God’s work in McClure, PA

Trinity Lutheran Church is the result of a merger between two predecessor congregations, St. Matthew Lutheran Church and Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, both of McClure. While the merger of Christ and St. Matthew’s Lutheran churches officially took place in 1945, our congregational history goes back to 1876 and, as some members like to point out, beyond that to the founding of St. John’s (Ridge) Lutheran Church, four miles north of the town of McClure.

In 1876, Lutherans who were members of St. John’s (Ridge) Lutheran Church wanted to establish a Lutheran church in the town of McClure. Permission was given for a new congregation to begin meeting in the Middleswarth schoolhouse, two miles east of town. Reverend D. M. Stetler preached the first sermon there on December 17, 1876, and, on January 29, 1877, the church was formally organized as St. Matthew Lutheran Church with a membership of 26.

Worship services were held in the Middleswarth schoolhouse until 1888 when services were moved to the First Evangelical United Brethren Church in McClure. In April of that year, members decided to build a church for the St. Matthew’s Lutheran congregation. The cornerstone of St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church was laid in 1889, and the church was dedicated on March 23, 1890, free of debt. In 1910, the church building was remodeled, and the chancel moved from the north end to the south end of the building. In 1916, a parsonage for St. Matthew’s was built on West Specht St. In 1927, the church was again remodeled, an addition added, and a Moller pipe organ was installed. The organ was presented to the church by the Ladies Aid Society. In 1941, classrooms were built in the basement and restrooms were added.

While St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church developed in the late 1880s, members of St. Paul’s Ridge Church and Samuel’s Church held their first meeting on July 13, 1886, to discuss forming another Lutheran congregation in McClure. From this meeting, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church was formally organized on April 10, 1887, under the guidance of Reverend J.M. Stover. The cornerstone of the new church building was laid on June 12, 1887. The church was completed December 4, 1887, at a cost of $2,000 (including organ, bell, hymnals, and church furniture), all paid-in-full on the day of dedication. In 1912, a house next to Christ’s Lutheran was purchased for use as a parsonage. It’s interesting to note that Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church and St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church were built within 50 yards of each other.

In 1918, various Lutheran church organizations decided to form a national denomination called the United Lutheran Church in America. This unification put both Christ’s and St. Matthew’s in the same national Lutheran denomination but in different synods. Discussion began between the councils of both churches to consider establishing one Lutheran church in McClure. After 26 years of discussion, in September 1944, the congregations of St. Matthew Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church voted to merge and form Trinity Lutheran Church. Having decided to use the St. Matthew’s church building and the Christ Lutheran parsonage, the merger took effect on January 1, 1945.

After merging, the Christ Lutheran church building became a Parish House for a variety of church activities for almost 10 years. In 1954, the building was sold and, while the church was torn down, the rest of the building was remodeled to become the West Snyder (medical) Clinic. Around the same time that the Christ Church building was sold, Trinity Lutheran Church was remodeled and a new addition was built. Groundbreaking services were held on July 25, 1954, and a dedication service on March 6, 1955. In 1958, property across the street from the church was acquired and converted for use as a parking lot. The Clinic was later sold to Lewistown Hospital and continued to be the community’s medical clinic.

On January 1, 1961, after 16 years of being part of the McClure Pastoral Charge, which included St. John’s Ridge, Samuel’s, and Trinity churches, Trinity Lutheran became a single-charge church. Throughout the 1970s, renovations and improvements were made to Trinity Lutheran Church, including acquiring the “old” McClure Firehall as a Parish Hall, adding a new front entrance, refurbishing the Moller organ, improving the sound system, updating handicapped accessibility, installing a new drainage system for the basement, and purchasing a generator for power outages.

In 1988, Trinity became a denomination of the newly formed Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

In early 2009, Lewistown Hospital closed the West Snyder Clinic and put the building up for sale.  The following year, the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church decided to purchase the Clinic and its property including the shared parking lot.  In 2012, the sale of the Clinic building and property to Trinity was finalized with intentions of putting it to use for the community.  During the summer of 2018, after extensive renovations, two local businesses opened in “The Clinic”: R and R Creations, a catering and food business run by Trinity members Robin Randolph and Annette Rager; and a bath, body lotion, and what-not shop, Herbal Emporium, run by Trinity member Billi Fultz. Both businesses have moved out of the building, which is now leased to Breezy Acres Bees.

In 2011, the Council discussed repairs & renovations to Trinity’s steeple, which were made in the summer of 2012 by Klingler Brothers of McClure, including: replacing the roof shingles in the steeple area; capping the woodwork with vinyl siding; replacing the old steeple with a new weathervane of the Angel Gabriel.  (The old weathervane is currently on display in the Luther Room.)  In addition, an LED-lit fiberglass cross was added to the front of church.  The congregation chose the cross and the weathervane; the Angel Gabriel weathervane given to the Glory of God and in memory of Quentin and Helen Wagner by Keith and Bonnie Seler.

During the COVID pandemic of 2020, the carpeting in the sanctuary was replaced.  Trinity members used their time, talent, and donations to remove the old carpet and install new flooring and also make minor renovations to the sanctuary.  While the flooring was being replaced, the congregation enjoyed outdoor Sunday worship in a canopy tent (with the appropriate social distancing measures in place).  In 2021, three split-condenser AC-heating units were added to the sanctuary, using leftover funds from the flooring project.  Trinity’s sanctuary is now air-conditioned as well as prayer-conditioned.  In 2023, the front doors were replaced and dedicated to the glory of God and in memory of Trinity member, Ned Boonie Sr., by his wife, Betty, and her family.

For over 145 years, as Trinity Lutheran has cared for the property which God has given to them, our members have also been active in the McClure, “reaching out to our community with God’s love.”

Current Trinity parsonage with Clinic in background.