Go The Mission

Local Outreach

Rooted in Charlottesville, Trinity and Trinity members have been privileged to see the Lord’s impact locally through a variety of ministries and ministry partners. In 1996, under the leadership of Amy Sherman and John Hall, Trinity helped establish what is now known as Abundant Life Ministries. Other local ministry partners and places of significant member involvement include:

• the AL Christmas Shop
• the Jail Ministry
• Thanksgiving Meal deliveries and the International Thanksgiving Feast
• Love INC
• COVID-19 food and diaper deliveries
• the Mercy Closet
• ESL classes
• Jobs for Life outreach
• Faith and Finances
• Christianity Explored (early 2000s)
• the Alpha Course (during COVID)

International Outreach Without Leaving Town

Trinity has uniquely served as a spiritual home for students, faculty, and residents alike. Ministries like the Christian Study Center, RUF, AIA, and Young Life all have long-standing partnerships with Trinity, and Trinity members serve in leadership positions. With thousands of international students arriving in Charlottesville every year, the nations arrive on our doorstep. Ministries like ISI and a Chinese-language Bible study provide opportunities to reach the world without leaving town.

Upon returning to Trinity in 2012 after serving as one of its supported missionaries in China, I was delighted to find a rich and deep community of brothers and sisters involved in the Mandarin Bible study, then led by Wright and Dori Doyle. Over red bean rice snacks and the word of God, we would gather in the 10:00 Sunday school hour to learn about Christ and share our lives — some of us Westerners still fumbling through the language, but always graciously included! This group became a beautiful picture of the welcome of Christ as people of varied ages and callings, from longtime Trinity members to UVA international students or medical researchers from the East, gathered to grow in their faith or ask earnest questions about Christianity. Many came from atheistic home cultures and had never explored the Bible’s claims. The Chinese men and women God used to shepherd and increasingly lead this group were humble and servant-hearted brothers and sisters that helped our Trinity family reflect the global body of Christ more fully. We also had a lot of fun, too — enjoying events like Easter feasts and egg hunts and even a memorable night of Chinese New Year karaoke at the church with folks of all ages!

Deep Partnerships

Trinity commissioned its first missionary in 1978 — Betty Bradley, a recent UVA grad, to serve in Spain. Since that time, Missions has been at the heart of Trinity’s identity, sending out approximately 40 missionaries over the past 50 years.

In August 2024, a team from Trinity traveled to Colombia to forge new connections and strengthen old partnerships in South America. In October 2025, another team traveled to Southern Africa, where they visited church plants and connected Trinity with new Presbyterian churches that are vibrant with spiritual growth.

Trinity’s former Missions Director, Bob Osborne, left Trinity in 2002 to become the Executive Director of Serge (then Mission to the World). Globally, Serge focuses on relational evangelism and on “sending people who have been really, deeply transformed by the gospel of grace,” according to Osborne. Many Trinity-supported missionaries have worked through Serge, including Tom and Vicki Gilliam in Ireland (23 years), and Scott and Jennifer Myhre in Uganda (40+ years). Watch the video →

As a small part of Trinity as a sending church, where believers are built up and sent out in various ways to serve the kingdom, I have been reflecting on the specific long-term relationship of Trinity and world missions, especially with World Harvest/Serge. Some of the earliest missionaries of Trinity (some still active) have worked with World Harvest/Serge: Scott and Jennifer Myhre (students at UVA) and Paul Leary (IV staff), as well as others from Trinity, were on the first Serge Uganda team, sent to reach the Congo (DRC) via Uganda. They were the first Christians to reach their area and participated in a decades-long process to plant the church and translate the New Testament into Babwesi, the local language.

Over the years MANY at Serge have come from Trinity and many have been leaders with Serge: the Myhres are Africa area directors. Bob Osborne, member and staff at Trinity, served 20 years as Serge CEO. John Hall, former pastor, with his wife Kathy, served several years in London. Tony Giles, former pastor, currently serves in Renewal. Tom and Vicky Gilliam have served more than 20 years in Ireland and are European regional leaders. Ron and Mary Wilson, longtime members, elder and staff, served many years in Ireland. Mary Ann Carter, a longtime member, served on the Uganda team. Meredith Elder, a student at Trinity the year it started, served in Hungary and as long-term member care director. Marc Davis and Susan Pitt-Davis serve in Renewal and now in Germany, bringing the message of renewal to church leaders there. My wife, Carolyn, and I served 6 years in Burundi — teaching, hosting, and stabilizing a medical school and helping over 300 become physicians in a country of 11 million souls that had only 300 physicians in 2013.

Several current and former Trinity members have served on the board of Serge: Craig Wood and Roger Johnson (both as president), Nancy Briggs, Ron Rash, and myself. Skip Ryan and Dick Pearson represented Trinity on the original World Harvest Mission “church partner committee.” Several others serving under Serge had time growing up in or were students in Charlottesville with some connection to Trinity — Patrick La Rochelle (now medical in DRC), Ben Lewis (now medical in Peru and regional director), Mark and Joanna Stewart (Africa, Czechia, mobilization), Ashley Hosan (Africa and mobilization), and Stephanie Black (Africa, theological education). I am sure I have missed many others. Trinity church itself and MANY of its members have been incredibly generous with their prayer, personal engagement, personal visits, and finances to Serge as a whole and to the many of us who have served the Kingdom in far places. This is only a small part of the receiving and sending forth that Trinity has done in 50 years — to Charlottesville, the US, and the world. To God be the Glory, may His Kingdom come.

Short-Term Impact

Over the years, many Trinity members and friends have participated in short-term vision and prayer trips, the Dublin Prayer Conference, Youth and Medical trips to Nicaragua, and Youth service trips to various areas of the U.S.

Bi-Annual Mission Conferences

Trinity organizes a missions conference every two years to encourage and connect with Trinity-supported missionaries, sharing their experiences, needs, and opportunities. A few memorable formats include “Evening Vacation Bible School” in the 90s, Missions Prayer Weekends, and the Taste and See event in 2018 that transformed the sanctuary into an international market.

The next Missions Conference will be in February 2027. In the meantime, we stay connected to our partners overseas through email updates, prayer meetings, Zoom calls, hosting trips back to Charlottesville, and visiting our partners overseas.