By Donald Wittkowski
Shawn Quigley used his feet to press down on the pedals of the antique Story & Clark pump organ and began playing a hymn that filled the quaint sanctuary of the Trinity Community Church on Saturday morning.
Quigley, Trinity’s organist, also plays a vintage Horace Waters & Co. piano that occupies another spot in the church just off to the side of the rows of wood pews.
The organ and piano probably date to the 1880s or 1890s, Quigley estimates. At that age, they are among the few things at Trinity Community Church that are older than the landmark building itself.
The church, now marking its 96th year, still exists in a seashore town where so many other buildings that once surrounded it have been wiped out by coastal storms and still others have succumbed to redevelopment.
“Nothing has gone modern. It’s a throwback,” Quigley said of the church, a charming anachronism that stands out amid the hodgepodge of modern homes and businesses in Sea Isle’s Townsends Inlet section.
Trinity members led by Pastor Chuck Swanson held a Community Day open house on Saturday to welcome the public to what has fondly become known over the years as “The Little Church in the Inlet.”
There’s even a hymn inspired by Trinity Community Church that touches upon its location near Townsends Inlet and the ocean. It is sung by parishioners during Sunday services.
“O come to the church at the inlet. O come to our church at the sea,” the hymn’s lyrics say.
The open house gave visitors a glimpse inside and showcased some of the recent improvements made to the nondenominational church, which stands at the corner of Landis Avenue and 85th Street.
Visitors were given the thrill of ringing the church bell, housed in the steeple, by pulling a rope.
“It’s awesome. When you hear the sound of the bell, you come to church,” said Trinity member Jeri Musselman, who lives a few doors down on 85th Street.
Swanson, 63, who is celebrating his 10th year as Trinity’s pastor, hopes that some of the visitors Saturday will become new parishioners this summer.
“Thirteen different denominations are represented here,” he said, noting that it is common for people of all faiths to join in Trinity’s ecumenical services.
Starting June 23, Trinity will hold services each Sunday at 10 a.m. through Labor Day weekend and then will close down, as usual, during the quiet off-season months.
During the height of the summer tourism season, the tiny church typically attracts 25 to 40 worshippers each Sunday. The capacity is 50 people. Old chairs line the aisle on either side of the pews to accommodate larger crowds.
Cecelia Quigley, wife of organist Shawn Quigley, helped to oversee the recent improvements made to the building and grounds. She pointed out that weeds were pulled in the garden, the handicap-accessible ramp has been upgraded and new caulking was done to prevent any water leaks.
New flowers and a decorative bench are planned within the next few weeks to spruce up the modest garden behind the building.
Cecelia Quigley paid tribute to the church’s former caretaker, Lennea McGarr, 82, who retired in 2018 after holding the position for about 30 years.
McGarr, who also formerly served as the Sunday School teacher, meticulously tended to the church and kept it in great shape, Quigley said.
“It took six of us to accomplish this compared to one lady,” Quigley said of the number of church members who were part of the recent improvements.
Two years ago, a new coat of white paint was added to the church to make the exterior glisten. The steeple was also repaired.
Overall, the building has been “refreshed,” Swanson said.
Quigley, who was also involved in organizing the Community Day open house, thought members of the public would appreciate the church even more if Trinity invited them inside during the Memorial Day weekend to see the improvements.
“I thought having Community Day would inspire people to take advantage of what’s here,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful fellowship.”
One of the visitors, Paul Ferrero, marveled over the church’s nearly century-old altar and pews.
“It really takes you back in time. It’s nice to see something like this preserved,” Ferrero said while speaking with Swanson.
Ferrero, who lives in Maple Glen, Pa., said the historic church has piqued his interest and that he may consider attending Sunday services when he visits Sea Isle in the future.
Built in 1923, it was originally called the Trinity Lutheran Community Church. Swanson said the name was changed to Trinity Community Church decades ago, after the Lutherans stopped sending a pastor to Sea Isle. At that time, the church became ecumenical.
In 1937, a Sunday School was added to the church. The “school” is actually a cozy, community-style room filled with bits of church memorabilia as well as small chairs for the children.
The church property is held in a trust set up by the Lutheran Synod of New Jersey, but is owned by the Trinity Community Church Corp., a group controlled by a board of directors comprised of parishioners, Swanson said.
The deed to the property stipulates that it must remain a church, protecting it from ever being sold or redeveloped, he explained.
“It has to be a church forever,” Swanson said. “It can never be sold.”
