History

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

In the summer of 1956, the Presbyterian family of Mr. and Mrs. Sam B. Leslie and 5 of their 6 children moved into the Free Home Community. There was only one other Presbyterian family in the community, Mr. And Mrs. Darrel J. Brock and their two children. The two families met when the younger Leslie children enrolled in Free Home Elementary School where Mr. Brock was the principal and Eloise Brock was a teacher. These two families saw the need for another church. Existing churches  in the area offered services only once or twice a month.

The Leslies, who were members of the Doraville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, contacted Dr. James M. Carr, Secretary of the Board of Town and Country Church Extension of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. Dr. Carr wrote Rev. Robert C. Pooley, Jr., Executive Secretary of the Cherokee Presbytery. Rev. Pooley arranged a meeting of the families interested in establishing a Presbyterian church in the Free Home Community. As a result, Trinity Presbyterian Church was begun as a chapel on the first Sunday of April 1957. The first service was held at the Free Home School Gym with some 35 members in the congregation. It was the first rural church to be begun in the Presbyterian U.S.A. General Assembly in 25 years. Mr. Sam Nettles, a student at Columbia Theological Seminary, was called as the first pastor of the congregation. In the spring of 1958, officers were nominated and a petition was presented to Cherokee Presbytery requesting organization into a church of the Trinity congregation.

In the summer of 1958, the meetings moved to the home of the Sam Leslies, a large historic house on Yellow Creek Road. A Building Committee was named to look for a building site for a permanent church structure. They met Mr. And Mrs. Fletcher Norton who donated approximately 5 acres of land for a church building in the northeast corner of the Free Home community. The Presbytery agreed to purchase a Quonset Hut from Parris Island, South Carolina, to be used as a temporary sanctuary and gave $900.00 for completion of the building. It was completed on the site and first used on November 2, 1958, at which time the congregation was organized into Trinity Presbyterian Church. Officers were ordained and installed.

The first officers of the church were Sam Leslie, Clerk of Session, Darrel Brock and Bill Barnes.

Charter members included:

Mr. And Mrs. William T. Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. Darrell J. Brock, Gary and Judy Brock, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Cole, Mr. And Mrs. Hubert Henderson, Jean, Ronnie and Ben Henderson, Bonnie and Sam Leslie, Rebecca, Sammie, Joan, John and Dan Leslie, Mrs. Sam Nettles, Mr. Fletcher Norton, Mr. And Mrs. Robert Tatum. 

In June of 1959, Rev. Sam Nettles was installed as the first full-time pastor. In 1964 the need for a new building was evident. Plans were drawn by one of our elders, Mr. Floyd Harrell, and construction was begun. On the 8^th anniversary of its organization, November 6, 1966, the Trinity congregation dedicated its new building. Oak pews, pulpit furniture and a Hammond organ were donated to Trinity by the Doraville A.R.P. Church where the Leslies had been members. From August 4, 1968 until the summer of 1969 the congregations of Trinity and Deer Creek Shoals shared the services of Rev. Jon K. Crow, former missionary to Brazil and teacher at Westminster School in Atlanta. He became (interim) pastor again in 1970 until 1975. The present pastor, Rev. Roger Spencer, retired Navy Chaplain, became Trinity’s pastor in January, 1994. In April  2001, Rev. Eleana Garrett, became the Parish Associate. A new sanctuary was completed and dedicated on Nov. 5, 2000.The loan for this was paid in full and the mortgage burned in 2004 again allowing the Church to be debt-free and able to provide an expanded ministry.

Pastors who have served Trinity include: Rev. Sam R. Nettles; April 1957- September 1961, Rev. S. Frank Sapp; May 1962-July 1968, Rev. Jon K. Crow; August 1968-May 1969 and (interim supply) October 1970-May 1975, John Holmes (Student);  Summer 1969, Rev. George Evans; September 1969-Septembr 1970, Dr. James E. Carr;  July 1975-Dec 1976, Rev. Tom Flanagan; 1977- 1982, Rev. Robert Pooley (Interim Supply), Rev. Roger Spencer; January 1994 to 2006, Parish Pastor Eleana Garrett.; April 2004 to 2006, and the current pastor, Rev. Dr. Stuart Leyden; 2006-Present.

The first professions of faith were by: Ron Henderson, Gary Brock, Judy Brock, John Leslie and Dan Leslie. First weddings were Sammie Leslie to Don Rainey, Feb.4, 1960 and Rebecca (Becky) Leslie to Gene Gilleland, June 10, 1962. 

Deceased members are: Mrs. M.T. Crenshaw, B.Fletcher Norton, Robert Atwell, Mrs. Jon Crow (Flora), Darrell Brock, Gary Brock, Eloise Brock, Bonnie Leslie, Sam Leslie, Rebecca Leslie Gilleland, Lorraine Henderson, Hubert Henderson, Clarice Barnes, Louise Smith and Faye Spencer. 

Trinity is located in the Free Home community of Cherokee County, Georgia on Trinity Church Road between Hwy. 372 and Arbor Hill Road. Sunday School, morning worship, Bible study, Presbyterian Women, a Mission ministry, Youth organizations, Vacation Bible School and a beautiful music program are provided with services every Sunday.  

Trinity was a family initiated Church and has always been a family oriented one, where those who visit as well as all who attend feel that they are “part of a loving Church family.”

Trinity Presbyterian Church is a part of Presbyterian Church (USA) and a member of the Cherokee Presbytery

(C) Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2005-2007