SOUTH SALEM, NY: ‒ “You have a worthy ancestry,” Presbyterian minister Dr. Lindsey wrote to the congregation. “I knew these men and women. I knew them in their daily life, I knew them in their joys and sorrows.”
These words, penned in 1889, reflect not only the past but also the present for those who call the South Salem Presbyterian Church their spiritual home. Dr. Lindsey continued in his reminisces: recalling the sound of birds, the shade of tall trees, and the very landscape of deep valleys, lakes, and rocky hills. Every place dear to the human heart bears the mark of its surroundings. Lindsey remarked on the independent spirit of those who settled the land and didn’t allow abundance to make them complacent.
Mark and Dee Salmon, along with long-time member and elder Billye Zoa, recently shared their stories of faith, hope, and continuance with Presence News. This 274-year-old story ripened over the years, marked with chapters of both prosperity and adversity.
Higher Ground
South Salem, New York, lies to the north of New York City and West of the Connecticut border. Apart from visiting the area – rich in natural beauty and quaint towns – one can understand the essence of the land itself in The History of the South Salem Presbyterian Church. This book chronicles the church’s beginnings until 1977. Presence News obtained this rare resource in April and took on the challenge of converting it into a digital format.
You can watch Presence News Chief Editor and CEO, Kasdyn Click, grapple with the task here:
After converting the book into a digital format, Presence News spoke with the Rev. Mark Salmon and his wife, Dee, seeking a deeper and more personal insight into the life of the church. Salmon said, “SSPC (South Salem Presbyterian Church) is far more than a building; it’s a wonderful Christian community of reformed faith and a family.”
In our busy world, Dee reflected upon the indispensable need to for “reaching outward to show compassion and care for others.”
Mark Salmon became the minister in 2019, according to the church’s Facebook page. Mark’s ministry “bio” features more than the usual: he is a “Certified Master Hypnotherapist, a Member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, and practices puppetry and clowning.” Both Mark and Dee are self-acclaimed fans of the New York Yankees.
Check out a glimpse of the Salmon’s ministry here:
First Fruits
The church’s ministry first began under Solomon Mead, in 1752, when part of the country town still belonged to the Connecticut colony, not New York. A recent Yale graduate, Mead answered the call to preach and the church’s original governance was Congregational. This leads one to an interesting question: what does it mean to be Presbyterian or Congregational?
According to historical records, the names refer to different styles of church organization. Both traditions spring from the Protestant Reformation which swept across Europe in the 16th century. Both churches affirm many of the same Christian teachings. Historically, many Congregational churches emphasized local church autonomy and commonly recognized pastors and deacons as primary church offices.
Both groups built simpler meeting houses of worship, compared with the more ornate buildings of the Anglican, or Church of England. Both traditions came to North America from Great Britain, infusing the new colonies with a particularly Anglo flavor.
“There did not seem to be a road,” Billye Zoa told Presence News in an email. She went on to describe conditions of the early settlement. “The region of South Salem Church was between the settled areas along the Atlantic and Long Island Sound, and the Dutch settlements along the Hudson River.”
According to church records, all seemed to go well for the congregation and its young minister until an entry made in 1755. “Deacon Bouton” resigned his position due to a fellow member’s anger at his daughter’s marriage to Bouton’s daughter. Later, in 1763, the congregation moved to adopt a Presbyterian form of government, i.e. elders and joining a synod. The course of the growing church – in the midst of growing questions regarding British authority – was set.
Path of Trial
Storm clouds gathered above the fledging Presbyterian church as the Patriot cause swept across the thirteen colonies in the early 1770s. The rebellion turned into a full force war for independence, dividing not only governmental ties but also families. According to church records, details from this turbulent period are scarce.
Yet, two details stand out from the more usual church happenings. One of the entries reads, “July 11th, Lord’s day, 1779, Stephen Ambler, at Bedford, murdered.” Relatives of Ambler later revealed that Stephen died at the hands of Loyalists in an ambush. Partisan warfare flared across most of the colonies, particularly in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Another somber note tells of Abijah Northrup who was held prisoner by the British army. Northrup most likely endured the harsh conditions of a warship anchored somewhere in the Long Island Sound.
