Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has stood at 1000 Langhorne Road in Lynchburg, Virginia, since 1954, the third home of a Lutheran community that first gathered more than a century ago. To neighbors driving past, the building is still recognized as "the church with the red door," a symbol the congregation has carried since the move to its current site. Today Holy Trinity is a congregation of the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and its life revolves around Word and Sacrament, strong music, and an unusually broad reach into the surrounding community.
Worship in the Lutheran Tradition
Congregational life at Holy Trinity centers on the historic Lutheran pattern of Word and Sacrament, grounded in a theology of grace. Services of Holy Communion are celebrated every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., and every Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed on the congregation's YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person. Matins, Vespers, and Compline are offered seasonally, and the church describes its worship as "liturgically vibrant, theologically relevant, spiritually enriching, and socially aware."
Music carries a large share of the sanctuary's life. The musical instruments include a Taylor & Boody mechanical-action organ, a Klop continuo organ, a Baldwin grand piano, and a Fisk harpsichord, anchoring a program that pairs the Adult Choir (which rehearses Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 10:00 a.m.) with a Handbell Choir that meets Tuesdays from 5:40 to 6:30 p.m. from January through May. An annual Fine Arts Series brings organists, choirs, and instrumentalists to the church throughout the year.
A Congregation With a Century Behind It
The first Holy Trinity worship service was held on October 12, 1902, at the old YMCA in Lynchburg, with twenty-seven people present. The congregation was officially organized in January 1903. A small brick structure at the corner of Victoria and Rivermont avenues, dedicated in June 1907 and known simply as "the chapel," served the growing body until the move to 1018 Rivermont Avenue in June 1922. As the congregation weathered the Roaring Twenties, the Depression, and the Second World War, conversations about a larger home grew. The result was the move in July 1954 to the present building on Langhorne Road, where the iconic red door has welcomed members and visitors ever since. An original pew from the Victoria Avenue chapel was refinished and reinstalled in the nave at Langhorne Road, a small reminder of the journey from twenty-eight Lutherans to more than a thousand baptized members by the centennial year of 2003.
Christian Education for All Ages
Christian education is treated as a priority, with both Sunday and weekday offerings for learners of every age. Sunday Church School meets from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. between September and May for children ages three through grade five, and Wednesday Children's Ministry offers a monthly gathering for the same age group from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the fall and winter. A Confirmation Program serves youth in grades six through eight, and First Communion Classes are held in October.
Adults find a particularly rich calendar. The congregation supports a Monday Evening Bible Study, a Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study, a Thursday Discussion Group, a Friday Book Discussion Group, a Breakfast Lecture Series, "Table Talk," "God in Film," Jewish-Christian Text Studies, a Pastor's Information Class, fall and winter seminars, and Third Sunday Programs, all designed in part to broaden understanding of other cultures and world religions.
Children, Youth, and Campus Ministry
Holy Trinity's youth ministry gathers grades three through twelve on a regular schedule and participates in Virginia Synod youth events. Senior High youth in grades nine through twelve have, since 1988, traveled every three years on a Luther Heritage Tour to the congregation's German sister parish in Holzminden. The youth program finds a second home at the HTLC Youth House at 1004 Langhorne Road, just to the left of the church's front doors.
Campus Ministry, directed by Susan Williams, supports Lutheran students at area colleges including the University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Sweet Briar College, and Liberty University. The Campus Ministry Committee sponsors an Adopt-A-Student Program that connects students with parish families during their college years, alongside worship, fellowship, and service opportunities offered throughout the academic year.
Parish Nurse and Health Ministry
Holy Trinity was among the first congregations in the Lynchburg area to establish a Parish Nurse ministry, and the program has been part of parish life for more than twenty-five years under Parish Nurse Gail Midkiff. In addition to health consultations and home and hospital visitation, the Parish Nurse coordinates an annual education series and offers two weekly exercise classes: a Strength and Balance class and a Chair Yoga class, both meeting Mondays and Fridays from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. The ministry also hosts an annual Red Cross Bloodmobile on the church campus.
Outreach Across Lynchburg and Beyond
Outreach is described as "a hallmark of Holy Trinity's presence in the community." In partnership with other neighborhood congregations, Holy Trinity houses the Rivermont Area Emergency Food Pantry, which feeds thousands of people each year. Members volunteer and contribute financially to a long list of local and global ministries, including the Interfaith Outreach Association, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, the YWCA Family Violence Prevention Center, Miriam's House, Johnson Health Center, the Free Clinic of Central Virginia, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, Kids' Haven, the Boys and Girls Club, Daily Bread, Beacon of Hope, Park View Community Mission, Lynchburg Grows, the Society of St. Andrew, HumanKind Pastoral Counseling Services, the Jubilee Family Development Center, United Way Community Care Fund, Interfaith Rebuilds, Rush Homes, Foster Care "Cuddles & Cases," and the Alzheimer's Memory Walk. Wider efforts include Lutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran World Relief.
Fellowship Around the Table
Holy Trinity is also known, by its own telling, for its food. The annual round includes Oktoberfest, a Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch, the Madrigal Dinner, Café Dennis, a Christmas Craft Fair, and the Harvest Food Festival featuring the congregation's famous Brunswick Stew. Adult fellowship offerings include the Trinity Travelers day trips, a Young Adults group, and regular dinner fellowship and Holy Communion for residents at Westminster Canterbury.
Partners in Ministry
The congregation maintains long-standing sister-parish relationships with Luther Church in Holzminden, Germany, and Bethel Church in Kimbe, Papua New Guinea, and partners with the Lutheran mission in the town of Bedford. The current pastoral team includes Pastor Dennis S. Roberts, Director of Music J. William Greene, Parish Nurse Gail Midkiff, and Director of Youth and Campus Ministries Susan Williams, supported by Parish Administrator Carol Dee Robertson. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 1000 Langhorne Road, Lynchburg, Virginia, and can be reached at 434-384-8441 or office@holytrinitylynchburg.org.