Salem United Methodist Church seeks to serve the community’s spiritual and physical needs. We are a congregation dedicated to creating an atmosphere of inclusiveness in which all feel welcome. At Salem, we follow the example of Christ’s ministry and teaching by sharing our building, our time, our talents and our prayers. We embrace new ways of giving thanks, and work to teach the joy of God’s grace to all people. We believe the love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion of justice and renewal in the life of the world.
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Salem Church History
By Barbara C. Thomas, Church Historian
Written 2007
Salem United Methodist church was founded during the period of reconstruction following the War between the States. A "brush-arbor revival" was held in the late summer of 1872 near the old Resin Hill Schoolhouse. This building was located near the Stack family property on what is now Irmo Drive. It was during or shortly after this revival that several people in the area began considering founding a new Methodist church in the Ballentine area.
On March 30, 1873, seven men, twelve women, and several children became the charter members of Salem Methodist Episcopal Church South. It became a part of the Lexington Circuit with the Reverend J. Claudius Miller as pastor. The first meeting place was Resin Hill Schoolhouse.
By the end of the first year, the membership had increased to fifty-six and the tiny schoolhouse was much too small for the new church. Mr. Jesse Derrick, a charter member and great great grandfather of David Koon, donated an acre of land on the present site of the church, the first church building was constructed in 1875. The pastor at that time was the Reverend George Washington Gatlin. This original building was used until 1896 when a larger building replaced it. This second building stood approximately where the present sanctuary now stands. In approximately 1920 the building was moved to the present site.
As Salem Church entered the twentieth century, membership continued to grow. By 1950, the congregation numbered 300, many of the members being descendants of the original families. The Sanctuary was enlarged, a narthex was added to the front, and eight Sunday School classrooms, a small kitchen, two restrooms, and a fellowship hall were added to the rear of the building. The entire structure was brick-veneered, and the steeple was added.
In 1979, Salem became a "station appointment", meaning that the pastor only served this church. The charge had previously included Union Church (until 1963) and Shady Grove Church (until 1969). The Reverend George Baker was the final charge pastor, and the Reverend Ted Brazil was the first full-time pastor of Salem.
On September 16, 1973, Salem church celebrated her centennial year with a pageant entitled "A House Not Made With Hands," written and directed by Mrs. Barbara Thomas. This pageant depicted the first eight years in the history of the church, and members of the congregation played all parts. Most of the characters were actual members of Salem at its founding, and many of the actors were descendents of the characters they portrayed.
In 1970, a large building was completed behind the sanctuary. It housed a Fellowship Hall that could be divided into three classrooms, a kitchen, and a large room on the lower level, and restrooms, two on each level. This building was enlarged and renovated several times over the years. It now includes an office complex, classrooms on both levels, a fully equipped kitchen, a large fellowship hall, nurseries, and a choir room
Salem Church entered the twenty-first century with big plans and an optimistic outlook. The beautiful, new sanctuary completed in the spring of 2007, was the most extensive renovation of the church to date. The 1950 addition was removed and two wings were added to the original sanctuary. The sanctuary was extended and joined to the back building, increasing the seating capacity to 475.
Salem dedicated the sanctuary on September 15, 2007 on its one hundred thirty-fourth anniversary. We continue to pursue our call to ministry and mission as our community continues to grow rapidly. Our challenges and opportunities are limitless. The following excerpt from the final act of the centennial pageant is as meaningful today as it was in 1973:
"And thus we began - a tiny flame in the darkness, fanned by the winds of determination, dedication, hard work and a true faith. A flame that has continued to burn through these past one hundred years. At times, the flame has burned brightly - peace and prosperity reigned and the people were happy. At other times, the flame was burned low - in sorrow for sons lost in wars, in desperation as a depression devastated the nation.
But the flame has never been extinguished, and it still burns today in the hearts of all that enter these doors. For we remember those who went before us that sparked this flame, and we thank God for them! No. their work will not be forgotten, for today, indeed, we rise up and give them due praise!"
