Seventy men, including Methodist missionary Jason Lee, embarked on a fur trading expedition in the early 1830s. In July 1834, Lee gathered fur trappers and Native Americans for the first sermon in the Rockies, introducing Methodism to the region. Missionaries continued to travel through Idaho Falls for decades, leading to the founding of Trinity UMC and the construction of the congregation’s first church in the mid-1880s. Trinity UMC outgrew its original church and commissioned a Tudor-Gothic-style church designed by Boise architect John Visser and built by Dan Sweeney in 1916. A Sunday school wing designed by Edwin G. Osness was added in 1948 with Sweeney again serving as the builder.

Trinity UMC has repeatedly expressed its “passion for helping marginalized persons.” The congregation shares space with about 20 churches and community groups each week, including alcohol and drug recovery programs, music groups, and a chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Members also volunteer at the local food bank, soup kitchen, and museum.

A $190,000 National Fund grant with nearly $500,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation facilitated the completion of urgent repairs and upgrades, which included repointing masonry; installing new doors, ceiling tiles, flooring, LED light fixtures, and insulated glass windows on the main level; renovating bathrooms for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; enlarging the kitchen; and upgrading life safety systems. As a result of the project, Trinity UMC can support additional community partners and larger events each week.