In Trinity’s early years, the church was still finding its footing on Six Forks Road. Worship had begun, Sunday School was growing, and the congregation was beginning to plan for the facilities that would support its future.
One of those early steps was the first church parsonage.
On April 19, 1959, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Shaw gave property to the church to build the parsonage. Construction began on July 29, 1960, on Sandy Forks Road. The building was completed, and a dedication service was held on January 8, 1961.
The anniversary book records that three pastors and their families lived there. It was later sold.
The story is brief in the written record, but it points to something important in the life of the church. A parsonage was not only a house. It represented the church’s desire to provide for pastoral leadership and to establish a more settled ministry presence.
In those same years, Trinity was also experiencing pastoral transition. Rev. Virgil Merrell resigned from the ministry for health reasons in January 1960. Dr. Ralph McClain of Meredith College served as Interim Pastor from February until May. Then, at a called business meeting on May 18, 1960, Trinity voted to call Rev. John Dawson Stone as its full-time minister. Rev. Stone answered the call on June 1, 1960.
Only weeks later, construction began on the parsonage.
That timing gives the story a little more weight. Trinity was not only building space for programs; it was also preparing for the people who would lead, serve, and live alongside the congregation.
The parsonage on Sandy Forks Road became part of Trinity’s early ministry life. It housed pastors and their families during an important season of growth, planning, and expansion.
Today, the parsonage is no longer part of Trinity’s property, but the story remains a reminder of the generosity and practical care that helped shape the church’s beginning. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Shaw’s gift became more than land. It became a home connected to the life and ministry of Trinity Baptist Church.
Read More in 70 Years at Trinity
This story was drawn from 70 Years at Trinity: February 5, 1956 – May 3, 2026, prepared in celebration of the seventieth anniversary of Trinity Baptist Church.
For more about the gift of property for Trinity’s first parsonage and its dedication, see pages 18 and 20 of the anniversary book.
