Trinity Christian Church is one of a myriad of churches in
the small town of New Bloomfield,
Perry County, PA. The Lutheran church is
right next door. The United Methodist church is two blocks over. The River of Life Church is just beyond that. The Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists and the Catholic
Church sit to west each a bit further than the last. A Baptist church is just out of town to the
east. Trinity Christian began as a
German Reformed Church in the middle 1845’s becoming United Church of Christ in
1952. In 2016, being a very conservative
congregation, they pulled out of the UCC largely over the issues gay marriage
and abortion. From then until mid 2017
an interim pastor of the orthodox Presbyterian persuasion filled the pulpit
In July 2017, the congregation voted to call Ed Boyle as
their pastor. His path to the ministry
was atypical to say the least. He was
born in the coal regions of Pennsylvania
to a staunch Irish-Catholic family.
During his early childhood, his father came to faith in Christ alone as
his Savior and withdrawing his family from the Catholic Church began attending
a local evangelical church. Ed also
professed faith in Christ during his growing up years. In his 20’s, he joined the Army and began to
progress up through the ranks. Ed
retired from the military as a lieutenant-colonel after 25 years of
service. But a non-working retirement
was not in his plans. He felt that God
was calling him to the ministry and he entered Covenant Seminary in Illinois
for 3 years of pastoral studies. Trinity
Christian is his first church. He brings
not only a testimony of saving faith and the years of study to his first
pastorate, but also knowledge and maturity gained through living many years as
a member rather than pastor of a local congregation.
But though Ed is quite unusual among pastors, I find his
wife Dawn to be truly unique among pastor’s wives. She began life and grew up in a small town in
Tennessee, but headed to University
of Alabama for her college years and
ROTC training (she didn’t like the orange and white school colors of University
of Tennessee). A avid football fan, Bear Bryant as head coach
of the Crimson Tide was also a huge draw. After graduation, she enlisted in the Army and
met Ed whom she outranked at the time, she being all of 5’ 1” and he being over
6’ tall. Dawn left the Army when they
got married to be a full time wife and eventually the home schooling mother of
one daughter and three sons.
As a pastor’s wife, appearances would be that she is fairly
typical. She is very grounded in the
Word, spends much time on her knees in prayer, is generous with her attention
and affection for those in the congregation.
She dresses modestly and appropriately for services in a dress or skirt. Her duties included some secretarial work,
visitation with her husband on numerous occasions, help in planning for
activities. So what makes her so
unique? Well, the outfit she wears to
church Sunday morning may have an Alabama Crimson Tide logo under her sweater
or vest during football season, hidden, but there nonetheless. Her preferred not-at-church attire is jeans
and a t-shirt or sweatshirt. She is
quite outspoken, but quick to apologize if she fears she has offended. And I think one would look long and hard to
find another pastor’s wife with a military career spent being the pilot of a
Huey transport helicopter.
