Trinity Church UCC Northport MI

09/06/2026

This was May 1, 2022 at Trinity.
Does anyone have video?

09/06/2026

09/02/2026

Aspiring teachers can have very different images in mind when they picture their future classrooms. Some hope for neat rows of desks filled with quiet students who memorize the information given to them. Others imagine a busy classroom filled with curious students who ask questions and investigate the world. Ann McInnis was definitely in that second group.
Ann grew up in rural Le Roy, New York, where she spent her free time outdoors, riding bicycles and exploring nature with her friends. Her family had no TV until she was sixteen, so the outdoors was her playground and campus. After high school, she made her way to the University of Michigan where she earned degrees in history, music, and science, followed in later years by two Master’s Degrees from Oakland University. The U of M was also where she
met Doug, her husband of sixty-five years. He was in the Air Force ROTC at the U of M, and when he was commissioned to build rockets at Vandenberg Air Force Base, they married and moved to California.
Ann began teaching in California, but when Doug accepted a government job, they moved to Virginia and then to Clarkston, Michigan. While there, Ann began teaching science to kindergarten through 4th grade students at Cranbrook Schools Brookside, a place that nurtured the spirit of curiosity and collaboration that aligned with Ann’s own approach to learning. For example, after attending an educators’ workshop in Peru, Ann worked with her students to create a classroom rainforest. After she shared her safari experience in Africa with her students, they created “animal habitats” as part of an indoor savanna they constructed for an
all-school assembly. To teach the circulatory system, Ann used the classroom to simulate the human body. Students received red and blue cards to indicate blood cells and were challenged
to find their path through the oversized blood vessels and body organs (classroom furniture). When students asked questions about the dozens of ambassador animals that lived in the classroom, Ann would nudge them into investigation mode, followed by even more questions that she posed to them.
Ann has an insatiable appetite for learning that she also shared with her four children. Each of her children has chosen a challenging career - a professor of history, an environmental
engineer, an architect, and a wellness manager. The whole family has a standing Zoom gathering each Sunday afternoon to stay connected with each other. And around Leelanau
County, Ann connects with people by leading themed hikes and engaging people to be curious about the natural world. She has served as a docent for the Leelanau Conservancy for twenty-five years and belongs to numerous community groups. She enjoys using her musical talent by volunteering once a week to accompany the Highlands residents on piano during sing-a-longs. She sings in the choir and plays handbells at Trinity and plays the piano at both Trinity and Bethany Lutheran churches.
Ann and Doug loved their family canoeing trips to Northern Michigan and Canada, so after visiting Doug’s sister in Leland, they bought a house on Gills Pier and made Northport their home. Ann heard about Trinity’s pastor, Bill Belko, and found that he was able to build bridges between the church and her questioning nature. Since her father believed that questions about faith were not welcome, she appreciated this openness to her questions. Ann’s beliefs are more in alignment with many of those of Indigenous Peoples and science. She believes that our presence on this earth requires respect, acceptance, and gratitude. She hopes that all of us
realize that we are not the top dogs; rather we are part of a whole community of life where diversity is necessary.
Isadore Rabi, winner of a Nobel Prize in physics, was once asked why he became a scientist. He replied, “My mother made me a scientist without ever knowing it. Every other child would come back from school and be asked, ‘What did you learn today?’ But my mother used to ask: ‘Izzy, did you ask a good question today?’ That made the difference. Asking good questions made me a scientist.” Ann McInnis did not win a Nobel Prize, but if you talk with her for just a short time, you will realize that she is a scientist … and she will likely ask you a good question.

07/30/2026

Attempting to write a brief profile about Phil Thomas is much like trying to stuff a whole year’s wardrobe into your carry on bag. His long, full life of parenting, teaching, and traveling could provide enough material for a lengthy biography, but maybe a Facebook post can be a first step.
The Thomas name is familiar in Northport, but Phil actually grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois, the youngest of seven children, and summers brought the family to Northport where they stayed with his grandparents. In Hinsdale, his family attended the Union Church which was a great fit since his father had grown up in the Congregational Church and his mother was a Presbyterian. Phil literally ran his way through high school, competing in cross country, basketball, and track, and then continued his athletic achievements at Oberlin College. He was the Ohio Conference champion in the mile for two years in a row.
Phil is proud of his alma mater. Oberlin is the first American college to admit women and the first to admit students without regard for race. It’s also where he met his wife Carol. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in economics and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. Phil and Carol were off to India where he studied at the Delhi School of Economics, and their life of traveling the world began! Phil went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and transitioned into a distinguished career as a professor of economics, first at Grinnell College in Iowa and then at Kalamazoo College.
As the world community learned of his expertise and genial style, he was called to consult with the governments of multiple countries - Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, and more. Phil and Carol’s four children explored the world with them, attending international schools along the way. In Swaziland, two of the children attended school with Nelson Mandela’s children as he remained imprisoned. The Thomas children went on to distinguish themselves in many fields - medicine, speech therapy, research diversity, and even jiu jitsu.
After retirement, Phil returned to live in Northport, and after Carol’s death, he married Henrietta Barnes. He recalls a visit from someone in leadership at Trinity Church who asked if he’d like to become an official member of the church. When Phil replied that he was an agnostic and might not be welcome, the visitor shook his head. “Most of us are doubters, so you will fit right in.” Phil also remembers cherished conversations with his brother and friend Will who lived across the street. As they looked out at the bay and contemplated the end of life, Will speculated about an afterlife. He said, “I think that you are in heaven when, after you die, people remember you … fondly.”
When asked about how faith connects with his life, Phil suggested that faith relates to two important questions: Who am I? Why am I here? He believes that God is defined by all that is true, honest, trustworthy, loving and caring, concepts that help us become better humans. Phil believes that God surrounds us and gives us a sense of direction. We are grateful that one of the many directions Phil has traveled in life brought him to Northport and our Trinity family.

07/30/2026

Join us for our 2026 CROP Walk on October 4th at 1:00pm at the Northport Marina!

Our efforts are more important than ever as world hunger has been exacerbated by factors such as inflation, climate change, elimination of funding, and conflict. We walk in the CROP Hunger Walk because we believe no one should experience hunger. We believe that we can and should feed all who are hungry. Together we can do this – one step at a time, one dollar at a time, one meal at a time.

Walk. Give. Change the World by ending Hunger.