Beginnings

As you approach the town of Spruce Pine, located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, you are intrigued by a sign that reads “The Mineral City.” This is not just a “catchword slogan” because Spruce Pine is, in fact, the capital of a vast mineral kingdom. Within a radius of twenty-five miles over 200 minerals and gems are to be found, and the mining and processing of such mineral as feldspar, kaolin, and mica used to provide the major industries today right from Spruce Pine, North Carolina.

In one of the most beautiful sections of this “Mineral City” you will find a beautiful little church which has the distinction of being the Episcopal Mission Church established in the Diocese of Western North Carolina by a past bishop, The Rt. Rev. M. George Henry.

In the summer of 1947, the Rev. Peter Lambert, who had been the Headmaster of Appalachian School in Penland since 1934, conducted the first Episcopal services ever held in Spruce Pine. At that time, there were six Episcopalians living in Spruce Pine: Mrs. Robert Ewing and her sister, Mrs. Martha Armstrong; Mr. and Mrs. Raymond T. Dent and their children, Ted and Elizabeth. These first services were held in the Dent home on Walnut Avenue and were attended by the above along with Dr. and Mrs. Lyda W. Woody, Jr.

Soon after Bishop Henry’s consecration in September,1948, an Episcopal family moved to Spruce Pine: Mr. and Mrs. Lynn L. McMurray and their two sons, Charles and Allen, and hopes began to grow that an Episcopal Mission could be started here.

Upon Bishop Henry’s first visit to Appalachian School, Penland, in January,1949, he was invited to stop by the Dent home to discuss the possibility of starting a mission in Spruce Pine. As a result of this discussion, a meeting of all interested people was arranged for February 2, 1949. This meeting was held in the Spruce Pine Town Hall with the following attending: Ms. Martha Armstrong, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond T. Dent, Ted and Elizabeth Dent, Mrs. R. W. Ewing, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ford from Penland, Mr. and Mrs. L. L. McMurray and Dr. and Mrs. Lyda Woody, Jr. At the meeting, the new mission was organized and the Bishop agreed to come each Thursday evening during Lent to hold services.

At a business meeting after the first Lenten service, which was held in the Spruce Pine Methodist church, Bishop Henry appointed the following officers for the new mission: Mr. Raymond T. Dent, Warden, Mrs. Robert Ewing, Clerk and Dr. Cameron McRae of Burnsville, Treasurer. It was at this meeting that the name, “TRINITY” was chosen for the new mission.

The services which followed in this Lenten series were held in the Presbyterian Church, Town Hall and Legion Hall and enthusiasm increased to the point that a hall over the Spruce Pine Drug Store on Lower Street was rented where the remaining Lenten services were held. This hall, which had previously been used as a pool room became the home of Trinity Mission for the next six years.

The furnishings used in this first Episcopal Mission in Spruce Pine attest to a wide range of interest shown in this new endeavor. The pews were lent by the Central Baptist church of Spruce Pine; and organ, flower vases, and altar linens were lent by Trinity Mission in Glendale Springs; a chalice and bread box were given by St. John’s in Marion; and a simple altar cross was constructed by members of the new mission.

On April 24, 1949, the first Sunday after Easter, Dr. and Mrs. Lyda Woody, Jr. were presented for confirmation, the first in Trinity Mission.

Also, in April of 1949, with the help of Mrs. W. Walker Blanton and Mrs. E. P. Dameron from St. John’s in Marion, the Woman’s Auxiliary of Trinity was organized, and Mrs. L. L. (Tivis) McMurray was elected to serve as its first president.

1950 - 1960

During the next three years, services were held regularly by the Bishop, visiting clergymen, Lay Readers from Asheville, and seminary students from the Southern Town and Country Institute at Valle Crucis. These included the Rev. Peter W. Lambert, The Rev. Frank A. Saylor, assisting at Appalachian School, the Rev. Albert P. Mack of St. John’s in Marion, and Lay readers Arthur Brimley, George Lawrence, Charles Sandborn, Col. Robert Putnam and Howard Hickey as well as seminary students, Paul L. Ritch and E. J. Berry from Valle Crucis.

