History

The first Greeks came to Lansing, Michigan in the early 1900s, a time of great promise and opportunity in the state capital. They brought with them their values, their love of family and faith, and their determination to become contributing citizens of their adopted country. As their community grew, they organized through affiliation with established Greek Orthodox parishes in larger nearby cities and through the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association. On May 28, 1927, their petition to form an AHEPA chapter was granted, at which time approximately 250 Greek residents called Lansing home, and 25 signed the request. Peter Kekesis became the first president of Wolverine Chapter 142.

For years the AHEPA halls on West Washtenaw Street, North Washington Avenue, and West Michigan Avenue served as the central gathering place for the growing community, providing space for visiting priests to celebrate the Liturgy and for Sunday School, Greek School, and community activities. With needs increasing, members dreamed of having a church building of their own. On December 10, 1939, at a General Assembly meeting, the community formally resolved to petition the Archdiocese for an established parish in Lansing, and on March 4, 1940 the parish was officially organized by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

The church that would bear the name Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church was dedicated on September 25, 1949, giving the community its first permanent home. As the parish grew and diversified, joined by Orthodox Christians of Lebanese, Macedonian, Serbian, Romanian, Armenian, and Bulgarian backgrounds alongside the founding Greek families, it became clear that a new and larger building was needed. Groundbreaking for the present church at 1701 East Saginaw Street was held in 1967 with Bishop Germanos of the Detroit Diocese officiating. The congregation worshipped as guests of other Lansing churches through three years of construction, and on April 12, 1970, walked together to the consecration of the new Holy Trinity, with Archbishop Iakovos blessing the church and its icons and laying the cornerstone.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 1701 East Saginaw Street in Lansing serves the Orthodox Christian faithful of the greater Lansing area as a parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit within the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, a diverse community of Greeks, Lebanese, Ethiopians, Eritreans, and converts from many backgrounds who have worshipped together as one family of faith in Michigan's capital city for more than eight decades.