A 165-Year-Old Faith Community on Sixth Avenue
Trinity Anglican Church sits at 1818 6th Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois, where it has been a home for believers in the Quad Cities area for roughly 165 years. The congregation describes itself as "a 165 year old community sharing the gospel and making a difference in the lives of people," and the building itself dates back to the 1860s, when it was constructed as a continuing place of worship for those who gather in Jesus' name.
The church's mission is straightforward and stated plainly: "To build a community where faith, family and friendships thrive." Each of those three words, faith, family and friendships, carries its own working definition among the people of Trinity. Faith is the set of beliefs that define the community's identity and the daily trust placed in God, a faith that must be growing and action-packed in order to thrive. Family refers to the essential relationships in God's plan for humanity, and it thrives when marriages are strengthened, children and grandchildren discipled, and love, care and trust cultivated with one another. Friendships are the connections God made people for, and they thrive when loyalty, honesty and forgiveness are practiced. Together, those three words shape everything Trinity does.
Trinity sees itself as a place where "faith, family and friendships thrive," and welcomes "regular people from all walks and stages of life" who come wanting to know Jesus and one another. The congregation believes God redeems the past and prepares the future, and members describe themselves as seeking to grow in faith each day.
Sunday Mornings at Ten: A Blended Worship Service
Worship at Trinity happens at 10:00 am every Sunday morning. The service is described as a blend, "a blended service with modern hymns and contemporary praise music," that intentionally weaves together ancient practices with present-day expressions of faith.
Those who gather experience what the church calls "the rich, reverent worship of the past merged with a joyful, vibrant expression of the present." Services are reverent and contemplative but also vibrant and full of energy. They contain corporate prayers, confession and readings of Scripture, alongside the observance of the church calendar and the practice of spiritual disciplines. Communion is celebrated every Sunday as a central part of worship, and Baptism is also practiced, both for infants and adults.
A nursery is available for families with young children, and the service uses the NIV translation of the Bible. Music is led by Music Directors Tim and Teri Adams alongside Worship Director Steph Perry, supporting a gathered congregation that sings a mix of modern hymns and contemporary praise songs.
Trinity invites visitors and newcomers to come as guests on a Sunday morning and get to know the community. Pastors are happy to speak with anyone who reaches out through the church's welcome email, to answer questions or to pray with them.
An Ancient and Apostolic Faith
Trinity Anglican Church identifies as part of the global Anglican Communion, a worldwide family found in 165 different countries that shares the gospel and worships the Lord through ancient practices and contemporary expressions of faith. Locally, the church is part of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), serving under the pastoral leadership of Bishop Robert Cook and Bishop Philip Jones.
The AMiA's mission is "to raise up, release and support three-stream Anglican leaders, planters and communities of faith to reach the lost for Jesus Christ in the United States." That three-stream identity shapes how Trinity understands itself: a church that draws on the breadth of the Anglican tradition.
The church describes Anglicanism as an ancient faith rooted in the Bible and the earliest church fathers. Worship includes corporate prayers, confession and readings of Scripture, the observance of the church calendar, and the practice of spiritual disciplines. At the same time, Anglicanism is a Protestant faith, rooted in the Reformation, holding firmly to the inspired Word of God as the foundation for all right belief and teaching that salvation comes through Christ alone, by grace, through faith. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed form the basic statement of beliefs.
Anglicanism is also a sacramental faith. Trinity recognizes the two sacraments Jesus gave: Baptism and Communion. Both are practiced, with Baptism open to both infants and adults and Communion shared at every Sunday service. The church teaches that God works through these sacraments to meet with his people and strengthen their faith.
Finally, Anglicanism is connected. Trinity belongs to a worldwide communion and to the Anglican Mission in America, and that sense of being part of something larger than any one congregation is woven into how the church understands itself.
The Building on Sixth Avenue
Trinity meets in a "beautiful church" that was built in the 1860s. The building has served as "a continuing home for believers to worship the Lord Jesus and share the incredible news of the Kingdom of God" for more than 160 years. It stands at 1818 6th Avenue in Rock Island, a location that places it in the heart of the city.
The longevity of the building, and the congregation that has occupied it across more than a century and a half, is part of what shapes Trinity's identity. The church does not present itself as a startup or a young plant but as a continuing community with deep roots in Rock Island. Visitors stepping through the doors enter a space that has hosted generations of worshipers, while the congregation itself continues to evolve and grow.
Leadership and Staff
Trinity is led by a small team of dedicated servants who, in the church's words, are "far from perfect, but who give all they have to love Jesus, love His church and share the good news of His kingdom."
Bill Bloom serves as Senior Warden of the Vestry, the lay leadership role that helps govern the parish. Steph Perry serves as Worship Director, helping to shape the gathered Sunday morning liturgy. Heather Fuechsel oversees Administration and Prayer, supporting both the practical and pastoral life of the church. Tim and Teri Adams serve together as Music Directors, leading the congregation in the mix of modern hymns and contemporary praise music that defines the blended service.
The church expresses gratitude to be part of the AMiA and to serve under the pastoral leadership of Bishop Robert Cook. Pastors are available to anyone who would like to speak with them or be prayed for, and the church's welcome email connects visitors directly to that pastoral care.
Sermons, Devotionals and Prayer Resources
A significant part of Trinity's ministry happens beyond Sunday morning. The church maintains a steady stream of sermons, devotionals and prayer resources designed to feed people throughout the week.
Sermons are published online and are described in three ways. They are biblical: messages come directly from Scripture, drawn from the NIV translation used in services. They are applicable: each message is meant to help listeners understand the Bible better and apply it to their daily lives. They are prayerful: every message comes out of prayer, with the hope that the Lord will speak to those who listen.
Devotionals feed the soul and inspire the heart. The church has published an extensive Advent devotional series in recent years, walking through the meaning of Advent, the themes of each candle (including broken dreams, guilt, joy for others, and peace), and the great Christmas hymns such as "O Come O Come Emmanuel." Those devotionals explore the history of hymns like the one translated by Anglican priest John Mason Neale from a fifteenth-century manuscript, and they connect the centuries-old Christian tradition to the lived experience of contemporary readers. Lent reflections have similarly taken readers through Matthew 5, examining Jesus' teaching on murder, anger, revenge, and what it means to live as his disciple in the modern world.
The church's prayer page offers three pathways: a direct request for prayer from the pastoral team, the Daily Office (a link to dailyoffice.app for structured daily prayer), and Sacred Space (a link to sacredspace.ie for guided prayer and retreat). Trinity believes prayer is not only a private discipline but a communal one, and the staff, particularly through Heather Fuechsel's role, takes seriously the practice of praying for those who ask.
Becoming Part of the Community
Trinity invites anyone who wants to find a deeper meaning in life through coming to know God and connecting with others. The church's final word is simple: "You are loved. You are valuable. You have place with us."
For those who want to engage further, several paths are open. Sunday morning worship is the central gathering point, beginning at 10:00 am and including nursery care. Visitors can email the church's pastors at any time to ask questions, request prayer or simply to be introduced. Sermons and a deep archive of devotionals are available online for ongoing reading throughout the week. Giving to support the mission and ministry of Trinity is available online through the church's giving page, with all gifts tax deductible.
The church also maintains a presence on Facebook, where news and updates from the community are shared, and offers weekly email updates to anyone who subscribes.
Trinity's hope, as stated plainly by the congregation, is that all who come through its doors, whether long-term members, first-time visitors, or people simply looking for a place where they will be cared about even if they never call it home, will find what the church has sought to offer for 165 years: a community where faith, family and friendships thrive.