During Father Saylor’s association with Trinity, he made a communion rail, hymn board, and sacristy cabinet for the new mission. The hymn board and sacristy cabinet are still used in the present building.

A Lectern Bible was given by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sanborn while Mr. Sanborn was holding lay services at Trinity in 1949. The bible had been in the Sanborn family for 77 years and was given in memory of their son, Brian, and daughter, Evelyn, who were killed in an airplane accident in 1933.

In September of 1952, Bishop Henry appointed the first full-time priest for Trinity Mission-The Rev. Stephen W. Green, who assisting with the work at Appalachian School, Penland. For the first time, the members of Trinity were privileged to have regular Sunday morning worship services. Father Green served faithfully until he returned to California in July 1953.

Trinity Mission grew steadily. Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Rogers, Jr., and their two sons, Carroll III and Bill had moved to town from Burnsville; Mr. and Mrs. William H. (Buck) Powell, Jr. and their daughter had come from Murphy; and five more members were added by confirmation: Mrs. Sidney Montague, Patricia and John Wyatt, Carroll Rogers, Jr., and Carroll Rogers, III.

During the summer of 1953, the Rev. Floyd Finch, Jr., a seminarian from the Institute at Valle Crucis, served at Trinity Mission. In September of 1953, Bishop Henry appointed the Rev. George M. Ray to serve as Priest-in-Charge of Trinity. Rev. Ray also assisted with the work at Appalachian School and he and his family lived in one of the schools’ houses at Penland.

Under Rev. Ray’s devoted and expert leadership, plans were immediately made to build and Episcopal church in Spruce Pine. In November of 1953, a building fund was started, and an option was taken on the present site in English Woods. In January 1954, the property was purchased for $3,000. The building fund continued to grow and in December of 1954, the WNC Diocesan Executive Council approved a grant of $6,000 and a loan of up to $8,000 for the proposed building, opening the way for construction of a building.

Mr. John L. Skinner, a partner in the Steward and Skinner Architect firm in Miami, Florida and a summer resident of Little Switzerland, who had taken an interest in the work at Trinity, drew up the plans for the proposed building.

In January of 1955, the building site was graded, and the basement excavated, and on May 8, 1955, the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new church was held. This event (service) was held on the proposed building site in English Woods and was conducted by Bishop Henry and the Rev. George M. Ray, and Warden, Mr. W. H. Powell, Jr.

The church was built by Jess Autrey of Burnsville with the building supplies furnished by Penland Lumber Company of Burnsville and was completed in August of 1955 with an outstanding debt of only $4,000. This was accomplished through the donation of many friends in Spruce Pine and elsewhere: business firms in Spruce Pine; the Diocesan Woman’s Auxiliary; and the members of Trinity Mission, especially Mr. Carroll Rogers, Jr. and Mr. L. L. McMurray, who each gave on share of common stock in Feldspar Flotation Corporation which was sold for about $3,000 per share.

The first service, conducted by the Rev. George M. Ray, was held on August 14, 1955, before the church had even been completely furnished. Fr. Ray resigned his position as Priest-in -Charge effective September 5, 1955, to become Priest-in-Charge of St. Matthew’s Church in Henderson, Texas.

Upon Fr. Ray’s departure, Bishop Henry appointed Mr. William H. Powell, Jr. as Layman-in-Charge of Trinity. Mr. Powell conducted lay services regularly for the next nine months, and Bishop Henry and Fr. Peter Lamber came regularly for communion services.

Now with adequate space available in the new church, Sunday School began in the fall of 1955 under the direction of Mr. William Farrington as superintendent, along with Mrs. W. H. Powell, Jr. and Mr. W. Y. (Peewee) Brown as teachers.

In June of 1956, the Rev. Welch K. Tester, a native of Valle Crucis who had just completed seminary, was appointed Deacon-in-Charge of Trinity. In February of 1957 at Trinity Mission, Rev. Tester was ordained to the priesthood by the Rt. Rev. M. George Henry.

In 1958, Bruce and Helen Silvis moved to Spruce Pine and became very active in the Trinity Mission.

