40th ANNIVERSARY DINNER

Celebrating Our Past, Ensuring our Future

In celebration of our 40th anniversary, Trinity Counseling Service will honor three men on whom its foundation was built – Dr. G. Reginald Bishop, Jr., Dr. James J. Chandler, and the Rev. Dr. H. Dana Fearon, III – at its Inaugural Founders’ Dinner on Saturday, May 3 at The Bedens Brook Club.

Founded in May of 1968 by The Rev. E. Rugby Auer and an action of the Vestry of Trinity Church, the intent of the initial counseling service was to provide a rich blend of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and clergy to help people struggling with personal, marital and family problems. Trinity Church welcomed this outreach, contributing space in the parish offices and funds to pay Rev. Auer's salary. With Trinity Church providing legitimacy and visibility to the fledgling counseling service, Rev. Auer gathered together several clergy and counselors who were interested in joining an effort of this sort and who would contribute their time and skill for nominal remuneration. In 1968, with a budget of $7,000, TCS treated 25 persons and 16 couples.

Initially guided by leaders of the Trinity Church Vestry, Rev. Auer soon formed an Advisory Board which would spearhead his ecumenical effort. Representing Princeton Hospital was Dr. James J. Chandler and Dr. Erwin O. Hirsch; from Princeton University, L. Leslie Vivian; from Princeton Theological Seminary, The Rev. Nicholas B. Van Dyck; from the Jewish Center of Princeton, Rabbi Reeve Brenner; and local Presbyterian clergy, The Rev. Dr. H. Dana Fearon, III and The Rev. Joseph O. Rand, Jr.

The Chairman of the first Advisory Board was Dr. James J. Chandler and a few months later, Dr. G. Reginald Bishop joined the Board to help with the finances. The Rev. Dr. Dana Fearon, then Pastor of the Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, was with Rugby Auer from the beginning, helping him to keep the focus ecumenical. Since that time, the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville has annually provided support to Trinity Counseling Service. All three men have worked tirelessly to sustain TCS and all have been named Honorary Trustees for their dedicated years of service.

With the formation of an Advisory Board, TCS began a journey toward more independence, gradually developing increased autonomy and differentiating itself from its parent body. Although still under the aegis of Trinity Church, the Service drew up by-laws, hired a clinical director and undertook other measures which introduced a more corporate structure to its efforts. This second stage of development witnessed a large growth in sessions, necessitating a move from the parish offices to the present location at 22 Stockton Street. As Rev. Auer noted, the move "was not only a physical necessity but a visible acknowledgement of what TCS had become." The Service incorporated in 1977, thus beginning its third stage of development as an independent, non-profit agency.

During the next twelve years, Rev. Auer recruited an interdisciplinary and ecumenical staff, including social workers, psychologists, clergy and psychiatrists, who annually dealt with 250 to 300 cases. At the conclusion of his twenty-one years of leadership, Rev. Auer had seen his annual budget grow from $7,000 to nearly $500,000. He had strengthened the lives of many thousands of people, transforming his small pastoral outreach program into a well-regarded community mental health agency.

With Reg Bishop as Chair of the Search Committee, The Rev. Peter K. Stimpson was soon hired to assume the responsibilities of the retiring Rugby Auer. Under his twenty year direction, TCS has grown to an agency with a budget of $1,400,000 with 22 clinicians treating over 400 people each week. Three of these clinicians have been with TCS for over 30 years: The Rev. Dr. J. Randall Nichols, The Rev. Dr. David Waanders, and Sally Oppenheimer, LCSW.

Forty years after its inception, Trinity Counseling Service remains faithful to its purpose of treating all people with compassionate care; it is this principle which lies at the heart of our mission.

The 40th Year Anniversary Celebration Committee is chaired by Stowe Tattersall and includes Sarah Cammerzell, Lynne Davis, Martha Giancola, and Anne Elise Matthews.

For more information or tickets please contact Rusti Murphy Kitts, Director of Development, at (609) 924-0060 or