Trinity Lutheran Church (Kirkland, Washington) Records

On Palm Sunday of 1944 the first worship service of Trinity Lutheran Church of Kirkland, Washington, was held in the American Legion Hall with Pastor Charles Crouch leading the service. Not long afterwards the old funeral chapel and apartment was purchased and remodeled to serve as Trinity’s church building and parsonage. Trinity worshiped in this space until 1959. Pastor Justin Torgrimson arrived in 1948 and served Trinity until December 1951.

Upon Torgrimson's departure, Pastor Haaland and Pastor Hjelmeland helped Trinity through the transition time of calling their next settled pastor, Pastor Ernest Raaum, in June of 1952 Trinity. The church purchased a new property for $4,750.00 in 1953 to accommodate a growing congregation. The parsonage was completed in 1956. Pastor G.A. Almquist assisted Trinity in calling their next settled pastor, Pastor Chester Blake, who arrived in August 1958. The congregation consulted the Board of Home Missions for help in building its new church building. With their help and the help of the Church Extension Fund the groundbreaking began on March 15, 1959. On Thanksgiving Day of that year Trinity gathered for their first service on these grounds.

In 1960 Trinity became affiliated with the American Lutheran church through the merger of the Lutheran Free Church with the American Lutheran Church. In 1964, Pastor E. Melvin Bremer was called to serve the congregation. After Pastor Bremer’s service to the community of Trinity, Pastor W.J. Stakkestad was called in 1975. Pastor Stakkestad served Trinity until 1990. In his time of service Trinity opened a Christian Preschool (1979-1994) and added the north end addition and basement.

Pastor F. Philip Stain was called in 1991. In 1992 the NW addition was constructed, and in 1996 an interior restoration took place. The pews were restained, the cross area was restored and repainted, and lighting was reworked, and the partition wall was extended to the ceiling. In 1996 Trinity partnered with several other congregations from various faith traditions and created the Greater Kirkland Ecumenical Parish (GKEP). In 2005 Trinity rented its parsonage to a member of the congregation, and welcomed a Korean Seventh Day Adventist congregation to worship in the building on Fridays and Saturdays.

In 2009 the Northwest Washington Synod called Pastor Diana Bottin to a 3 year term call at Trinity. A congregational vote was taken on June 23, 2013, to hand over assets to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Kirkland (ELCA) for the development of a young adult ministry to develop in this place. The last worship service held in this building under the name of Trinity Lutheran church was on June 30, 2013.