As Bethlehem church prepares for final service, its mission of charity continues on

By NewsPress Now

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Walking a church isle with a canine is part of the closure for Reverend Dennis Schappell.

“Is Sunday going to be a tough day for you?” I asked, while he was in midst of dog sitting.

“It’s going to be difficult,” he replied.

Sunday is Trinity United Church of Christ’s final service, but the Bethlehem church’s legacy of charity continues.

“This is probably the largest gift that we were ever able to give,” Schappell said.

Due to dwindling numbers of parishioners, Trinity sold the church in September and donated half the proceeds, just over $370,000, to a variety of non-profits.

From the Bethlehem School District, Second Harvest Food bank to homeless shelters, nearly a dozen entities it’s supported over the past 52 years received funds.

“It’s what the gospel is about. It’s what Christmas is about,” said Tim McGorry with STAR Bethlehem, a resource center for the homeless.

Trinity UCC gave them $25,000 which McGorry says is by far the largest financial gift in STARS history.

“It allows us to get there and to really visibly see what their needs are, because we don’t get a chance to, we kind of go by what they tell us,” McGorry said.

For Shappell, the donations only deepen the church’s main mission.

“We just hope people will continue to support the people in their community and to love their neighbors and love one another in other ways, helping people. This is about faith in action,” Shappell added.

It’s a spirit that transcends the season.