"A Place That Cares" on Saint Clair Avenue
Trinity Baptist Church sits at 461 Saint Clair Avenue in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood on the Near East Side of Columbus, Ohio. The congregation, which calls itself "A Place that Cares," has worshipped on this block since 1933, when its members pooled what they could in the depths of the Great Depression and bought an old United Brethren building. The brick sanctuary at the corner of Saint Clair and Atcheson has been added to over and over again, with an annex, a chapel, a third-floor assembly room, classrooms, a gym, and an elevator, and today the doors stay open to far more than Sunday worship.
Sunday in the Sanctuary
Worship at Trinity follows a steady weekly rhythm. Church School opens the day at 9:00 a.m., followed by Morning Worship at 10:00 a.m. The service typically runs about 90 minutes and is described as Spirit-led, with time for praise, prayer, and preaching to extend when the moment calls for it. Two Bible Study sessions follow the morning worship: an afternoon class at 12:15 p.m. and an evening class at 6:30 p.m. A church-wide Prayer Conference Call also goes out at 12:00 p.m. on Sundays (dial-in 602-609-9290). Services are livestreamed on YouTube for those joining from home, and Wednesday Bible Study gathers in person as well.
Dress is comfortable and welcoming, anything from a Sunday suit to business casual. First-time guests and longtime members are invited to come as they are.
The Lord's Supper, Baptism, and the Shape of Discipleship
Two ordinances shape the rhythm of the year. The Lord's Supper is observed on the first Sunday of every month, set aside as a sacred remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and a celebration of shared unity. Water baptism by full submersion is scheduled for the fourth Sunday of the month, offered as a public declaration of new life and commitment to following Jesus. Members can request either act through online forms on the church's Member Tools page.
The mission statement hangs over everything the church does: "Trinity Baptist Church is empowered by the Holy Spirit to compel the world to salvation and discipleship through Jesus Christ." Seven values anchor that calling: Care, Worship, Discipleship, Stewardship, Fellowship, Missions, and Christian Education.
Children, Youth, and Christian Education
Children and teenagers have a place set aside for them every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month, when families worship together. Children's Church and the Youth Ministry give kids and teens room to grow in faith, build friendships, and learn at their own level under the leadership of Minister of Children & Youth Min. Serena Brown Travis. Rev. Janet Sheppard serves as Minister of Christian Education and oversees the broader teaching program, which includes Sunday School, mid-week Bible Study, and Vacation Bible School. Bible study lessons are posted online so that disciples can prepare ahead of the gathering.
A Long List of Ministries
Serving at Trinity takes many shapes. The Come Serve With Us page lists dozens of teams organized under several banners.
- Fellowship: Greeters, Hospitality, Men's Ministry, Singles Ministry, Sisters In Service, Trustee Ministry, and Youth Ministry.
- Discipleship: Christian Education, Sunday School, and Bible Study.
- Music, Worship Arts & Media: the Music and Worship Arts ministry, the Usher Ministry, and the Security Ministry.
- Christian Education: Sunday School, Bible Study, and Vacation Bible School.
- Evangelism: Communication, Comfort, Event and Volunteer Coordination, Transportation, and Wedding Ministry.
- Missions: the Dorcas Home & Foreign Mission Ministry and the Healthcare Ministry.
Music and worship are led by Minister of Music & Worship Brian Coston. Event and volunteer coordination falls to Victoria Yarborough, who helps members find a place to serve.
Caring for the Near East Side
The care for the surrounding neighborhood shows up in long-running programs and ambitious partnerships alike. The Stratton House Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, operated by the church, address immediate material needs. The Rejoice Christian Bookstore supplies Christian literature to members and visitors. Through the Revival Development Cooperation, the congregation invests in housing and revitalization.
In partnership with National Church Residences and Nix Development, Trinity is helping bring The Scarborough Senior Residences to a site on Saint Clair Avenue, an 84-unit, one- and two-bedroom apartment community for seniors 62 and older. The Scarborough is named in honor of the church's third pastor, Rev. Dr. N. L. Scarborough, and construction began in spring 2025.
The church has also partnered with Second Baptist Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, and the Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to build "The Whitney's" townhomes in the King-Lincoln District, and has donated land on Garfield Avenue to Habitat for Humanity so that a family could build a home nearby.
A Century on Saint Clair
Trinity's story stretches back to May 5, 1924, when 50 members gathered as Evergreen Baptist Church at the corner of Naughten and Fifth Street. Within a year the congregation renamed itself Trinity Baptist Church. After a brief stay at the old Liberty Theater on Saint Clair, the young church moved in 1933 to its present home, a purchase made in the middle of the Great Depression and a signal moment for the African American community in Columbus.
Three pastors have shaped the modern congregation. Rev. Dr. N. L. Scarborough, a Shaw University graduate who arrived from Winston-Salem in 1927, led Trinity for more than twenty years and was elected in 1937 as the Mayor of Bronzeville, the African American community that makes up today's Near East Side. He also served as President of the Lott Carey Foreign Missions Convention. Rev. Dr. E. A. Parham, who followed Scarborough in 1949, pastored Trinity for nearly five decades and guided the additions that shaped the current building. He led the Lott Carey Convention, the Eastern Union Bible College, the Ohio Baptist General Convention, and the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America before retiring in 1997 as Pastor Emeritus. The street south of the church and the chapel inside it now bear his name, and Shaw University honors his legacy in the E. A. Parham Meditation Room.
In August 1997, Rev. Dr. Victor M. Davis, a Fayetteville, North Carolina native and Shaw University graduate, became Trinity's fifth pastor. Under his leadership the congregation has launched new ministries, partnered on affordable housing, and remained a civic force on the Near East Side.
Planning a Visit
Sunday parking is easy, with plenty of spaces and security surveillance, and the building is fully handicap accessible, with an elevator serving every floor. Trinity sits on COTA Bus Route 9, and members or guests who need a ride can call the church office at (614) 258-9583 or fill out the Sunday Van Transportation form by Thursday at noon. Children's Church and the Youth Ministry are offered every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month. Members and newcomers can request a baby dedication, a baptism, a hospital visit, a benevolence request, a home visit, a wedding date reservation, or a year-end giving statement through online forms. Giving is accepted online through Pushpay and Givelify, by mail to the church address, or in person.
Leadership and Pastoral Team
Rev. Dr. Victor M. Davis has served as pastor for over 25 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity (Magna cum Laude) from Shaw University in Raleigh, studied at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, and received his Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. He is a member of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers. He is supported by Rev. Janet Sheppard (Minister of Christian Education), Brian Coston (Minister of Music & Worship), Min. Serena Brown Travis (Minister of Children & Youth), and Victoria Yarborough (Event and Volunteer Coordinator).