As of September 1, 1959, Trinity Mission recorded fifty-four baptized members of which 30 were confirmed. On September 13, 1959, the Rt. Rev. M. George Henry consecrated Trinity Episcopal Mission-Spruce Pine.

1960 - 1970

By 1960, the congregation was growing (the Dobbin Family moved to Spruce Pine and started attending-Hugh, Evelyn, Richard and Beverly-now Shurley) and needed Sunday School classrooms and an office for a priest. The vestry asked architect John L. Skinner to design a suitable addition. Due to an illness, he was unable to complete them, so an architect from Asheville was hired to complete the work. The plans were approved by Bishop Henry and a grant of $5,000 and a loan of $2,500 were obtained from the diocese. Additional funds were raised from building pledges made by the congregation, ECW dinners and bazaars, spaghetti suppers by the youth group, and donations from friends of the church. The addition was completed in early 1962 which increased the nave, added an office for the priest, two Sunday school rooms, a common room at the foot of the stairs and an attic room which was for vesting acolytes.

From 1963 until 1969, the Rev. Ross Bailey was the priest-in-Charge. During his tenure, a small interdenominational prayer group was started by Bonnie Ford, followed by Leone Skinner, and finally it fell into the guidance of Mrs. Ellen Fraser. Rev. Bailey was also instrumental in the continuation of Alcoholics Anonymous-Spruce Pine Group which still meets at Trinity. In addition, Trinity also provided space for the Mayland Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In 1969, property adjoining the church parking lot became available and was purchased for $12,000. It included a small garage apartment. The apartment was used for a rectory. This proved to be adequate if the priest was single. Currently, it is still owned by Trinity and used as rental property.

1970 - 1990

In 1973, Bishop Henry sent an energetic young man to Trinity Church, Dean Richard Morgan, V. He was ordained the following year by Bishop Henry and was soon married.

Utilizing the church basement, three young women, Eileen Reed, Tallie Dobbin and Tamara Propst started a kindergarten in 1973 which later became Spruce Pine Montessori School and continued to operate there until June 1998 when more space was needed.

Over the next ten years, many retired people came to the Spruce Pine area to live. Fortunately, several of them were Episcopalians. Fr. Morgan called on these people and many have since become members. Fr. Morgan’s tenure ended in April of 1983, but the church continued with a very active congregation now spread over Mitchell, Yancey and Avery County.

From October 1983 until June 1985, The Rev. Welch K. Tester served again as interim. Fr. Tester is especially remembered for his work with youth in the community.

In June of 1985, the Rev. David D. Rose became the Deacon-in-Charge and was ordained to the priesthood on March 19, 1986, by the Rt. Rev. William Weinhauer at Trinity. Fr. Rose’s love and dedication inspired additional growth. Under his leadership, successful Sunday worship services, a weekly youth program (not only Trinity, but youth from the entire community), and adult education classes began. In addition, outreach became an outward mission Trinity Church was known for. With a well-developed outreach program, fundraisers helped with housing repairs, local non-profits and youth trips. Beginning at this time until the present, Trinity also participates in a joint Thanksgiving service which spearheads a community effort to prepare Thanksgiving dinners for the clients of Meals on Wheels and others in need. Other on-going volunteering includes local prison ministry, meal delivery and housing repair projects for the needy.

1990 - 2000

In April 1992, the Parish Hall was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Robert H. Johnson.

As of June 1998, Trinity began to experience a change in its congregation. Some elderly died; some moved to retirement communities or nursing facilities. Other families moved to other areas due to employment and/or retirement. Meanwhile, Trinity slowly began to gain attendees (not members) through summer residents and some who just moved into the area.

Fr. David Rose’s tenure ended at Trinity on September 30, 2000. Both he and his wife, Cameron, and children Hannah, Elza and Sadie moved to Belize. Fr. Rose became a missioner and Priest-in-Charge of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Corozal, Belize.

The Rev G. William Edwards, who had previously been a rector in Asheville (now retired), became our interim priest on October 1, 2000. Fr. Edwards served as interim until September 30, 2001, with tenderness and caring. Through the parish survey, we learned more about ourselves, and parishioners became involved in the operations of the church.

