Last week, we reported that weekly basketball players, the Old Timers’ League, were being evicted from their play space at Trinity United Methodist church (6512 23rd Ave NW). We just learned that Green Lake Presbyterian Church are the buyers — they plan to move their congregation to Trinity in February.
Pastor David Richmon from Green Lake Presbyterian says they plan to spend roughly $2 million to renovate the church, which was built in 1920.
“It’s like a time capsule,” Richmon said.
It’s not up to ADA code, nor has it been seismically retrofitted. Reenforcing original brick walls, securing the roof, updating the first floor bathroom and a few aesthetic upgrades are all on the agenda for the renovation.
“We were fortunate to be able to purchase Trinity,” Richmon said. “We’re grateful it didn’t go into the hands of a developer who would tear it down to build condos. And, we’re thankful to keep part of historic Seattle going.”
Green Lake Presbyterian’s 350-strong congregation will have their first service at Trinity in early February. Richmon said before then, they’ll be going around to let neighbors know they’re moving in.
“There’s a big difference between 50 people on a Sunday and 350 people on a Sunday,” Richmon said, recognizing that parking and congestion could be an issue.
Trinity United, while it is a smaller congregation, is well known for its weekly Soup Kitchen and, as we reported, its weekly basketball league. While he says he wants strong ties with the community, Richmon said there will be a “pause” in outreach work, while they determine what they can offer the community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJSVZET_oWQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2k1aTiHPkihPeH8iABQYHKloIjfZ7TwCh3zZLp7b6CQMbvi_EwzQzXJ5g
“We want to go back to the drawing board. Our values are the same, but what does that look like for us? Maybe in eight months we pick up the Soup Kitchen, or maybe open a women’s shelter.” He added that he hopes to connect with other churches in the area to learn what’s needed.
“We want to ask, what are you already doing, and how can we jump in?”
The Old Timer’s League practice space will also be on pause, he said. While he’d like to be able to offer the league the gym straight away, there will be a transition time during which they’ll need the gym space for storage and renovation materials.
“We realize that Ballard is a tight-knit community – the last thing we want neighbors to feel is that we are moving in and booting people,” he said, adding that he’s meeting with members of the team next week to talk about possibilities.
Trinity’s new name will be Trinity Church Seattle, which Richmon said honors both the building and the previous owner.
We’ve reached out to Trinity United Methodist to learn about their future plans, but they’re closed until the New Year. We’ll update with any new information.
Photos: Screenshot from Trinity Tour video (featured photo), and David Richmon from Green Lake Presbyterian’s website.
It will always be the building where I felt like Mike O’Brien, Lisa Daugaard, Kirsten Harris-Talley and other Old Guard Ineffectives finally heard the anger people felt at their failed stewardship of our tax dollars and yes, failure to help the most vulnerable people in our community do much more than live in squalor.
But, but…Trump!
Of course. It makes sense that the only thing you’d know about a church is that they hosted a town hall meeting…MAGA.
I can’t/won’t speak for Lizzy, but as a two-time O’Brien voter myself, I think you’re going to be surprised how reduced Mike’s support is in the next election IF (big if) he has a reasonable opponent.
Surly, I was at that church meeting, too (and before I got in, noticed the “absolutely no camping on church grounds!” signs by the doors, which i thought were….interesting) and while I was less enamored of the experience than Lizzy (I thought it showed both sides to be manipulative and extreme in cases), I also felt it was illustrative of the frustration that will keep me from voting for O’Brien again…old ideas, same people, and a blind faith in more money as a solution…as well as no mea culpa for the seeming waste in money spent over the years on those failed ideas.
I’m not looking for a “conservative,” an “R,” and I don’t think you, I or my friends are “libtards.” I don’t want anything other than a progressive who believes in better fiscal accountability, outcomes measurement and a major ratcheting down of the anti-police messages. It’s that simple…you can’t tell me there aren’t progressives who couldn’t meet those criteria, unless you’re a Sawantist because then I wouldn’t expect you to believe in those things. Anyway, I had to respond here…you’re basically calling me a MAGA because I believe, with Lizzy, that we’ve had failed stewardship of our tax dollars and more people living in squalor living there longer.
Mike’s losing people who voted for him before, Ring doorbell videos of package thieves get shared every day among neighboorhood groups (social media is more powerful than ever in driving perceptions of safety), and a bunch of new people have moved here who probably don’t feel OK when they see tent cities at the end of the Aurora Bridge. Are the people who see this and want new leadership “MAGA?” I doubt it.
Boring Opinions, thank you for the well written and thought out response. I wish more conversations/posts here could be like yours. Sorry if you felt I was calling you a MAGA, it was intended for the original poster.
I absolutely despise O’Brien and can’t wait for him, and many other council members to be gone as I don’t agree with the way they have run our city. I, like you, also am neither an R, D, Liberal, Conservative, etc. I am fully aware of what’s going bad in our community, and have even been affected by the crimes, but I don’t believe posting negative, divisive or trolling comments on a story here is going to help change anything.
My point with my comment is that this congregation, Trinity United Methodist, has done a lot in this community over the years to bring people together, help people in need, and provide a good safe space positive space for people from all walks of life, but the only thing the original poster know about them is a single meeting they hosted. Many people want the Ballard, and the America they used to know back, but know almost nothing about a group working to bring people and community together for good.
That building is much more than just a place where that one meeting happened, and anyone who truly cares about our community, knows this.
SAF – I take your point about that particular church and its positive presence in our community. Lizzy’s points are sadly accurate but on the wrong thread, though. Cheers!
Thank goodness there is one post on this blog that doesn’t devolve into troll territory. I think there are a lot of people who care about the discussions here but just can’t fight the evil trolls.
Two time O’Brien voter?
Huh. Hey are you interested in a bridge real cheap?
The neighborhood really needs a homeless shelter. I hope they put one of those in there.
Seattle churches are degenerate social justice facades, devoid of any real alignment with Scripture, and the pastors are frequently warped activists who are hell bent on making us all suffer because they are sexually marginalized due to some awful 80’s/90’s high school trauma they suffered.
I have more respect for actual communists, because at least they don’t infiltrate traditional institutions and subvert them from within—–wait, that IS WHAT COMMIES ALWAYS DO.
very nice sharing I like it. Would like to read more on your website.
aboutpetguide