Our Beliefs

Holy Trinity Church is a non-denominational church in the Reformed tradition of the Christian faith.  

Holy Trinity Church uses the historic Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) as our doctrinal statement. The elders of Holy Trinity Church have amended this document for theological clarity in our current context.

Holy Trinity Church is governed by a Constitution, also called the Book of Church Order. It is, in part, based on the Presbyterian Church in America Book of Church Order. It is comprised of three separate parts, with each part and subsequent amendment adopted by a full vote of the membership of Holy Trinity Church.

Download Holy Trinity Church's Constitution

Our Story

Holy Trinity Church began as a dream for Chicago. In 1998, the founding leaders were asking God to allow them to be a part of something much larger than themselves. Having seen faithful, center-city churches in London and Cambridge, England they were asking God to found a church that would influence the whole city. Led by pastors David R. Helm and Jon M. Dennis, God brought together  a band of 37 adults,  to plant a small congregation in the shadow of a great university in Hyde Park. The vision was to see a generative, gospel-centered expository church that could be a catalyst for long-term change in Chicago and beyond. God was generous and faithful to their efforts. 

Within a few months, the congregation, meeting in a small gothic chapel near the University of Chicago, grew to 100 and began praying about what was next. During 2000-2001 the elders studied gospel movements in New York, London, Sydney and the U.S. learning from leaders like Tim Keller, Dick Lucas and Phillip Jensen.  In 2001, with a belief that God can change any life through his word, they established a ministry to train younger leaders in exposition called The Charles Simeon Trust. The CST now trains leaders all across the world.

The next year, in December 2002, sensing an opportunity for wider outreach, God opened the door to launch a second congregation downtown in the center of the city. The vision -- building off Mayor Daley’s phrase, “the soul of Chicago is in her neighborhoods” -- was to “plant in the heart of the city to reach the soul of the city.” This second congregation which began at State and Ohio in a small classroom, moved to the ballroom and quickly grew to more than 100 and continues to grow. 

In 2006 the elders of Holy Trinity Church shared a vision for “the Antioch concept,” a plan rooted in the “prayer meeting that changed the world” in Acts 13:1-3. Knowing the intense segregation of Chicago, the leaders asked the Lord to build a global city pastoral team that reflected the ethnic beauty of Chicago - and the Kingdom of God. This multi-ethnic leadership team, by God’s favor, became the basis for a sense of profound ethnic unity among the leaders and the church. It felt as if God was on the move. These leaders became a catalyst for new lives to be changed and for the church to become a diverse, disciple-making congregation drawing from more than twenty-seven neighborhoods.

Between 2007–2009 God miraculously opened the door to expand to four congregations including in the North, West, South and Center of the city. These four congregations allowed HTC to build friendships and relationships all across Chicago’s highly divided and segregated city. 

In 2008, believing that no one church can reach a large city like Chicago and in keeping with the desire to be part of something much larger than themselves, Holy Trinity founded The Chicago Partnership for Church Planting with several other churches. This work, now called The Chicago Partnership, has established more than thirty churches and is a pipeline for church revitalization and renewal in Chicago.

Five years later, wanting to be a part of what God was doing globally, Holy Trinity helped to launch Neopolis, a global, multi-ethnic network and family of churches focused on preaching, pastoring and planting to the glory of God. 

In 2016, Pastor Dennis and leaders from LA, The Bay and Miami were asked to help found City to City North America to help catalyze gospel movements in a variety of North American cities. At the same time, in response to the terrible violence plaguing Chicago in 2016, Pastor Dennis, with a group of other leaders helped co-found Together Chicago - a collective impact ministry focused on catalyzing long-term change in Chicago.

In 2020, as the leadership tables at Holy Trinity continued to grow, the elders began prayerfully considering planting Holy Trinity Hyde Park as a new congregation called Christ Church Chicago.  After much prayer and the provision of God, Christ Church purchased a new building to grow deeper roots on the South Side of Chicago and across the city. 

As it did globally, Covid-19 posed new challenges and opportunities for the church. In the midst of this pandemic, HTC pivoted to virtual services for an entire year. Two years after the pandemic, in April 2022, through a series of amazing circumstances -- including a small sidewalk cafe on Wabash -- HTC Downtown moved into a new long-term rental at 218 S Wabash providing an opportunity for many new ministries to take off. The children’s ministry began growing rapidly, a new youth group was founded and men’s and women’s ministries began flourishing. 

As a Word- and gospel-centered church, we believe God is calling us to build a church for the new city, a city comprised of rich and poor; black, white, Latino, Asian, and Arab; center-city and inner-city. We don’t believe this vision will be accomplished through our own strength but with a total reliance on God and in partnership with other churches. Our hope is not to spark, but to be part of a church-planting, word-focused, community-renewal movement that spreads from Chicago to great cities and the ends of the world, for God’s glory alone. Come join us.