I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit, because apart from Me, you can do nothing."
We rejoice that God calls us through His Son, Jesus Christ, to be one of the "branches" of Christ's family. Just as the vine feeds the branches, God sustains us by His Word; and, by the love and forgiveness we receive through Jesus Christ. So that we can "bear much fruit", we believe it is our mission to worship and serve Jesus Christ by proclaiming His Gospel to all persons. As servants of Christ, we pray that His Holy Spirit will continually reveal to us how we can always be a community of love, hope and reconciliation. We pledge to "abide more fully in Him",to "grow stronger branches", and to "bear more fruit", all to the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Amen.(adopted by the Session on May 9, 2001)
Our Story
Although it is not known when a congregation began meeting in Uniontown, Presbytery of Redstone minutes record requests for ministers to preach here from 1799 until 1817. In 1817, the Reverend William Wylie was invited to serve as Stated Supply and was later installed as the first pastor in 1819. Services were held in the courthouse until 1827, when the first church was built. Two more buildings followed. The present church building was dedicated on March 8, 1896 as First Presbyterian Church. Meanwhile, Central Presbyterian Church (later renamed Second Presbyterian Church) was formed in 1893. On February 4, 1962, these two congregations re-merged to form Trinity United Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian building was retained. This body of believers continues to proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ and to minister within and beyond Uniontown.
Our Building
Our beautiful church was designed by Pittsburgh architect William Kauffman in the French Gothic style. Closely resembling H.H. Richardson’s Trinity Church in Boston, the style is often called Richardson Romanesque. It is built of Peninsula blue sandstone and roofed with deep red corrugated tile. The massive square lantern tower, rising 150 feet above the ground, dominates the downtown skyline.
The interior of the church is ornately decorated with a vine motif inspired by Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Perhaps the most beloved and outstanding feature of the building is the beautiful stained glass windows from the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York. Part of Louis C. Tiffany’s award-winning exhibit at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, they were purchased and donated by a member of the congregation. The window designs were taken from art masterworks by celebrated artists and include:
The Nativity – Carl Muller
The Adoration of the Magi – Hans Hoffman
Christ in the Temple – Hans Hoffman
The Ascension – Hans Hoffman
The Resurrection – A. Naack
The Madonna and Child – C. Von Bodenhausen
Christ Blessing the Children – B. Plockhorst
Church Officers
Session Elders
Class of 2009
Class of 2010
Class of 2011
Paul Harley
Virginia Higinbotham
Nancy Davis
Vickie Leone
Joe Simon
Joy Fike
vacant
Dorothy Springer
Jean Nass
John Sharp, Jr.
Paul Williams
Nancy Vernon
Ellen Ulmer
Doug Yauger
Elsie Workman
Clerk of Session: Mark Fike
Board of Deacons
Class of 2009
Class of 2010
Class of 2011
Mary Kay Kuhns
Linda King
Caitlin Fike
Linda Orsted
Bill King
Pat Harper
Jane Walsh
Kay Menni
Heather Needes
Eric Williams
Shirley Savage
Brittany Schoch
Auditors: Cherisse Waligura, Jim Carbin, Bill Ulmer
