The year was 1977, and people in Amarillo were hungry. A spiritual longing stirred in the hearts of God's people; it was an intense desire for a deeper, more intimate walk with God through His Holy Spirit. There were three specific Bible study groups that began searching God's Word to discover who this Third Person of the Trinity was and what it meant to experience Him. On a fall Sunday morning these three groups came together - about 35 people in all - in the home of John and Donna Curry. By the second week, there were too many people to fit in the Currys' living room, so they began meeting in an auditorium at the Presbyterian Children's Home.
ENERGETIC BEGINNINGS?
One of the first orders of business was to hire a senior pastor, Jerry Phillips, who led the church into a fresh, vibrant experience with the Holy Spirit. His successor, Larry Titus, imparted a sense of order and discipline to the young congregation. And when Jimmy Evans became our third senior pastor, he brought fresh vision, energy, and wisdom to carry this new church into a destiny we could only dream about at the time. One of the commitments of this early group of believers was, "Whatever God says, we will do it." An enthusiasm to seek out and follow God's will propelled the birth of several new ministries in the 1980's -prayer ministry, community groups, prison and jail outreach, food & hospitality, and a benevolence outreach to the less fortunate of our community. "Garage Frees" were held all across our city, a concept very similar to garage sales except the items were free to anyone who had a need.
GROWING PAINS?
Our first permanent church home was at 4808 S. Bonham Street, a building we purchased in 1979. As the church continued to experience rapid growth, inadequate space soon had us "bursting at the seams." The property at 5000 Hollywood Road was brought to our attention, and it met the criteria of being visible, accessible, and providing plenty of room to grow. We made the purchase and began to build the first phase of our future home. Our new building was an important priority, but we didn't want to make the mistake of being inwardly focused. Our hearts continued to be burdened about the needs of people in our community, and God directed us to secure a permanent location to begin serving those needs on a regular basis. In 1987, Trinity's Bethesda Outreach Center, a "house of mercy," became a reality. Today Bethesda is a place where people come weekly to have their physical needs met - food, clothing, and financial assistance - as well as their emotional and spiritual needs. They are treated with respect and dignity, and are introduced to a genuine love and compassion that comes straight from the heart of God.
A BRAND NEW HOME?
In February 1987, we held our first services in our new building on Hollywood Road. The excitement was contagious, and soon there were so many people coming, we increased the number of services to make room for the growth that was taking place. It was during this season that other significant ministries were birthed. Trinity Fellowship Association of Churches (TFAC) was also launched in 1994, with the purpose of providing relationship, resources, networking, and training to pastors and churches in a five-state region. And MarriageToday, the national marriage ministry headed by Jimmy and Karen Evans, began in 1994 as well.
By the late 90's, we found ourselves running out of space again. The sanctuary was expanded from 1100 seats to 1700 seats, which provided a temporary solution but soon we found ourselves at capacity again. In 2004 we broke ground on what would be the final phase of our Hollywood Road campus, and in 2009 we moved into our brand new 4,000-seat Worship Center, children's building, and expansive foyer featuring a café and bookstore.
EXPANDING MINISTRY
In 2011 God spoke to the elders about aggressively spreading the gospel into other areas of Amarillo and beyond. Later that year our first satellite campus was birthed in north Amarillo, and since then we have added Trinity en Espanol as well as campuses in Pampa, Wellington, and Wichita Falls. Our first campus outside of Texas opened in Stillwater, Oklahoma in October 2012.
OUR FAITHFUL GOD?
Looking back over our 30+ year history, it's easy to see that Trinity Fellowship's focus has never changed - a desire to hear God and follow His voice, and a passion to impact people's lives by bringing them closer to God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The rich heritage of God's faithfulness is a constant theme we've seen and experienced time and time again, and it's that heritage that keeps us looking to the future with bright expectation of all the good things God has in store for His people.
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