HISTORY
Born in the USA! Long, long, long before anyone ever heard of Bruce Springsteen, and his pop song, “Born in the USA”, a new Christian movement was born in this country. Actually, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ was the very first denomination to be made in the USA. All the others up to that time had been imported from Europe.
The church actually had its unofficial beginning when two very different men came together at a worship service being held in a barn in 1767 in Lancaster County. The two men, Martin Boehm, a Mennonite, and Philip William Otterbein, a German Reformed, proclaimed “We are Brethren” . . . and the name stuck!
Here is a brief history of the events that followed:
1767: Martin Boehm, a Mennonite preacher, and William Otterbein, a German Reformed Pastor meet at a “Great Meeting” in Isaac Long’s barn in Lancaster, PA. Otterbein proclaims, “We are brethren!”
1815: Confession of Faith of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ is adopted
1841: Constitution of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ is adopted
1851: Salem United Brethren in Christ Church is born (current Salem Chapel building)
1889: Denomination Split: Liberals-“Let’s change the constitution to allow Masons to be members!”; Radicals-“The constitution can’t be changed!”
1889: Salem U.B. Church Split: New Constitution Church retains original building
1892: Salem U.B. Church (Old Constitution) builds a small clapboard church next door (narrow portion of current worship center
1946: the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New Constitution) merges with The Evangelical Church and forms the Evangelical United Brethren Church
1957: Both churches remodel/add on
1968: the Evangelical United Brethren Church merges with The Methodist Church to form The United Methodist Church, so Salem E.U.B. becomes Salem U.M.
1976: Salem Community Center building (“C.E. Building”) built
2009: Salem United Methodist closes its doors, most of the remaining members become members of Salem United Brethren
2010: Salem United Brethren purchases the former Salem United Methodist Church building – A family, and a property once divided, have become reunited!
2011: Salem Haitian Ministry is established under the leadership of Gener Lascase, meets in Salem chapel (upstairs of former Salem U.M. Building)
2013: Salem Haitian Ministry forms “Salem Haitian Congregation” and moves to a downtown location; Salem’s Youth Ministry acquires Salem chapel for its use.
Yet, a church is not a building. It is a family, a band of brothers and sisters who come together to know the Lord Jesus Christ, to seek and do His will, to care for one another, and to reach out to those who need hope and healing.
This church has been faithful, and has been blessed with health and growth. Come and see what the Lord is doing at Salem!