Despite national turmoil, the congregation of South Salem continued to grow and the town prospered. The challenges of everyday life and personal struggle ensue outside of public view or church documents.
New Life
In more recent history, a fire tore through the historic, white-clapped building in 1973. It was a cold January Monday when the fire broke out.
According to church records, six fire departments responded to the call, fighting the flames for hours. The manse (parsonage) remained untouched and some cherished items were snatched from the fire: pulpit Bible, an offering plate, and the Christian and American flags. An emergency meeting was held later in the night with a unanimous vote to rebuild.
Zoa, 86, remembers her response to the shocking news of the church fire. “It was a tragedy,” Zoa said. Beside fellow members, she and her family worshiped in an old school building nearby. Zoa also shared memories of her ordination as an elder on the school’s basketball court. She was 34 years old at the time.
For Zoa and others, the old church was “not just for Sundays.” The building represented an integral part of South Salem. Since the 1700s, members formed charitable committees assisting those in need both near and far. Activities included rolling bandages for wounded soldiers during the Civil War and sending supplies to those at the frontlines in World War One. The cemetery, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, shelters the remains of many veterans, reaching back to the Revolutionary War.
At the Easter sunrise service of 1973, other denominations, i.e. Baptist, Methodist, and Episcopalian, met with the congregation and all funds gathered went to the new building fund. From the ashes arose a new building equipped to house worshippers in the changing America.
Crossroads
“It was a different America,” Zoa reflected on May 20th. From her new home near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Zoa imparted many personal and historical reflections on South Salem.
“I am proud to be a Presbyterian,” Zoa said. Although raised in another denomination, Zoa was drawn by the “intellectual side of things” found within the church. In fact, while attending graduate school in Arizona, Zoa walked a mile just to attend a local Presbyterian assembly. She raised her family at South Salem and her daughter is a minister in Pennsylvania.
“Amazing women came out of South Salem,” Zoa said.
Currently, the membership at South Salem is lower than in past years. This phenomenon is no stranger across the denominational spectrum, according to recent polling. However, Zoa remains positive for the future while pointing out what needs to change.
“We need to feed our people,” Zoa stated. She remains active in her new church home and enjoys time with family.
Under Salmon’s leadership, services are held every Sunday at 10 am. The church also hosts cultural events and community activities such as the annual 10 and 5k run in May. Details below:
Recent Sponsors of Annual Run
In Loving Memory of George VanMarter
Platinum Sponsors:
Optum Medical Care
Praetorio Protection Group
Sprout Creek Bakery
by Jimmy the BakerGold Sponsors:
A1 Portable Toilet
AIA
Cross River Wine Merchant 22 Years
Dr. Stu
Echo Farm
Empire Bagels
Gossett Nursery
Greenwich Produce
Horse and Hou
In Loving Memory of William and Verna Sirignano
J Green Woodworks
Lily’s Deli and Market
Mark Boyland Real Estate
Marshall Oil
The Newman Family & John Jay Lacrosse
Nikki Glekas Collective
North East Preferred
Paul’s Pharmacy
Paul’s Outdoor
R.T. Cochran & Co
RavenBear
Runthefarm.org
Seaway Landscaping LLC
South Salem Nursery School
Vista Beer & Beverage
Waltz Electrical
West Lane Pizza & Deli
Zayn, Alya and Dobby Salmon – Letelier Fishies
The story of the South Salem Presbyterian Church continues to unfold as both the people, and building
they love, stand as a beacon on the hill.
Sources:
YouTube — Presence News — “What It Really Takes to Publish a Story (No One Tells You This)”
Gallup — “Church Attendance Has Declined Across Religious Groups”
South Salem Presbyterian Church — “Facebook Reel”
Congregational Library & Archives — “The Congregational Christian Tradition”
Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church — “Presbyterian Beliefs”
South Salem Presbyterian Church — “South Salem Presbyterian Church”
Editor’s Disclaimer: This article draws upon historical church records, published histories of South Salem Presbyterian Church, and interviews conducted by Presence News. Historical quotations have been reproduced as they appear in source materials except for minor edits made for clarity. Contemporary interview quotations have been edited only for clarity and length where necessary without altering their meaning.
