A historic Franklin Methodist Church since 1865
A family fellowship in a country setting "where everybody knows your name"
Our Staff
The Rev Sam Clarke
Pastor
Sam became Trinity's pastor on January 8, 2023 following Trinity's decision to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church in June, 2022. Sam and his wife, Marianne, have been members of Trinity since 2020. Marianne's ancestors were founders of the original Trinity congregation. She grew up at Trinity. Sam is a retired Episcopal/Anglican minister. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1997 and served Episcopal congregations in Winchester, Tennessee, Hendersonville, Tennessee, and Winter Park, Florida. In January 2007, he was called by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem (ICEJ) and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum and Memorial in Jerusalem, to be the first director of Christian Friends of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Sam and Marianne, live on Marianne’s family farm in Franklin, Tennessee. They have five children and thirteen grandchildren.
Lynn McGillDirector of Music Ministries
Lynn McGill received his B.S. in Music Education at Middle Tennessee State University and his Master of Music Education + 45 hours at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He studied at Master’s level study with Donald Neuen, DMA, currently retired Prof @ UCLA and Choral Director at the Crystal Cathedral with Dr. Robert Schuller. Lynn’s additional studies include Eastman School of Music, Musicologist, Julius Herford, Robert Shaw, Southern Methodist University, George Peabody College, Furman University, and the University of Illinois.
Lynn has been choral director at churches in Manchester, Shelbyville, Oak Ridge, Athens, Knoxville, and Franklin, Tennessee.
He directed the University of Tennessee Women’s Chorus early in his career and served. and as graduate assistant to the Director of Choral Activities, Ambrose Holford. He was Department Chair, Director of Choral Activities, and Associate Professor of Music at Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens.Tennessee. Founder of the Athens Area Council for the Arts, he founded and conducted the Athens Area Community Chorus. Lynn was Associate Director and Board Member of the Knoxville Community Chorus and was also a member of the Knoxville Choral Society and Opera Chorus., and has served on the Tennessee Arts Council Advisory Board.
In recent years he has been a member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, the Belle Voci Chamber Choir of Belmont University, Brentwood United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, BUMC Men’s Ensemble, and the Harpeth Valley Sacred Harp Singers.
He is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) , and is a Tennessee Past President.
Lynn and wife Linda make their home in Franklin. They have four adult children and three grandchildren.