After serving the Troy community for 40 years, Trinity Missionary Baptist Church has been torn down due to structural damage. The church recently received a new roof, but it ended up damaging the rafters, creating a snowball effect and damaging most of the structure.

The church was demolished on July 7, and the congregation is working to raise money to rebuild the church so that the congregation can have a place to worship and serve.

“We love the Lord,” said Lillie Watson Foster, treasurer for Trinity Missionary Baptist Church. “And, that’s what we do – serve the Lord.”

Trinity Missionary Baptist Church was built in 1975, but it was not originally a church. The building was built as The Baptist Center, where special events were held. Eventually, in 1992, Trinity Missionary Baptist Church was organized and established.

“We knew in advance that there was some structural damage,” Foster said. “We thought we could save the church, but it wasn’t savable.”

The congregation is working together to raise money to rebuild the church through a Go Fund Me site, a donation account at Wells Fargo, selling bricks from the original building to church members, yard sales, fish fries and accepting monetary donations at the church’s mailing address.

“We want to raise as much money as we can,” Foster said.

Trinity Missionary Baptist Church also serves as a Sanford University Extension Center. Foster said there have been a lot of pastors that have been educated there, and that Rev. Rubin McKinnon, current pastor of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, is one of the instructors.

Foster has a soft heart to the church, as she has been attending for 20 years.

“I moved to Troy in 1993, and I joined the church in 1995,” she said. “They were the first church to welcome me to Troy. I didn’t know anybody when I moved here. Some of the members came to my house to welcome me.

“It’s Spirit-filled,” she continued. “The members who go there go to serve the Lord. They genuinely love the Lord. It’s like being part of a family. I feel good worshipping the Lord with other people who love serving the Lord.

Foster laughed when she said that the church wanted to start building tomorrow, but she said, in reality, they just want to begin rebuilding as soon as possible. She said the church would not only love to rebuild for their own purposes, but they would love to be back up and running to be able to serve the community.

“It’s a service to Troy, and it’s a benefit to be here,” Foster said. “I hope the community thinks that, too, and I hope they help us rebuild it.

“We are Christian people who want everyone to come to our church, and we just want to serve the Lord.”

Anyone who would like a donation to help fund the rebuilding of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church can donate at Wells Fargo Bank under account 6417088561 or send a check to 101 Minchener St., Troy, Ala., 36081.