PHILADELPHIA, PA — In April this year, a new gospel-centered church began in Montgomery County, Greater Philadelphia. Led by Tony Jones, Pastor of the new congregation, it has already seen real growth—Trinity Central Church’s fundamental aim is to be gospel-centered.
“We want the good news of the gospel to pervade everything we do from preaching, worship, small groups, church culture, and leadership structure so that Christ is not just the wallpaper, or assumed, but the epicenter of all we do and believe,” Jones said.
Peter Martindell, one of the Elders, said, “Newcomers are so struck by the sharpness of the focus, which is not on us but on Christ. We long to know Christ and make him known by reaching the lost, building God’s people, and sending out workers into the harvest field.”
Under Pastor Jones’s leadership, the new church, independent and governed by a plurality of elders and pastors, is committed to expository preaching.
“When the Bible is faithfully taught, God’s voice is heard,” Tony said. Another elder, Jeff Schatz, said, “Our emphasis as a new church is on Biblical discipleship, which trains us as disciples to live as a Biblical community that provides pastoral support as we all reach out with the gospel into the community.” Bonnie St Onge, a new congregation member, said, “I love our church. It’s such a happy place.”
TCC is served by four other pastors who work with Tony and a leadership team of six elders.
“At a recent lunch in which the congregation celebrated their heartfelt appreciation for the faithful leadership of Tony and the entire pastoral staff, Dave Reich said, “The church culture here is refreshing; Tony is collaborative with his staff and elder board; he is engaged with every member of the congregation and cares deeply that each person is not only cared for but also feels like they belong here. It is a tremendous joy to be part of such a united, joyful, gospel-centered church.”
The growth of Trinity Central is in sharp contrast to the overall picture in the United States, where the number of attending churches continues to dwindle. Many churches now report that the number attending congregations is only 85% of the level before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Lifeway Research, around 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019. The last year’s data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, the first time the number of churches in the US had not grown since the evangelical firm started studying the topic.
According to Scott McConnell of Lifeway Research, the decline can be traced to how the younger generation now views Christianity. He said: “One of the top answers was church members seem to be judgmental or hypocritical,” McConnell said, “And so the younger generation just doesn’t feel like they’re being accepted in a church environment or some of their choices aren’t being accepted by those at church.”
Jeff Pike, a pastor who oversees worship and the Twenties ministry, a church planter from Toronto, said, “We long that as the Bible is taught, God’s voice is heard through faithful expository preaching. It has been exciting to see how so many young people in their 20s have joined us, how their faith has grown, and how the gospel impacts lives through dynamic but Biblical Christ-centered worship on Sundays.”
Originally a London city lawyer from the UK, Tony is married to Sarah, an American, with four young kids. Tony moved to the US in 2021 and is adjusting to life on the other side of the pond. He said, “I now understand what Churchill meant when he said, ‘ England and America are two countries separated by a common language! But we are loving our new life here in America and are excited to see what God is doing as we plant the seed of the gospel in new terrain. There is nothing more exciting or challenging than church planting, and seeing God’s word at work changing lives forever is the greatest privilege”.
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