Why City Ministry? Why Now?

In 2009, following  innovative renovations, an alley on Washington Boulevard became a welcoming entrance to one of Fort Wayne's largest churches in the heart of the city.  When form truly blended with function, the doors to Trinity English Lutheran Church were opened to many in the city's streets and suburbs who were grappling with life's challenges. This was at a time when Fort Wayne's downtown infrastructure was undergoing significant revitalization.

Author

Janet Jordan Altmeyer is The Director of City Ministry at Trinity English Lutheran Church. Her masters and bachelors degrees focused on emotional handicaps, learning differences, neurological impairment, and religious studies.

Over time, more people ventured into Trinity's bright open spaces where personal stories were shared with pastors and lay leaders, access to community resources became a bit more attainable, and with prayer as an anchor, trusting relationships evolved. Trinity English's Caring Ministries, directed by Pastor Kathleen Haller, encompassed members and neighbors, clergy and staff, employed and unemployed, thriving and struggling, affiliated and alone, all loved by God and all called to love. Divisions between us and them continued to diminish as we appreciated one another as mutual  travelers on the journey.

Opportunities to engage with community partners noticeably increased and intensified as we worked to connect persons experiencing life challenges with sustainable support systems. We decided to see if our community of faith at Trinity English could engage more directly with persons in transition, to accompany and support one another with the hope of Christ, via a dedicated City Ministry. 

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Here, in the heart of Fort Wayne, IN with a Priesthood of All Believers; 
​Now, when our city is asking communities of faith to take a more prominent leadership role in advocating for our more vulnerable, especially those living with undiagnosed mental illness, poverty, homelessness, trauma, unemployment, and underemployment,  let's take one more step forward as partners in Christ, prepared to follow where God is leading.