Trinity Presbyterian Church
Plano, Texas
The First Ten Years: 1985 – 1995
The origin story
David Nicholas and Steve Childers
In 1985, David Nicholas, Sr. Pastor of Spanish River Church (PCA) in Boca Raton Florida, and Paul Taylor, Director of Church Planting for PCA Mission to North America (MNA), contacted Steve Childers about planting a new PCA church in North America.
Steve, his wife Becky, and their 18-month old daughter, Angela, were living in Chicago where Steve was completing a second masters degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity Seminary.
Angela, Steve, and Becky Childers
Childers, who had planted and pastored a PCA church in Oklahoma City in the late 70’s and early 80’s, wanted to plant another church in North America but did not yet know the city. Nicholas and Taylor asked Steve and Becky to consider several cities that had growing suburbs without PCA churches.
After several months of prayer and deliberation, the Childers decided to plant a new PCA church in a growing suburb of Dallas, Texas, called Plano.
The early days
The Childers family moved from Chicago to Plano in June of 1985. Although no one had yet made a commitment to join with the Childers to help start the new church, Steve made trips to Plano in early 1985 to begin networking with people who might be interested. In July Steve began small group meetings at the Harvey Hotel on Central Expressway for those interested in learning more about the new church plant.
Harvey Hotel on Central Expressway in Plano
Soon Steve began teaching the Bible and leading times of singing, praying, and sharing at the these weekly Sunday evening meetings. As the number of people attending these meetings began growing, Steve made arrangements to rent the auditorium/cafeteria and classrooms at Clark High School in Plano for Sunday morning worship, nurseries, and Sunday school classes.
Clark High School on Spring Creek Parkway in Plano
First public worship
On September 29, 1985, Trinity Presbyterian Church had its first Sunday morning worship service at Clark High School with 99 adults and children in attendance. Steve had been praying for 100 people to attend the first worship, so he was disappointed at first. But then he realized that Becky was eight months pregnant with their second daughter (Cara) who was born the next month as the 100th person attending the first worship service!
The early years
During the first two years, Steve’s primary focus was on developing new church ministries and ministry leaders to serve with him. This included developing Trinity’s first ministries of worship, prayer, discipleship, small groups, and evangelism, as well as Trinity’s first children’s, youth, women’s and men’s ministries. Trinity’s first membership classes were taught at Clark High School in the Sunday School hour before Sunday worship.
Trinity’s first membership class at Clark High School
Trinity’s first church leadership training (ministry leaders, small group leaders, elders, et. al.) took place at the church office facilities that were rented on Custer Road in Plano. All church leadership training included three areas: 1) personal godliness (character, 1 Tim. 3, Titus 1), 2) sound theology, and 3) developing spiritual gifts and ministry skills.
Trinity’s first leadership training at rental offices
Trinity is born
On May 31, 1987, Trinity Presbyterian Church became formally organized as a particular church in the PCA, receiving its first members, electing Ed Harris, Allen Hunter, and Pete Rasmussen as its first elders, and installing Steve Childers as its first pastor.
Trinity grows in grace
In 1987, Jeff Rakes was called as Trinity’s first assistant pastor. Jeff and his wife Celeste played a major role in developing the ministries of the church. Dave Mayfield soon began serving as Trinity’s director of music and worship. New elders were also trained and ordained, including Bill Cobb, Mike Dillow, Lloyd Parker, Chuck Rehlin, and John Shoop.
Trinity builds in faith
In August 1991, after a successful 3-year fundraising campaign called “Share the Vision,” the church purchased 17 ½ acres of land at the corner of Hedgcoxe Road and Ohio Drive in Northwest Plano. The church building was constructed, and the first worship in the new building was in November of 1992.
Trinity goes forward by faith
In the Fall of 1993, Dave Matthews was called as Trinity’s second assistant pastor. In 1995, after leading a second successful fundraising campaign called “Forward by Faith” to support Trinity’s future ministries, Childers accepted a call to be a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and train church planters, pastors, and missionaries full time. Steve taught at RTS for the next 22 years (until 2017) before founding Pathway Learning with the mission to equip underserved church leaders to plant and develop healthy churches that transform lives and communities around the world – where he serves full time.
Memories
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:3-6
In memory of Frank and Mary Alice Finfrock, faithful members of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Florida, and major financial and prayer supporters of Trinity Presbyterian Church during its first ten years.
Trinity Presbyterian Church Founders
“Well done, good and faithful servants.”
The church is not a building. The church is people who have been called out by God to know him and make him known to the world. So the first ten years of Trinity Presbyterian church is ultimately a story about what God did through his people in Plano, Texas, from 1985 to 1995.
We often recognize only those who are the leaders in the limelight, but they are only a small percentage of those through whom God graciously works to plant and build his church. The names below are the true founders of Trinity Presbyterian Church – those who prayed, served, and gave generously and sacrificially of their time, talents, and treasures for the sake of Christ and his Kingdom.
CM = Charter Member, E = Elder, D = Deceased
Les and Linda Ackerman
Jerry and Marilyn (Muffy) Amico (CM)
Lyles and Susan Arnold
Steve and Harriet Berenbrock
Stuart and Cheryl Berg
Anne Berkey
Diane Jarvis Benson
Jack Beyer
Sally Bittick
Dan and Janet Bittner
Chris Bolen
Richard and Cindy Borge
Gary and Becky Brantz
Jim and Sally Bridges
Cindy Brown
David and Louisa Brown
Dick and Joanne Brown (CM)
Stephen and Jan Blosel
Rick Blythe (D)
Jeff and Karen Bump
Ray and Jean Byrd
Anne Carrell
Tony Carvallo Jr.
