Trinity United Methodist Church

Our History - Inside the Church

Our History

A faith community has gathered on the site of Trinity United Methodist Church since 1847. The original congregation met in a one-room frame building called the Miller Meeting House, which welcomed circuit preachers of different denominations. Since then, our church has been called Balm Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, South; West Asheville Methodist Episcopal Church, South; West Asheville Methodist Church; and finally Trinity United Methodist Church.

The original meeting house was replaced in 1909 by a larger brick building. Almost immediately, the congregation outgrew this building, and our present church with its elegant sanctuary was constructed in 1927. The construction costs along with the economic crisis of the Great Depression placed the church in substantial debt. Over the next decade, church members rallied to raise the funds to pay off their debt. Women of the church organized suppers and sold chicken pies in downtown Asheville. In 1945, the debt was paid, and the church was formally dedicated.

Our congregation is a blend of lifelong members and new families to West Asheville. We honor our history and look forward to a vibrant future on this site.

On this page Trinity member Phillip Gibson shares his thoughts about our church, its architecture and its history.

For an exhaustive history of Trinity please go to our Extended History page