Randy Gardner (left), a lay leader and Pastor David To stand outside Trinity Global Methodist Church in Van Wert.
Brenda Keller | The Lima News
VAN WERT — The name may have changed a little, but the mission is still the same.
Trinity Global Methodist Church underwent an affiliation change on Jan. 1 and officially adopted its current name on Jan. 28 to reflect its affiliation with the Global Methodist Church. The church is in partnership with North Union Church, another Global Methodist church, with both congregations sharing a pastor.
The majority of the church members at Trinity GMC maintain conservative values and seek to follow Biblical guidelines. For several years, the members had noted what they believed to be a discrepancy in the written bylaws of the United Methodist Church and what they witnessed occurring among UMC congregations. They believed the United Methodist Church was moving away from the traditional theology of Methodist founder John Wesley.
As their concerns grew, the church leadership sought assistance from conference leaders regarding the steps necessary to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Multiple meetings were scheduled to give church members an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts about the potential change of affiliation. Rev. David To said meetings occurred both formally and informally.
As the congregation considered this transition, they received an endowment of $194,000. One year later, that bequest would prove very beneficial as they paid the $108,234 to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. To indicated that North Union Church paid nearly $58,000 to disaffiliate from the UMC. Those funds were covered by money the State of Ohio offered for land needed to widen U.S. Route 127.
While lay leader Randy Gardner likens the transition to “building an airplane while in flight,” both he and To are confident that the church made the right decision. They see “momentum” and To has been encouraged that church attendance was 165 this past Sunday, compared to 125 attendees one year ago. They both share the GMC philosophy that local funds should stay in the local community.
On Oct. 9, 2022, a two-thirds majority vote was needed from Trinity to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. While To was at home recovering from a COVID viral infection, 96 percent of the congregants voted to disaffiliate from the UMC. Later, when a second vote took place to affiliate with the Global Methodist Church, 100 percent of the congregants indicated their support of the affiliation.
To credited the congregation with raising funds to change the church signage. The church held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for the public on Sept. 30. There were 100 people in attendance, some coming from as far away as Lima. To noted that the Presiding Elder at Good Shepherd Church of Benton Ridge in Findlay prayed at the ribbon cutting ceremony, “then changed hats to work in his mechanic role, providing [free] oil changes” to those in attendance who elected to benefit from that service offered by the church at the open house.
The Future of Trinity Global Methodist Church
Both Gardner and To indicated that Trinity is “on track.”
“They [the congregation and people in the community] want something that means something,” Gardner said.
The church has been in the community since 1865 and the leaders want to “leave a footprint.” Both leaders envision greater potential for community service and mission work as the church grows. Several members of the congregation are actively involved in other organizations within the community, including local food pantries and community dinners. The church supports Pregnancy Life in Van Wert. Church members have served at the World Vision Distribution Center in Pennsylvania and on mission trips to Cuba and Haiti.
To indicated that the “Cuban Connection” has been very strong as those mission trips have given short-term missionaries insight into how the persecution faced by the Cubans has taught them to depend heavily on their faith.
Both Gardner and To are eager to attend their first Allegheny West Conference in Reynoldsburg later this week. The conference includes churches throughout Ohio and in Western Pennsylvania.