Steve and Becky Childers (CM)
Tim and Kaye Chastain
David and Mary Ann Clapp
Janie Cragin
Sean and Rhonda Craig
Bud and Meisje Connor
Bill (E) and Caye Cobb (CM)
Eleanor Cromer
Jane Crowe
Bruce and Renae Culver
Marilyn Purdue Davis
Mike and Betsy Denham
Kenan Dickerson
Mike (E, D) and Janeen Dillow
Janet Disarro
Becky Wyant Dominey
Joel and Melinda Duncan
Diane and David Echerd (CM)
Rodney and Sarah Edge
Jim Edwards (CM)
John and Carol Edwards
Bill and Mary Enright (CM)
Mike and Joan Fennell (CM)
Tom and Barbara Fletcher
Kurt and Joanne Fischer
Dan and Charlsie Forehand
George Fuentes
Warren and Betty Gage
Mark and Diane Galloway
Dan and Deb Gardner
Matt and Jennifer Geddie
Mark and Sarah Giamporcaro
Steve and Lori Gillespie
Glenn and Ginny Glass
Brian and Valerie Glover
Chuck and Gloria Gohn (CM)
Jim and Jeannette Griffith
Sandy Harmon
Jeff and Mindy Haffner
Walter (D) and Synnie (D) Hall
John and Tracy Hancock
Connie Hanson
Gary and Debi Hanson
Ed (E, D) and DeAnn Harris (CM)
John and Kathy Harris (CM)
Randy Harris
John and Gail Hill
Toby and Rachelle Hill
Tina Hood
Ben Howard
Ikuyo Hosoguchi
Allen (E) and Jann Hunter (CM)
Greg and Gina Jackson (CM)
Jim and Melinda Jennings
John and Teresa Kruse
Bill and Virginia Kuhn
Joe and Linda Kvarta
Mark and Kim Lane
Tim and Susan Lee (CM)
Tony and Mona Leo
Tom (D) and Mona Lindsey
Jeff and Michelle Long
Tom and Linda Lott
Don and Claudelle Lyall
Mickey and Teri Lyman
Bill and Myrna (D) Mackie
Mike and Phyliss Marberry
Virginia Merrill
Matthew and Judy McInturf
Dave and Betty Matthews
Ed and Diane Marcelle
Dave and Cheri Mayfield
Kirk and Beverly McCord
Steve and Lori McChesney
John McGregor
Ron and Bonnie McKinney
Martin (Marty) and Jane McMillian
Jerry and Mary Lou McNevin (CM)
Jeff and Cindy McWaters
Mike and Heather Merchant
Phil and Joan Mercer
Rich and Martha Millhouse
Charles and Liz Mitchell (CM)
Sandy Moder
David and Tammy Moody
Mike and Vickie Mox
Dan and Bonnie Mueller
Paul and Sharon Negriss
Scott and Mary Ann Nelson (CM)
Bob and Nancy Norris
Henry and Linda Oursler
Julia Owen
Lloyd (E, D) and Susan Parker
Arthur and Pat Parry
Steve and Stacy Patrick
Larry and Linda Phillips
Cathy Pickrum
Steve Pickrum
Don and Lori Piel
Tim and Diane Pettinger
Stuart and Kathy Prior
Jeff and Celeste Rakes
Pete (E) and Sally Rasmussen (CM)
Ron and Kathy Ralston
Chuck (D) and Martha (D) Rehlin, Sr.
Chuck (E) and Gretchen Rehlin
Dan and Mary Reese
Peter and Tina Rigsby
Jim and Anette Roberts
Jim and Nancy Roberts (CM)
Paul and Leah Roberts (CM)
Chuck and Jody Royse
Dan and Helen Rude
Mark and Cris Rude
Andy and Suzy Schell
John and Jane Schiller (CM)
Wendy Schober (CM)
Raymond and Kazuko Scott
Walt and Lisa Sharpless
Jeff (D) and Tracey Sherman
John (E, D) and Ardella (D) Shoop
Link and Ellen Simpson (CM)
Jan Skinner
Doug and Melody Smith
Janie Smith
Robert Smith
Stan and Pam Sneed
Eleanor Soltau
John and Susan Spain (CM)
Jon and Kate Spillards
Ruth Stear
Scott and Suzanne Stofan
Jack and Lois Swofford
Susan Thomas
Rich and Jeanie Thompkins
Katy Vermillion
John and Patty Vermillion
Steve and Mary Ann Vest
Maarten (D) and Sue (D) Vet (CM)
Ted and Sharon White
Candice Whitman
Don and Marian Whittington
Mark and Kris Wichern (CM)
Scott and Marsha Wierson
Bill (D) and Diane Wilkerson (CM)
Duncan and Elenor Witte
Rich and Kae (D) Zanghi
Mark and Beth Zickos
This is not a public web page so only those with the web link can view it. Please consider sharing the link to this page with those you know on this growing TPC Founders list above. This is an incomplete first draft list of those who helped found Trinity during the first ten years. Please also help us update this list by sending corrections and additions to staff@pathwaylearning.org. Send photos too. Thank you.