Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church holds service at MATC after devastating fire

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church is about more than a building.

That's what church leaders wanted the congregation to remember as it gathered for Sunday service for the first time since a fire devastated the historic church.

As the congregation gathered for service Sunday morning in an auditorium at Milwaukee Area Technical College, no sun streamed in from stained glass windows. Brown brick surrounded worshipers instead of biblical paintings. Hymns were played on a black grand piano rather than the church's 1879 pipe organ. A folding table covered with a white cloth served as an altar.

"Your building may be in ashes, but you are not alone," said the Rev. John Wille, president of the South Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, during service Sunday — the first since Tuesday's fire.

"Trinity is not about a building, but a message," said Willie, a visiting church leader.

Around 100 people sat in the auditorium seats to celebrate Pentecost, a feast day celebrated after Easter, which was exactly what the Rev. Edward H. May thought the community needed.

"People came with an eager heart," he said after the service. The small community supported each other, embracing as they entered the temporary worship space. The service attracted regulars and former members who returned for this service.

A fire ignited and spread through the church at 1046 N. 9th St. on Tuesday afternoon, causing millions of dollars in damage. The Victorian Gothic Church, one of the oldest in the city, was built in 1878.

Eight-year-old Maddie handed out worship aids while looking out the glass doors at the back of the charred church. "It's kind of hard (to look at)," she said. "Church is a second home."

Lori Hecht drove an hour from her home in Elkhorn like she has for decades to join the congregation for service. For Hecht, the loving community at Trinity is worth the drive. Sunday was the first time she saw the burned church with its fallen-in roof and blackened beams. "It's heartbreaking," Hecht said.

"I said to my wife, everything has changed," said James Miles, who sang with the choir during the service like he has for more than 25 years. "It's surreal." Miles watched news feeds of the burning church from his computer at work Tuesday.

The church is recognized as a state and Milwaukee landmark. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The preliminary damage estimate from the Milwaukee Fire Department was around $17 million. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Some paintings and ritual items were retrieved from the church Wednesday. Other items — like the church's 1879 pipe organ — are a total loss.

Trinity is beginning to plan for the community's future, announcing Sunday it will hold its services at St. James Church at 833 W. Wisconsin Ave for the next six weeks. Service will be at 10 a.m.

The director of parish education, Christine Behnke, said Trinity is looking at a half-dozen other locations to hold services after the six weeks at St. James. The idea is to find a longer-term home for the faith community until it can return to its permanent spot on North 9th Street. She estimated Trinity will need another worship space for two years. ,

"We will rebuild on that corner one way or another," Behnke said.