Candle-lighting ritual conveys spirit of Christ

By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- The message of "spreading the light of Christ into the darkness" will be conveyed in a simple but dramatic way during the Christmas Eve service at Trinity United Methodist Church, 30 W. Front St.
At the beginning of the service, the Christ candle will be lighted, and as the service progresses the sanctuary will get progressively darker. When there's almost total darkness, 12 church members, representing the 12 Apostles, will light candles from the Christ candle, then light pew candles, and then churchgoers will light individual candles.
The idea is to convey "the light of Christ" and the "grandeur of Christmas Eve" said the Rev. Dr. D. Larry Kline, pastor of Trinity.
This Christmas Eve service will be especially meaningful to the Rev. Dr. Kline, who has served Trinity since 1993. He plans to retire in June of next year.
Even though holidays and events at the church are tinged with "it's the last one" bittersweet feelings, Dr. Kline said he continues to relish the vitality and presence of the downtown church.
Inspirational setting
This will be the 203rd Christmas Eve service celebrated by the church, which was founded in 1803. It's destined to be an inspirational occasion. The sanctuary will be decorated with live Christmas trees and 130 poinsettias.
And then there's the music. An organ recital is planned from 7 to 7:30 followed by the service, which will conclude with some several hundred candles burning. Featured in the service will be Trinity's Chancel Choir; Jeffrey A. Trimble, choir director and organist; the Rev. Deane Williams, assistant minister; Vince Camp, liturgist; and Dr. Fred Owens, narrator. Dr. Kline will offer the Christmas message of "Good Tidings of Great Joy." The service also will be broadcast live on WKBN 570 AM.
While the yuletide decorations and candles will create a festive atmosphere in the Gothic-style church, the emphasis will remain on the meaning of the celebration. "God loved us so much that he gave his son," Dr. Kline said.
The Christmas Eve service, always well attended, attests to the vibrancy of the church, whose members made a conscious choice to remain a downtown landmark. "I think we were called to serve here," he said of his own ministry and the church itself.
"Because so many people went here at one time, many return," Dr. Kline said. The heyday of church membership peaked in the 1940s when it was about 3,500. Now it's about 600. "People must be fulfilled spiritually," he said. "Prayer life is important."
"Fellowship time is about building community," Dr. Kline said. The large vestibule of the church allows for mingling, and the church has a unique courtyard, where other gatherings are held when the weather is nice.
"Many well-known families in the area belonged," he said, and the church produced two bishops and a president of DePauw University.
Committed membership
That legacy has served the church in that the membership takes pride in the church and is committed to the downtown. In the late 1990s, a vote was taken whether to remain downtown, and the decision to stay was unanimous, Dr. Kline said.
"The membership supported a 1 million campaign for restoration work at the church," Dr. Kline said. The project, started in 1997, involved electrical work, cleaning of the 37 stained glass windows in the church and chapel and sandblasting the exterior.
"The need was there to fix it or lose it," Dr. Kline said, and noted the membership believes in maintaining the church in good order. "The edifice is in next to perfect shape."
"The church is committed to a presence downtown," Dr. Kline said. "Downtown is still the heart of Youngstown."
He said he has "trusted the process of life" in respect to his own choices and also has seen that unfold in church matters. "It's up to you to accept the invitation," he said.
In his own life, accepting an invitation led to meeting his wife, Jeannette. The couple has four adult children, all graduates of Ohio University, who all live in Columbus.
Dr. Kline, who has been a minister for 46 years, said, "I believe it is a calling." He also is a graduate of OU and earned a master of divinity and a doctor of ministry at the Methodist Theological School.