A brief history of our church.
Our church was founded by a group of faith-filled Methodists who first began to assemble locally for Christian worship, prayer, and discipleship in 1851, at various locations on Main Street in South Meriden. In 1871, this group of founding Methodists lay the cornerstone for a church building, which was completed and consecrated in 1872. This building has been used continuously by our congregation ever since.
As Meriden grew, so did the congregation and the facilities of South Meriden Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1894, the church parsonage, home to its ministers, was erected on Cutlery Avenue, behind the main church building. It now serves as the base of operations for our Unity House mission ministries. A new parsonage was purchased in 1959-60. In 1915 a new front entrance and bell tower were added, along with the church's current beautiful stained glass windows. A fellowship hall and kitchen were added in the early 1950s in stages. In 1959, the church merged with Trinity Methodist Church in Meriden, and the combined congregations became known as South Meriden Trinity Methodist Church at that time. In 1960, the church laid the cornerstone for its Main Street education building. It now houses a daycare center, our church office, and our Clark Room meeting room. When two major Methodist denominations merged in 1968, the church became known then as South Meriden Trinity United Methodist Church. We are grateful for all of these rich aspects of our history, which remind us that faith is always meant to grow, and adapt. |