In early 2000, Fr. Rose and Carol Westveer started the Wee Care program, an after-school care program which provided quality care, educational aid, and spiritual nurturing, without cost, for children at risk. Many volunteers helped with the success of this program. Overall, Trinity’s church organization was strengthened by Fr. Rose.

2000 - 2010

The Rev. Thomas R. Morris, originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and serving as an assistant rector in Atlanta, Georgia became Priest-in-Charge on October 1, 2001. Fr. Morris was instrumental in continuing Centering Prayer, implementing EFM, and helping to strengthen diocesan development. Fr. Morris’ tenure ended on September 30, 2004, after receiving a call to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilkesboro.

On January 16, 2005, the Very Rev. S. Ross Jones began serving as interim priest. Originally from Woodville, Mississippi, both Ross and his wife Gwin had previously served congregations in Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Oklahoma. For eight years, Fr. Ross was the chaplain at Florida State University. Right before coming to Trinity, Fr. Ross was the Dean of St. George’s College – Jerusalem (a continuing education center for the Anglican community).

The Rev. G. LaRue Downing and his wife, Marsha, joined us at Trinity on July 1, 2006. LaRue blessed us with sermons as precise as his woodworking and as energetic as his biking passion. While he was only with us until November of 2008, LaRue was active with outreach such as our “Run, Forest, Run for the Cure for Cancer” display at Mitchell High School and even with a long commute from Hendersonville, showed up for important church events.

As the church once again turned to supply priests, one in particular stood out to us, our own “Friar Tuck”, Rev. John Merchant. With humorous and thoughtful sermons, John literally walked the aisle among us challenging and reassuring us of God’s love and our mission as His followers. Even now, whenever Fr. John’s name comes up, we remember him with a smile.

Trinity called the Rev. Alex F. Comfort and his wife, Kippy, in August of 2009. As a talented banjo player and in response to our desire for more music in the Sunday service, Rev. Comfort ushered in new choir robes and the ‘Blue Book’ of new hymns. Father Alex and Kippy left Trinity in November of 2010 to pursue non-profit interests.

2010 - Current

Our dear Rev. Ross Jones once again served the congregation in his tender and loving way from May 1, 2011, until February 19, 2013. It was always a blessing to have Ross and Gwin with us.

After an extensive search, Trinity called The Rev. Richard A. Biega, who along with his wife, Betsy, found a home with us in the church as well as the English Woods neighborhood. After having priests who had to commute, Father Rich brought an active participation in the church and community as well as scholarly sermons that continued to teach us the history of the Bible. In the community, he served on the NC Department of Public Safety (JCPC), the Habitat board, and helped with the Sheperd Staff food pantry. At Trinity he led Bible studies, adult education, and the Wednesday evening Eucharist. He also established the Latino ministry and the Vecinos in the community and led the vestry to much-needed repair and restoration of the church properties. In addition, he employed Robbie Bell as choirmaster and organist, relocating the choir and organ to the rear of the church to enhance our music program. Father Rich also helped us to weather the pandemic through virtual services on Facebook. Notably, Rev. Biega nominated our current Bishop of Western North Carolina Diocese, The Rt. Rev. Bishop Jose A. McLoughlin, the first Hispanic Bishop of Western North Carolina, who serves our diocese well through prayerful and bilingual service to each of the 63 parishes in our Diocese. While at Trinity, Fr. Rich, also served as the Canon Theologian for the Bishop and as the Old Testament instructor for the IONA School for Ministry for the Diocese. Fr. Rich’s wife, Betsy, was active in the community and Diocese serving on the Episcopal Church Women (ECW), the Executive Committee, and 2022 Delegate to the General Convention, as well as on the planning committee for the inauguration of the current Bishop.

In October of 2023, Fr. Rich announced his retirement as Rector of Trinity, effective November 30, 2023. After several months of supply priests, the Vestry called the Rev. Stephen Sedgwick to be our Interim Priest, effective March 1, 2024.