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 Trinity
United Methodist Church stands at the corner of 18th and Broadway
as a prominent and long-time Denver landmark. To say the church"
stands," however, is erroneous. Trinity's 114-year-old walls,
made of richly textured rhyolite, decorative sandstone, and vibrant
stained glass, house a 143-year-old growing and thriving congregation.
With 400 new members since 2000, Trinity UMC is currently one of
the fastest growing congregations in Methodism's Rocky Mountain
Conference.
Trinity's understanding of its significant place in Denver's history
and vision for the future has led the congregation to embark on
a new, historical mission: a campaign whose goal is to realize $2.5
million in congregational pledges.
The campaign, appropriately titled "Sharing Today, Changing
Tomorrow," is an effort to reflect on the contributions of
the past, respond to current needs with a similar spiritual fervor
and restore for the future.
In the spring of 2001, the congregation was surveyed to determine
both needs and visions. The results indicated a commitment to outreach,
growth and preservation of the historic building.
Congregants then organized a campaign committee, hired a professional
campaign consultant from The Genesis Group and proposed the campaign
at an All Church Conference in November of 2001. The official campaign
ran from February 10, when a special prayer service was held, through
March 24, at which time three-year financial commitments were offered
at a Celebration Sunday.
Of the anticipated $2.5 million in pledges, $300,000 is allotted
for continuing and furthering mission outreach. Another $1,150,000
is designated for acquiring nearby land to accommodate the growing
congregation. The remaining $1,050,000 is being used to meet basic
building needs, such as replacing the air-conditioning system and
renovating the modern plaza area to prevent flooding, as well as
match a grant given by the Colorado Historical Fund to restore the
historic sanctuary's stone exterior.
Only a few areas made up of rhyolite need repair. The trim stone,
however, that provides character, detail and ornamentation, is made
of sandstone. This sandstone has quickly deteriorated in Denver's
harsh freeze-thaw cycles. The sandstone is the primary benefactor
of Trinity's stone restoration project.
In the late 1990s, Trinity' Board of Trustees hired The Florin Group
of Colorado Springs to perform a Stone Condition Assessment. The
assessment included a careful visual inspection of each section
of the trim stone. Mr. William D. Barns, owner of The Florin Group,
provided extensive drawings and specifications for restoration of
the stonework on which the current project is based.
Many emergency repairs made to the stonework since Trinity's construction
involved scraping away loose stone and covering the area with cement.
"This not only proved inefficient, it also changed the look
of the exterior, as carvings disappeared and the sandstone became
flush with the lava rock," writes Linda K. Kirby in Trinity's
history, "Heritage of Heroes."
The current "Sharing Today, Changing Tomorrow" campaign
enables Trinity UMC to finally address the exterior stone issues
with accuracy and care.
Restoration work is scheduled to begin this summer and last three
to five years. The restoration will be completed one section at
a time, beginning on the Broadway street side (the northwest corner),
continuing in a counterclockwise fashion around the building up
to the roofline. The steeple will be restored when the walls are
completed.
As each stone's degree of damage varies, some will be repaired and
some will be replaced. Trinity has searched for a stone that resembles
the original sandstone in color and texture, but is more durable.
The stonework is especially significant because it is evidence of
the architect Robert Roeschlaub's loyalty to the "Arts and
Crafts movement." Roeschlaub looked to nature for inspiration,
and the rhyolite and sandstone allowed the building to blend with
its native surroundings.
Today those surroundings are in great contrast. Trinity has committed
to the downtown area, so the natural stone look has become immersed
in a sea of skyscrapers clad in metal and glass.
The campaign coincided with the Lenten season, traditionally a time
of reflection and intense prayer. This year, congregation members
were asked to specifically pray for guidance and discernment about
the campaign.
The primary focus of the campaign was building a more spiritually
focused congregation by facilitating "lifestyle stewardship."
It means giving above and beyond by making sacrifices in order to
be better stewards (managers) of what God has first given. Members
discussed it in education classes, heard about it in Sunday sermons,
studied it through a Lenten devotional, included it in weekly prayers
and implemented it when campaign commitments were offered in late
March.
Much of the campaign looked back on those members of the past who
gave "above and beyond" in order to make Trinity the spirit-filled
place it is today. The stones of the building do indeed support
a spirited people who have achieved great things in the past because
they have given, and a people who anticipate the future mission,
growth and continuation of historic Trinity UMC.
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