Thank you for visiting the Trinity Grace Fellowship web site. We welcome you to view the ever-growing and ever-improving collection of study materials provided here. This web site is an extension of the teaching ministry of the TGF eldership and the content is a reflection of the ongoing sanctification of these men and their assembly -- a work in progress.
“... Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Eph 4:13
The officers of Trinity Grace Fellowship
Bill Cornelius
Jack Klingman
Steve Rodabaugh
Robert WalshTogether they serve a home church of saints based in the Pittsburgh (Pa.)-Youngstown (Oh.) area.
Photos by Laura Hilston, 02 April 2005.
A brief history of the Trinity Grace Fellowship
In the late 70s and early 80s (circa 1980, 1981) the Creation Science Fellowship (CSF), Inc. of Pittsburgh formed and began to hold monthly meetings in the area. At these monthly gatherings, several people began to discuss other theological issues during the breaks. Certain people, due to their similar attitudes toward Scripture, gravitated toward one another and began to meet after the monthly CSF sessions. Most of these people came from Plymouth Brethren backgrounds and were are already familiar with certain New Testament principles regarding the local assembly and church polity.
As a result of these discussions, Steve Rodabaugh (Professor of Mathematics at Youngstown State University) and Henry Jackson (then a fighter pilot stationed in Youngstown, but living in Pittsburgh) decided to meet whenever they could. A few months later, they were joined by Robert Walsh (Software Engineer). These three families began to meet regularly, and soon others who were familiar with the biblical principles of assembly and looking into other areas of biblical thought (the distinctiveness of Paul's Gospel and Calvinism) began to join the group as well. By the summer of 1984, this group began to discuss the notion of forming a Pauline Assembly, aimed toward furthering a biblical understanding of various fundamental doctrines (Mid-Acts Dispensationalism, Calvinism, and the need for these two great doctrinal truths to be viewed as a composite unity).
In 1983, the group held a Bible conference on the "Seven Ones of Ephesians 4." The result of this conference was an extremely detailed outline, called A Dispensational Survey of Scripture Centered Around the Seven Unities of the Body of Christ (Dr. Stephen Rodabaugh, 1983; referred to frequently in TGF studies as "DS7").
The following year, another conference was held, the theme of which was the five points of Calvinism presented from a "Pauline" perspective.
In August 1985, these families decided to formally organize and identify themselves as a fully functioning biblical Pauline assembly. The result is Trinity Grace Fellowship. For nearly two decades, TGF has had the pleasure and distinct privilege of generating detailed study outlines on a variety of subjects and has systematized many areas of Biblical doctrine, with the Normative Hermneneutic as its driving force. Since that time, TGF has done detailed exegesis through several books of the Bible: Daniel, Acts, Romans (currently), Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Titus, 1,2,3 John, Jude, and Revelation.
It should be noted that Trinity Grace Fellowship is a label that identifies, not a church building, but a group of believers organized and united for a common purpose. In fact, TGF is a home-based assembly -- meeting in each others residences -- teaching, studying, edifying, fellowshipping and eating together as worshipping members of the One Body.
Since 1987, TGF has sponsored annual Bible Conferences every November, covering a wide range of topics such as "The Five Great Prophetic Clocks of Scripture," "The Ministry of the 144,000," "Biblical Apologetics," "Biblical Creationism," "The Lord's Supper in Light of Sola Scriptura," "The Earthly Ministry of Jesus Christ," etc. This conference is currently held in Franklin, PA, at the facilities of Life Ministries (the "Castle"). Other TGF efforts include a growing tape ministry, online studies and resources, and the development of a year-long program of 14 modules detailing Paul's Gospel (1997, 2005).
Revised 23 July 2007