as well. As Nixon explained, they would like to see various uses for the church going forward. The fellowship area in the basement is scheduled for remodeling and currently the kitchen is being remodeled by one of the members and his grandson.

The church is also planning to add a sprinkler system to the large room in the basement. Ideally, they would like to see it used as a daycare, which at one time was located in the basement of Trinity Episcopal Church.

“We would really like to see the church used by organizations that need a place to locate,” Nixon said.

“Many stopped at the church this past summer and asked Dick Zwart if it was ok to walk in and look around. One Saturday, he told me about a gentleman that had gone in and was in the church for quite some time. As I was getting the church ready for Sunday services, I found a $100 bill on the pulpit with the gentleman’s business card, who was a member of the Episcopal Church in Denver. I sent an email thanking him for the surprise and the next week, received a check for $1,000 from the person to be used for the costs of remodeling. He appreciated the assets our church has — its people.”

Nixon went on explaining remodeling activities and the concepts behind them all.

“Our goal is to mission outside the walls of the church,” Nixon explained. “Services are held Sundays at 10:45 a.m. and everyone is welcome and even if someone is not a member of our church, they are welcome to accept communion is they so choose.”