Our History

There were Methodist in Davidson county, North Carolina as far back as the 1820’s with many being organized prior to 1900. In a history of Thomasville, there is a list of “other younger churches,” (Wheels of Faith and Courage, Matthews and Sink). In this list are Bethel Methodist Church (1920’s), Trinity Methodist Church (1922), Johnsontown Methodist Church (1929), Pine Woods Methodist Church and Pleasant Grove Methodist Church. 

In 1921, Mrs. Lillie Morgan started a Sunday School in an empty house belonging to Jewel Cotton Mill on Johnson Street for those who lived near and did not attend church elsewhere. This same year, the Reverend James H. Green held a revival meeting in Thomasville, and following this meeting several got together and organized a church. The following persons were charter members of the church: Mrs. R. M. Hill, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Morgan, Mrs. Odessa Morgan Crotts, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Daligney, Mr. and Mrs. Nelison Loflin, Miss Cleta Loflin, Mrs. John Connor, Mrs. Lillie Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Brown. 

Donations were given amounting to $3,000 at an organizational meeting and the church structure was started on Blair St. The property for the church and the adjoining property for the first parsonage were donated by Mrs. A. V. Crutchfield. The Reverend W. A. Newell, The Presiding Elder, preached the first sermon in the new church in May 1922. Since no name had been decided on, the church was known as East Thomasville Methodist Episcopal Church, South. At a later time, the church was renamed Trinity by the Reverend Mr. Newell. The first pastor of the church was the Reverend J. C. Richardson, 1921-1923. The church had a membership of 25 at the time of organization. 

Trinity Church was served by the same pastor as Bethel Methodist Church, thus the Trinity-Bethel Charge was formed in 1925. In 1929, Johnsontown Church was added to the Charge. In 1939, following unification of the three main Methodist denominations, Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, South, became Trinity Methodist Church and a member of the Western North Carolina Conference of The Methodist Church. 

The first parsonage, which would later serve as a church hut, was completed in 1927 during the ministry of the Reverend R. J. Houck. In May 1951, the church bought a tract of land on Blair St. Extension for the construction of a new parsonage. The parsonage construction started in 1953 and was completed in 1954 during the pastorate of the Reverend McRae Crawford. The cost was approximately $8,000. The membership of Trinity Methodist Church in that year was approximately 254. In September of 1957, Trinity Methodist Church finished paying Bethel Methodist Church their equity in the old parsonage, owned by the two churches. On May 29, 1960, the Reverend John H. Carper, Thomasville District Superintendent, dedicated the parsonage. 

On February 18, 1959, the congregation of Trinity Methodist Church voted at a church conference to become a station church after almost forty years of being on a charge. Following this move, the congregation voted to purchase a 6.6 acre lot on Liberty Dr. for the future relocation of the church. The debt for the lot was liquidated in February of 1960. The building fund for starting a new church was begun on July 1960. The groundbreaking service for the Education Building of Trinity Methodist Church was held on October 15, 1961. The opening service was held in the new building on September 30, 1962. Membership was 276 at that time. The Building Committee was composed of the following: C. E. Shell, Austin Reddick, Jack Grayson, C. R. Tysinger, Murphey Bates, Mrs. Thomas Myers, Mrs. Edward Hale, and The Reverend A. R. Davis. 

The Parsonage on Blair St. was sold in September 2000 and plans to build a new one were established. A lot was purchased from Mrs. Bill Murphy at 130 Maplewood Ave, in the Fair Grove Forest development. After construction was completed, it was dedicated in August 2001 with Reverend Jerry Webb and family living there. 

Pastors serving Trinity United Methodist Church over the years include: Rev. Joel Columbus Richardson (1921-1923); Dr. John Robert Church (1923-1925); Rev. Thomas Jackson Houck (1925-1929); Rev. James Milton Varner (1929-1930); Rev. T. J. Houck (1930-1932); Rev. James Pickney Hornbuckle, Jr. (1932-1934); Rev. Arthur Cicero Kennedy, Sr. (1934-1938); Rev. Walter Moore Rathburn (1938-1942); Rev. Daniel Allen Oakley (1942-1947); Rev. Cranford Oliver Plyler (1947-1951); Rev. McRae Crawford (1951-1954); Rev. Ralph Gary McClamrock (1954-1956); Rev. J. Harley Cecil (1956-1959); Rev. Avery A. Ferguson (1959-1961); Rev. Alonso R. Davis (1961-1962); Rev. Edwin G. Needham (1962-1967); Rev. Robert G. Russell, Jr. (1967-1971); Rev. Henry C. Thompson (1971-1975); Rev. John T. Frazier (1975-1978); Rev. Geoffrey Hemenway (1978-1982); Rev. Daniel G. Martin (1982-1987); Rev. Michael E. Winstead (1987-1991); Dr. Kay W. Gottula (1991-1995); Rev. Randy Tingle (1995-1997); Rev. Jerry Webb (1997-2002); Rev. Christopher Barrow (2002-2006); Rev. Kay Frye (2007); Rev. Jim Parsons (2007-2012); Dr. Mary Miller (2012-2015); Rev. Ryan Mendenhall (2015-2017); Robin Johnson (2018-Present)

Pastor Rodney Burton has served churches in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2013. His first appointment was at Fulton United Methodist Church in Advance and he served at Oak Grove UMC in Mocksville before being named the pastor of the First-Trinity Charge of Thomasville. Rodney is also a mentor pastor. Before answering his pastoral call, Rodney was an educator for 27 years, holding a variety of positions, including teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal. He retired from the Rowan-Salisbury School System in 2015. 

Rodney earned a B.A. degree from Catawba College and M.A. degrees from UNC at Greensboro and Gardner-Webb. He completed pastoral studies at Duke 2019 and is planning to pursue an advanced pastoral study at the Duke School of Divinity beginning in 2021. 

Pastor Rodney and Lee Ann have been married for 23 years. Their son Josh is 22 years old and their chihuahua Belle is nine years old. Both Rodney and Lee Ann were raised and attended school in Thomasville.  

Pastor Rodney Burton has served churches in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2013. His first appointment was at Fulton United Methodist Church in Advance and he served at Oak Grove UMC in Mocksville before being named the pastor of the First-Trinity Charge of Thomasville. Rodney is also a mentor pastor. Before answering his pastoral call, Rodney was an educator for 27 years, holding a variety of positions, including teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal. He retired from the Rowan-Salisbury School System in 2015. 

Rodney earned a B.A. degree from Catawba College and M.A. degrees from UNC at Greensboro and Gardner-Webb. He completed pastoral studies at Duke 2019 and is planning to pursue an advanced pastoral study at the Duke School of Divinity beginning in 2021. 

Pastor Rodney and Lee Ann have been married for 23 years. Their son Josh is 22 years old and their chihuahua Belle is nine years old. Both Rodney and Lee Ann were raised and attended school in Thomasville.