Trinity Episcopal Church (St. Louis, Missouri) facts for kids

Trinity Episcopal Church is a special church located in the Central West End area of St. Louis, Missouri. It's known for being a welcoming place for everyone, especially for LGBTQ people. This support started way back in 1969. Because of its important history, the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.

A Church with a Big Heart

Trinity Episcopal Church has a long and interesting history. It began in the late 1800s when another church, the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, was built in St. Louis. Later, this church joined with another one, St. James Memorial Church. They moved the St. James building to the corner of Euclid and Washington Streets. This new combined church was called the Church of the Redeemer.

In 1935, the Trinity Episcopal Church, which had been around since 1855, bought this building. That's how the Trinity Episcopal Church found its current home.

Welcoming Everyone

By 1954, the church added a new hall. The neighborhood around the church was changing. More African-American families and LGBTQ people moved into the area. Trinity Church decided to focus on helping and supporting these new neighbors.

In 1969, the Mandrake Society was formed. This was the first group in St. Louis specifically for LGBTQ people. By the summer of that year, Trinity Church started letting the Mandrake Society hold its meetings in the church building. The church even helped pay for the group's newsletter. In return, the newsletter helped tell people about the church.

The Mandrake Society also helped people who faced unfair treatment because of who they were. For example, they helped pay for legal support for nine men who were arrested in 1969. By the end of that year, the Mandrake Society grew from 18 members to more than 150! In the 1970s, Trinity Church continued to host other groups that supported LGBTQ rights, like the St. Louis chapters of the Gay Liberation Front and Integrity.

Helping During Tough Times

In 1984, a group was started in the Central West End to help people who were very sick. This group soon moved into Trinity Church's North Parish Hall. The church became a safe place for people who were sick and sometimes treated unfairly by others.

One person who found help at Trinity was Reverend Charles Bewick. He lost his job because he was sick and sadly passed away in 1989. That year, many people from the church marched in the St. Louis Pride Parade to remember him. Trinity Church also helped bury people who had passed away when other places wouldn't.

Leading the Way

Reverend Bill Chapman started blessing unions for same-sex couples privately in 1987. Then, in 1990, Reverend Susan Nanny, who was openly lesbian, joined the church as a co-rector. On July 27, 1991, Reverend Chapman publicly celebrated a marriage for a same-sex couple in front of the whole church.

At first, some people in the Diocese of Missouri (the larger church group) didn't agree with these actions. But by 1996, the diocese officially approved same-sex unions. Trinity Church also hosted a meeting with the city's mayor on February 8, 1993, to talk about fairness for gay and lesbian people. This was the first meeting of its kind in the city!

In 2020, Trinity Episcopal Church became the first place in Missouri to be recognized for its important history related to LGBTQ rights. It was approved by the State Historic Preservation Office and added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service. This shows how important Trinity Church has been in making St. Louis a more welcoming place for everyone.

See also

• LGBT historic places in the United States