About Our Church
Trinity Church's History
What is Methodism
There has been a Methodist church on our site since 1804, with money donated by Sir Henry Vane (1788 - 1864), 2nd Duke of Cleveland. The original buildings (see below) were partially demolished and the new Church opened in 1972. At the same time two smaller chapels, Station Road and Penshaw Place joined the Chester Road community, the combined Church being aptly named ' Trinity'.
Beginning in 2015, the entire premises have now been fully refurbished to provide a pleasant modern environment, the worship area has new seating and is equipped with an up-to-date audio visual system including sound mixing, whilst the community areas which are available for hire, include attractive meeting rooms and hospitality facilities.
Trinity is part of the East Durham Circuit, comprising nine Methodist Churches who frequently worship together.
The organisation now known all over the world as the Methodist Church was founded by three Church of England clerics, brothers John and Charles Wesley and George Whitfield, from 1738.
'Methodism' began in order to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to ordinary working people and churches were established in the areas where they worked.
Today, Methodist Churches may be found in similar locations all over the UK and beyond and so through this network - which is called the Connexion - the Methodist Church remains true to it's original purpose.
We have a strong social conscience and Methodist churches foster a spirit of support within the local communities in which they are placed.
At Trinity we have always followed these principles.
What we believe
Methodism strongly believes that the God who created the world and the universe loves all that he has made, that He never has stopped loving it nor will He ever do so.
He has a particular love for human beings. It is for them that he sent His son Jesus into the world to bring us back into full relationship with Him. You see, the world though full of beauty is broken and our relationship with God is broken but in Jesus, because of His life, death and resurrection we can know God fully. We can rest in God now and trust our futures to Him.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, in Him (Jesus) we are more than conquerors. So He can help us every day to get the most out of life, whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. The proof of that for anyone is the Gift of the Holy Spirit, God himself coming to live within us helping us understand and teaching us to love as He does.
He has also given us the church, so we can belong and together discover more about the God we worship and serve.
All can come to God. He turns none away.