I attended the local MCC church until they closed in 2007 which met in the St. Marks Chapel. We sang the hymn “All Are Welcome” at every service. I recently heard this hymn at a church in another city I was visiting and whenever I hear this hymn, I always think of Trinity.
What drew me to Trinity when I was looking for a new church home in 2007 was the diversity and friendliness of the congregation. Prior to 2007 when I was attending MCC I always felt very welcomed by members of Trinity I would encounter in the halls and parking garage. There are many churches where I would not be welcomed as a single, middle-aged gay male.
What keeps me coming back to Trinity every week is our welcoming and diverse atmosphere not only to our own members at 10 a.m. every Sunday but others in the local community. I love that we are now providing a hot breakfast to members of the local community on Sunday morning before church by providing a welcoming meeting space. We are helping to provide food for the local community by welcoming Food For Thought as a building partner. We provided a welcoming space last year for youth refugees with the music camp. We are helping out members of the community by providing a welcoming downtown meeting space for AA and other various organizations.
The refrain to this hymn is “All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.” I feel these words describe Trinity perfectly.