Every Sunday morning, the peal of bells carries through the neighborhoods of Trafalgar.
Members of the congregation of Trafalgar Christian Church are in charge of ringing the bells by hand, pulling on the rope dropping down from the church’s tower to welcome worshippers into the sanctuary.
The same bell has rung out at the church for generations of churchgoers.
“It’s the same sound that many of our ancestors heard. We know that they have all heard that bell,” said member Ivan Lancaster.
Trafalgar Christian Church has been woven into the fabric of the town for 175 years. From a simple home-based church formed in 1848 to a log cabin, then frame church, and current brick building, the physical space where the congregation has met has changed.
What has not is the deep sense of connection and charity members feel towards each other and the community as a whole.
The church will celebrate its milestone anniversary on Sunday with a special worship service, historical displays, dinner and a program from church members. Being able to do so together is going to be a unique opportunity, said pastor Deborah Saxon.
“These people are amazing and resilient, and I’ve been so honored to serve here,” she said. “It’s been really wonderful to be part of a church that’s very traditional, but also very open to new ways of doing things. I think that’s very important in this day and age.”
As you walk into the sanctuary of Trafalgar Christian Church, it is impossible to miss the stained glass windows adorning each side of the structure. Colored light illuminates the gathering space, as the rising sun casts a spotlight towards the pulpit on Sunday mornings.
“There is a warmth in this building that you don’t always feel in more modern structures,” said member Connie Elliott.
Each window is dedicated to different families or groups in the community, and a handful of the stained glass came from the original church after it was remodeled in 1902.
The centerpiece window was added with the new church building.
“You look around at these beautiful stained glass windows, and you feel a sense of tradition each Sunday when you come in,” said member Amy Spurgeon. “I’ve been to more modern churches, and sometimes you feel the sense of community in the church, but not the sense of history — that’s it has been a long-standing part of that community.”
Trafalgar Christian Church was founded in 1848 by Thomas Lynam and George T. Bridges, after the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was formed in Kentucky and southern Indiana. The first services were held at Lynam’s home.
In around 1850, a physical church building was constructed in a log building with one door and one window. As the church grew, a frame building replaced the log church in 1870, with renovations done in 1902. The existing brick church was built in 1920 in its current location on Pearl Street. Lumber from the previous buildings were incorporated in the attic of the structure, Lancaster said.
“You can tell the parts of the old church that are still visible,” he said.
Continuity within the congregation is a source of pride. Many of the same families who worshipped in the mid-1800s are still part of the church today. Lancaster can trace his lineage back to Lynam; member Brenda Quinn can trace back four generations of members on one side of her family, and six generations on the other side.
“Over the years, we’ve changed a lot, but there’s still a lot that’s not different — the structure, the families who belong, just the feeling. It has a permanent feel,” Quinn said.
As any entity with such deep roots, Trafalgar Christian Church has carried on important traditions meant to bring the congregation together and help them grow in faith.
They held a turkey fundraiser in November for years, feeding 350 people in the church basement. In the summer, they’d host a barbecue chicken dinner, and later a car show with hot dogs and cookout food.
“Our congregation has always been very good about fellowship and food events,” Spurgeon said.
Gifts are given to mothers on each Mother’s Day, and for dads on Father’s Day. Tokens of appreciation are also passed out for members of the church at their graduation.
At Christmastime, the sanctuary and adjoining wings are filled with trees strung with white lights. They make a “tree” out of poinsettia plants. For the Epiphany, people bring in depictions of the Wise Men, from figurines to renderings on cards to artwork.
The church’s largest tree stays up year-round — with holiday decorations traded out for commemorations of each month’s activities.
“We put something significant on it every month, with some kind of decoration on it,” Elliott said.
For older members of the church, they remember when elders took great care to teach them about the structure of the worship services. They were schooled about the music, the scripture readings and other aspects that were important to maintain.
“We learned how to have the service, and how to play the music, and how to make sure the refreshments were ready afterwards,” said member Sally (McNeely) Sturgell, who also serves as the church’s organist. “Through the years, we’ve had training in those kinds of things. That was always very special for me.”
But at the same time, attitudes and atmosphere around the church have changed over the years, said member Mary Jane (McNeely) Rose said. People used to dress up in their “Sunday best,” with Easter being the pinnacle of celebratory fashion, with its fancy hats, floral dresses and crisp suits.
Services also used to be more formal and quiet, with the congregation remaining mostly silent in worship.
“Now, we’re more open, and we share our joys and concerns,” Rose said.
Leadership in the church has transitioned from a men-only approach to including women to help steer the church. Saxon carries on a recently started tradition of female pastors.
“That was a huge change. They’ve been a blessing to our church,” Sturgell said.
Members have also worked to make worship more accessible. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the church enacted a live-streaming platform so people could watch from home.
For a small-town church, it was a significant accomplishment, Spurgeon said.
“We’re a relatively small, conservative service-minded congregation. We don’t have big video screens with the music on them; we still use hymnals,” she said. “But with the live stream, we can reach a dedicated group of people who attended here who can’t come here every Sunday. Now they’re still connected to the congregation.”
All of it has led to this milestone celebration. In anticipation of the 175th anniversary, the church put in new carpet — using money from a fund known as Martha Circle’s Wish as well as the church’s Memorial Fund.
Local artist Martha Vaught has been commissioned to do a painting of the church. Members have been putting in hours of work, uncovering historical relics and memorabilia, sprucing up landscaping and planning the special anniversary program.
“We’ve had a lot of wonderful people who have contributed with ideas and helping with a lot of hard work,” Lancaster said. “We’re learning a lot of history that maybe some of us don’t know.”
A time capsule, buried during the 150th anniversary in 1998, has been unearthed. Water had infiltrated the container, and organizers were working to dry out the contents in advance of the 175th celebration, Saxon said.
To replace it, a new capsule is being planned, which will be unveiled during Sunday’s event.
The congregation will also be asked to write down their thoughts on the future.
“We’ll ask them to write their hopes and dreams and aspirations for the future of the church, then have a little ceremony to help go through them and read them out,” Quinn said.
IF YOU GO
Trafalgar Christian Church 175th anniversary
What: A celebration and dinner to recognize the milestone anniversary of the Trafalgar church. Dinner will include meat, rolls and beverages; sides are appreciated but not required.
When: Dinner starts at 4 p.m. Sunday. The celebratory program will follow.
Where: 300 W. Pearl St., Trafalgar
