On a busy street in the financial district of New York City stands a classic example of neo-Gothic church architecture, an inviting gray stone building that seems dwarfed by the skyscrapers surrounding it. Yet it would be a mistake to think that this was merely a quaint anachronism. The church in question is Trinity Church, Wall Street, one of the largest commercial landlords in New York City, the oldest and largest grant-making institution in America, and a 300-year-old presence in the life of the city. During the week of May 4-8, Trinity Church completed the observance of its 300th year with a variety of activities and events meant to call attention to Trinity's ongoing history of ministry not only in the City of New York, but throughout the world.

On May 6, 1697, Trinity received its charter and a land grant from King William III of England, with an annual payment of "one peppercorne" to the crown as its rent. (When Queen Elizabeth II visited Trinity in 1976, she was given 279 peppercorns as "back rent.") A gift from Queen Anne in 1705 increased Trinity's land holdings to 215 acres. Much of this land was channeled into the development and support of other chapels, schools, hospitals, and other endeavors, among them King's College, which is now Columbia University, and the Charity School, now Trinity School, the oldest continuously operating educational institution in New York. George Washington attended a Thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Chapel, a chapel of Trinity Parish, the day of his inauguration, and continued to worship there while the American capital remained in New York.

In the 19th century, Trinity was active in the Mission (or Settlement) House movement, establishing a girls' vocational school, a home for aging women, cooking and nutrition classes for immigrant women, a workingman's club, and a relief bureau to counsel the sick and the jobless. In the 20th century, Trinity was in the forefront on the movement for international, ecumenical Christian dialogue, that led to the formation of the World Council of Churches, and pioneered church broadcasting in 1922 with a Christmas Eve radio program that reached as far as Cuba.

Perhaps the two most momentous developments in the 20th century, in regard to the 300th anniversary of Trinity's founding, were the establishment in 1967 of Trinity Institute as an ongoing continuing education project for clergy and laity, and the formalization of Trinity's philanthropy in 1971 in the approval of the grants board as a standing committee of the vestry of Trinity Church.

The observance was centered around a two-day session of Trinity Institute, this year entitled "Ordered Freedom: An Anglican Paradox." It began with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the evening of May 5. The celebrant was the Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein, Bishop of New York, and the preacher was The Most Rev. George L. Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury. Honored guests for the opening Eucharist and the entire Trinity Institute were the archbishops of the 12 Anglican provinces of Africa: the Most Rev. Samuel Sindmuka, Burundi; the Most Rev. W. P. Khotso Makhulu, Central Africa; the Most Rev. Remi J. Rabenirina, Indian Ocean; the Most Rev. David Gitari, Kenya; the Most Rev. Joseph A. Adetiloye, Nigeria; the Rt. Rev. Onesphore Rwaje, dean, Rwanda; the Most Rev. N. Winston Ndugane, Southern Africa; the Most Rev. Benjamin W. Yugusuk, Sudan; the Most Rev. John Ramadhani, Tanzania; the Most Rev. Livingstone Nkoyoyo, Uganda; the Most Rev. Robert Okine, West Africa; and the Most Rev. Patrice B. Njojo, Zaire.

Participants returned to Trinity Church the following morning for a series of presentations on the topic "Ordered Freedom." The Rev. Frederic E. Burnham, director of Trinity Institute, explained the historical sources of the ordered freedom paradox. He noted 1997 marks not only the 300th anniversary of the founding of Trinity Church, it is also the 1,600th anniversary of the death of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, and Martin, Bishop of Tours; and the 1,400th anniversary of the death of Columba, Abbot of lona, and the arrival in England of Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury. The program was broadcast through 115 downlinked sites throughout the U.S.

Five video presentations followed. The presenters were: the Very Rev. Alan Jones, the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, Dr. Walter Brueggeman, the Rev. John Polkinghorne, and Madeleine L'Engle, each of them addressing the topic of ordered freedom.

For Dean Jones, dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, the poetry of John Donne and George Herbert spoke to a situation in which Christians could be willing to question their faith because they felt they could affirm a tradition. They also exhibited a sensitivity for the unities of the faith, the unities of mind and heart, individual and community, life and prayer.

Bishop Williams, Bishop of Monmouth, Wales, turned to theologian Richard Hooker, and contrasted the Christian vision of freedom, which is freedom to become what we are meant to become, with a consumerist view of freedom, which is freedom without cost. He said Christian freedom is not without cost, and the law is given to help us to learn to live in Christ.

Mr. Brueggeman, a noted theologian, looked to the Old Testament and reminded the audience that Christian freedom is not autonomous Enlightenment "freedom," but practice of covenant fidelity. He said everyone's freedom is in context with others whose freedom impinges on oneself, so freedom requires arranging relationships, not only those of sharing and caring, but also those of power and wealth.

Physicist-priest Polkinghorne spoke of the universe's "clocks" - steady states - and "clouds" - unsteady states, as chaos theory describes - and noted that we live at the intersection of them, an area of fruitfulness. He said ordered freedom exists both in the physical world and in our spiritual lives, and like the interplay of "clocks" and "clouds," we live in the interplay of freedom and responsibility - a region of grace.

Ms. L'Engle posed similar questions. The author asked if all the things we have learned about the nature of the universe are true, what does that tell us about the nature of God? What does quantum theory tell us about the nature of God? What does the observer effect - the fact that an observed phenomenon changes on being observed - tell us about the nature of God? She believes it is possible to use the insights of science to describe a God more orderly and more freeing than our inherited model of God.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's lecture later in the morning was historical in its grounding. Beginning in 527 A.D., the year in England of Augustine's arrival and Columba's death, a time of violence and social disorder, he traced the development of the English Church, with an emphasis on the continual search for balance between freedom and order. He then asked how the 36 provinces in communion with Canterbury can continue to work together, given their diversity. His answers included a theology of comprehensiveness, confidence in our tradition, and courage in resisting injustice.

He paid a brief tribute to the Most Rev Edmond L. Browning, Presiding Bishop, praising his prophetic voice and his struggle to hold together a deeply divided church.

After lunch, the Most Rev. David Gitari, Archbishop of Kenya, responded to the morning's discussions in "Ordered Freedom: An African Perspective." He touched on many topics: the various examples of Anglicanism found in the African context, the problematic experience that this African people have had with freedom since the end of colonialism, the need for a second liberation.

Trinity Institute continued the following day with presentations on "Ordered Freedom: Personal Stories." Presenters included the Rev. Daniel Paul Matthews, rector of Trinity Church, the Rev. Herbert O'Driscoll, Canadian theologian, and Ms. L' Engle.

After Trinity Institute concluded, there were still more events. In the afternoon of May 7, a symposium was held entitled "Church Based Community Development and the Transformation of New York."

On Ascension Day, May 8, a celebration of the Eucharist took place at noon, and that evening featured a final celebratory dinner, held at the Ellis Island historical site. More than 1,000 people braved the choppy water of New York Harbor to meet for a gala party and meal on Ellis Island During the dinner, it was announced that Trinity Church had raised $300,000 to be donated to the Anglican Global Fund, a discretionary fund for the Archbishop of Canterbury to use to assist in relief and development around the world. Additionally, former recipients of Trinity grants had organized and raised $106,000, to bring a total donation of $406,000,000.

(The Rev.) Bonnie Shullenberger