Our beliefs

What is a "Lutheran" anyway?

Glad you asked!  First and foremost, Lutherans are Christians.  As we read in John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."  We believe that Jesus was fully human and fully divine, died on the cross, rose again and ascended into heaven.  


Lutherans follow many of the teachings of the 15th century monk and priest named Martin Luther.  He saw some things in the Church he thought were misguided and sought debate and change but the Church's response was to excommunicate him (or in modern language, to "throw him out").   Those who followed Luther's teachings began to call themselves Lutherans, and so here we are...  Most important to Luther was the scriptural truth that we are saved through God's grace, not through any works of our own.


As Lutherans we celebrate two sacraments, or sacred actions:  

1) Holy Baptism, through which Jesus claims us as his own and;

2) Holy Communion, in which Jesus feeds us with his very self for the forgiveness of sins.  At Trinity, we celebrate Holy Communion each Sunday.


Our congregation is a part of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran body in the United States.  

New Jersey Synod:  https://www.njsynod.org/

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:  https://elca.org/

Our mission...

Our mission is to provide a home in the love of Jesus Christ where all God's children can be nurtured in worship and fellowship through the Word and Holy Sacraments, so that, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, sharing the life of Jesus and His ministry of compassion and justice in our daily lives and ministries, we might grow in faith and numbers and proclaim God's reign of love to all. 

Our history

The first worship service of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was held on November 10, 1918 at the Central Avenue Fire House by the Reverend F.P. Wilhelm.  Thirty-five adults and eight children were present.  Reverend Daniel M. Kleist was installed as the first resident Pastor on September 9, 1919 and the Church became incorporated on September 19, 1919.

 

The present location of our congregation on Palisade Avenue was acquired in 1919 and groundbreaking ceremonies for a church edifice were held on March 15, 1920.  Since that time, several additions have been made to the original building and in 1951 the entire building was expanded.  In 1961, the congregation erected a new educational building for its Sunday School.  In 2016, the church underwent a major renovation of the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall.  


In addition to Pastor Kleist who served Trinity from September 1919 to 1946, the congregation has been served by the following pastors:  The Rev. Louis C. Meyer, 1947-1956; The Rev. Dr. Walter C. Martin, 1957-1981; The Rev. Dr. Stephen P. Bouman, 1981-1992; The Rev. David J. Meyers, 1994-2006; The Rev. Peter A. Olsen, 2008-2018; The Rev. Rachel M. Zarnke, 2015-2018 and The Rev. Lisa S. Holliday, 2020-present.  


The Church opened Trinity Lutheran School in 1982 as a part of its educational ministry and it has been in continuous service since then.  The school offers private classes which infuse basic Christian values as well as Universal Pre-K which is overseen by the Bogota Board of Education.  Trinity School offers the children of Bergen County an atmosphere of Christian love in which to grow and develop socially, academically and spiritually.  


Through our personal evangelism, social ministries, community work and school, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church will continue its mission to share the love of Jesus Christ in our community and the world.