80 Years and counting…

Rev. Alberta Sherwood

Transformation Church was founded in 1944 by 26-year-old Rev. Alberta Sherwood with the help of her sister, Rev. Elsie Coutant.  She had a vision to plant a vibrant and growing Church in Middletown.  Pastor Alberta was able to secure a storefront building on 350 North Street, and after some remodeling, they were able to open as “Middletown Assembly of God” on December 7th, 1944. 

First Location, 350 North Street

Over the next six years, God would do some incredible things at the Church.  In a letter written to the AG, Pastor Alberta wrote, “Since opening in December 1944, the Lord has blessed.  Many souls have been saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.  God has also healed many of such diseases as cancer, diabetes, heart trouble, and tuberculosis of the throat.”-Rev. Alberta Sherwood

Second Location, 94 Cottage Street

The Church continued to grow, and on December 16^th, 1950, they purchased a Church building on 94 Cottage Street from a small Italian Mission called “Trinity Church.”  That’s when Pastor Alberta renamed the Church, “Trinity Assembly of God.”  What is often overlooked is that Pastor Alberta mortgaged her home to purchase the Church.  On the opening night at the new church, 3 souls were saved, and a woman was healed of a blood clot on her spine.  God continued to move supernaturally at the Church.

It was recorded in a newspaper article in 1953 that MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK SEES MIRACLES.  The article said, “A man who had been deaf for 35 years in his left ear WAS INSTANTLY ABLE TO HEAR!  A woman who had been blind in one eye for ten years received her sight in that eye, and now sees perfectly out of both eyes!  An eight-year-old girl was healed of a lump (or growth) in her neck.  A lady who had been near-sighted all her life was instantly healed!  Many others were healed of tumors, goiters, cancers, and heart trouble. All disappeared by the power of God, through the name of Jesus!”

Circa 1980

Over the next 32 years, the Church continued to grow and touch many lives in the City of Middletown.  During that period, Trinity had several pastors.  Pastor Howard Sproull (1954- 1957), Pastor William H. Dickinson (1957- 1960). Pastor Alfred Chamberlin (1960-1964). Pastor Peter Pignaloso (1964- 1973), and Pastor Jerry Bricker (1973-2002).  Under Pastor Bricker’s leadership, a vision for a larger church was cast, and the search began for property.  In 1978, the Church found 7 acres of farmland on Blumel Road in Scotchtown and purchased it.  What is really incredible about this farmland is that it was supposed to be the original site of the famous Woodstock festival in 1969.   However, at the very last minute, the Town of Wallkill pulled the plug on the festival, and the rest is history.  God had a plan and a purpose for this property.  

Present Location, 160 Blumel Road

In 1982, a new church was built, and the Church moved from Cottage Street to our present location on Blumel Road.  The Church continued to grow and eventually added a second service, which during this time was unheard of.  In 1990, plans began for an addition.  In 1992, the Church built our present Auditorium, which is phase two of a three-phase project.  The Church continued to grow, and in January 1996, a Spanish Church called “Iglesia Emanuel” was birthed out of Trinity, and it continues to meet at TC to this day.

In 2002, Pastor Bricker retired, and Pastor Lou Giordano became the Pastor from 2002 to 2008.  Pastor Lou renovated the original auditorium and moved the Church back into that space, turning the existing auditorium into a gym.  Once the move was complete, Pastor Lou resigned in December 2008. 

It was during that time that Pastors Joe and Ruth Nieves felt led to leave the Church they were pastoring in Massachusetts and follow God’s call back to Middletown, New York.  It was a full circle moment.  Pastor Joe started attending Trinity as a youth in 1985.  After several years away, he came back home with his wife, Ruth, and they became the Senior Pastors of Trinity Assembly of God on May 3rd, 2009, the place where they were both baptized.  Immediately, they began working on plans to renovate and return to the main auditorium.  In October 2009, they moved back into the main auditorium, and the original upstairs auditorium became the kids’ auditorium.