Christ Trinity History

For 150 years, Christ Church has welcomed "Each and every one"

Our Story of Federation

Full Communion Worship
In 1999 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church entered into Full Communion.  With this agreement, pastors and priests can serve in both denominational congregations and members can transfer between different congregations with a simple letter of transfer.  In recent years, this Full Communion arrangement has grown to include congregations from the two denominations deciding to come together to share worship, mission and service to their community.   ​ 

Over a decade ago, the people of Trinity Lutheran Church began worshiping with the people Christ Episcopal Church.  Over the years they have grown together to be one, single congregation, now officially known "Christ Trinity Church" which is today an officially Federated congregation connected fully with both the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  

Today, our worship is a beautiful blend of the very best of both traditions.  We use hymns, prayers, and worship music from both, blending them and making shifts in the main elements of the worship with the changing seasons of the church year.  

For a decade, this arrangement was wonderfully informal as the two churches first "dated" and got to know one another.  Soon they "moved in together" sharing worship and service and at the beginning of 2020 they "got married" and became an officially Federated congregation.  We are now a single, non-profit entity connected fully with both the Episcopal Church and the Lutheran Church.  We are still enjoying our "honeymoon" even now!   
Historical Precedent
​Surprise of surprises!  We keep saying Christ Church Episcopal/Trinity Lutheran Church is the first combined congregation in this area, but we’re wrong – by a historical long shot!  An interesting item from “Early Life in Sheffield” by our own James R. Miller shows that we are the second conjoined Lutheran and Anglican congregation not only in Berkshire County, but in Sheffield!
 
We sometimes forget that Congregationalism was the established, mandatory religion in New England and there was even a town tax for the support of a Congregational minister.  Attendance was mandatory and time could be spent in the stocks for missing services.  The grip of Congregationalism began to decline in 1742 when a legal exemption from the town tax for the support of a Congregational minister was given to members of the Church of England.
 
The first town in Berkshire County where this exemption was used was in Sheffield.  Dutch Lutherans who were not “full” members of the Sheffield North Parish (now Great Barrington) Congregational Church were denied Communion and infant baptism in 1743.  After several years of dissension and ill-will between the Dutch and the Congregational Pastor in North Parish, the first services of the Church of England were held in Sheffield.  This led to the the calling of a missionary of the Church of England from Litchfield County, Connecticut to preach in Sheffield’s north parish for the Lutherans and Anglicans from the surrounding area.  Thus the first Lutherpalians of record!
 
For a more colorful story, get and read James R. Miller’s book, “Early Life in Sheffield”.
Trinity lutheran's Origins
Trinity Lutheran Church was one of only two ELCA Lutheran churches in Berkshire County, with members from the tri-state area in the Southern Berkshires.  Trinity Lutheran started out as a “mission” church almost 20 years ago and grew to a congregation with over 50 members and a full time Pastor, holding Sunday services at the Claire Teague Senior Center in Great Barrington.  When their Pastor accepted a call to a Lutheran church in Ohio, the congregation felt it was time to find a permanent home and approached Christ Church to discuss taking advantage of the maturing relationship between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church and investigate forming a congregation together at Christ Church Episcopal in Sheffield.  After a few months of discussion, both congregations arrived at the same conclusion: this fairly new idea was something both felt called to do!
 
These days, the congregation is so interwoven it's hard to tell a Lutheran from an Episcopalian most of the time and the members of this parish think God is just fine with that!

Rectors and Pastors

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Historical Buildings in an historical town

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Anna Eliza Barnard and General John G. Barnard  converted the former law office of Robert F. Barnard (pictured here)  for an Episcopal Service conducted by the Rev. John C. Eccleston on June 10, 1866 More...

Memorials and the Memorial Garden

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150 Years in Sheffield