Trinity United Church of Christ is a predominantly
black church with more than 8,500 members, located on the southeast side of
Chicago.
[1] It is the largest church affiliated with the
United Church of Christ, a predominantly white
Christian denomination with roots in
Congregationalism, which branched from
American Puritanism.
[2]In early 2008, as part of their presidential election coverage, news media outlets and political commentators brought Trinity to national attention when controversial excerpts of sermons by the church's 36-year pastor Jeremiah Wright were broadcast to highlight Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's relationship with Wright and the church. Obama responded with a speech, A More Perfect Union, which reduced criticism of the relationship.[3]
The church's early history coincided with the American civil rights movement, subsequent death of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the turmoil that entered the movement after his death. During that tumultuous period, a great influx of radical Black Muslim groups had begun to headquarter in Chicago, and Trinity sought to recontextualize Christianity through black liberation theology so as to win back Blacks who were being taught by radical black Islamic leaders that it was impossible to be both Black and Christian. Trinity is best known today for its social programs on behalf of the disadvantaged, both nationally and internationally, although in its earliest days such outreach did not even figure in its mission.[4][5][6]
Patterns of migration among both blacks and whites are an important part of the social context in which Trinity was founded. Another is the threat that radical Black nationalism and Black Islam posed to Christianity's influence among Chicago blacks, as well as to blacks nationwide. As these movements gained ground among Chicago blacks, Trinity sought to turn the attention of blacks back to Christianity.
