The History of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
as
told by Harold & Shirley Lee
I
Have A Dream...
The year is 1956. Harold and Shirley Lee are new to the New England area
from the Midwest, as Harold has just been stationed at Pease Airforce
Base. They soon discover that there are no Lutheran Churches in the Seacoast
Region. During their visits to other local churches the Lee's felt unfulfilled
and disconnected.
Harold recalls, "I met this young fellow at the base, Airman Zeller;
we were in the same squadron. He was from Illinois and was a Lutheran.
Anyway, we talked about the need for a Lutheran Church in this area, and
he was the one who supplied the information about the Synod in Illinois.
Shirley wrote the letter to the Synod (inquiring about setting up a church)
and sent it off to Illinois."
Harold continues, "So the Synod sent a young fella who was not ordained
yet. One day this person from the Synod, Airman Zeller and I were in the
chapel comparing notes about what we found, and honestly and truly along
came this guy (Chaplain Emerson), and he looked seven feet tall when we
heard he was a Lutheran Chaplain! And there was the beginning!"
If
We Build It They Will Come...
"Chaplain Emerson worked on recruiting the civilian population and
we worked at the base contacting people" says Harold . "We started
to organize, and held services in the base chapel, but civilians wouldn't
come." Harold and Shirley speak of the very first church service;
"Our first service at the base was seven people and we were five
of them! (Harold, Shirley and their three boys.) We had six or seven services
and we never got more than eight people."
Harold goes on, "When we got permission to use the little chapel
(Middle Street Baptist Church chapel) the first service there had eleven
(attendees) and that seemed like a lot. The following Sunday there were
seventeen. I don't remember the length of time that we were there, but
I do remember that we eventually had standing room only. I think it was
67 people that we got up to in that little chapel, before we finally went
over to the Wentworth Acres School in Portsmouth."
Harold comments on the purchase of the land where Holy Trinity now resides.
"It was almost three years until we got started out here (Fox Run
Road in Newington, NH) and bought the land. I went with Mr. Edin, Mr.
Hines, and Mr. Braun to dicker on the price of the land." Read
more about the history of our present location.
"The
pessimist complains about the wind;
the optimist expects it to change
and the realist adjusts the sails."
-- William Arthur Ward
"I meet a lot of people, because I like to greet and usher"
says Harold. "Now when people come into Holy Trinity, I'll talk to
them. They'll tell me that they're looking for a church. And I'll say, 'you just found it!'."
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