Christopher Mack, Minister of Young Adults,
greets members and visitors at a Crossings
Sunday worship service.
While uncompromising with gospel
truths, Buckner continued to welcome
Trinity’s community. He partnered with
Catholics, Jews, Muslims and other
Protestant denominations. Many
remember Buckner’s 30-second TV
spots; he recorded more than a
thousand in three decades.
In 1962, as chronicled in Carl
Moore’s God’s Lighthouse on a Hill, a
woman in the church came to Buckner,
saying, “There is no place in San
Antonio for alcoholic women who
want to find a place of refuge and help.
Do something about it!” In 1966, Alpha
Home was born, and Trinity became
the first church in the nation to create
a ministry like it.
Diversity leads to strength
Although Buckner’s retirement from
Trinity in 2002 brought a decline in
membership, the Holy Spirit was at
work. Charles Johnson took the helm
next and led the way to a more diversified
Trinity. Under his leadership, the
church purchased what’s now called
TriPoint — A Center for Life, giving
Trinity a perfect spot to reach out to
people in America’s fastest growing
city in unique ways.
Trinity heals, grows and pulls the
arms of Christ around San Antonio
more than ever
In 2009, Dr. Leslie Hollon came to
be Trinity Baptist’s fourth pastor. He
had always seen Trinity as a church
who put the arms of Christ around the
city of San Antonio. His mission was to
bring healing to a church struggling to
rebound. Regarding his call to Trinity,
Pastor Les says, “I felt challenged. My
Trinity Baptist's 70th Anniversary Celebration Service featuring former pastors and staff, and a reunion choir
concert on June 22.
Trinity Baptist, One Church, Three Campuses. clockwise
from the top, TBC Sanctuary on the Mulberry campus,
TriPoint Campus on 281 and St Mary's, and the Ruble
Center, the headquarters of Alpha Home.
excitement to take this call really has
flowed out of loving Trinity and San
Antonio. And though feeling the ache
for the church’s recent pain, I believed
in God’s future for Trinity.
“As we are healed and made strong,
we have this great mission of partnering
with the gospel and sharing God’s
love. That’s across the streets of San
Antonio and that’s in regions around
the world. It’s been hard but rewarding
work. I am grateful for the church’s
membership and staff for their great
ministry.”
The work continues to be walking
by faith and pioneering nonconventional
approaches.
“We are one church with three
campuses working synergistically
together,” Pastor Les says.
What are the three campuses?
East Mulberry Avenue. The expansive
campus on 319 East Mulberry Avenue
is more diverse than first meets the
eye. Few know that through its doors is
Logsdon Seminary; currently, 63
students attend.
The ISAAC Project offices through
the Mulberry campus also. Legal
immigrants find someone to guide
them through the difficult process of
obtaining legal documents for their
status so they can succeed in America.
At the Mulberry campus, anyone
can attend the 10:15 blended service,
or one of the 9 a.m. Bible classes of all
kinds for kids and adults.
For example, if you are a youngish
adult, you could choose the Illuminate
class, led by Minister of Young Adults
Christopher Mack along with the
Brachers and the Dawsons. Also in the
Illuminate class is August Higgins,
Trinity's Executive Research Assistant.
The Illuminate class does a great job
guiding his class to create outreach
projects and encouraging people to
know Jesus in a personal way.
Arthur Queen, who’s been attending
Illuminate over the last year,
recounts how August and many of
the other members at Trinity have
been used by God to bring a fresh
sense of joy to his life.
“Our class is wonderful and open.
It’s a genuine feeling of joy that’s not
forced. They’re not doing it out of,
‘I have to.’ They’re doing it because
‘I want to.’ Because they’re passing
on the joy that God had given them,
Trinity Baptist has long been recognized as a leader
in global missions. TBC has served with mission
partners in Eastern Europe and Russia, Western
Europe, Central America, and Africa.
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