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In 2017, Salem celebrated our 200th anniversary as a body of Christ. For 200 years God has been faithful to us as a church. Here are some highlights of that time:

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• The cornerstone was set in place in June of 1815

• The church was dedicated 2 years later in June of 1817

• The church building began as a Union Church, housing both a Lutheran and Reformed congregation. They shared the same building but operated as separate entities.

• This congregation was originally part of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS)

• The RCUS was a denomination rooted in Calvinism and held firmly to the principles of the Reformation: Sola scriptura (Scripture alone), Solo Christo (Christ alone), Sola gratia (Grace alone), Sola fide (Faith alone), and Soli Deo gloria (Glory to God alone). For more information about the theological foundation of the Reformed Church in the U.S. click HERE

• At the time of the dedication, approximately 40 families were in the community

• Timbers for the building were floated down the Susquehanna River to Columbia, PA and were brought to Reamstown by covered wagon

• Church members volunteered their labor to build the church

• The original sanctuary looked like this:

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• Services were originally in both English and German

• In 1909 a second floor was installed to provide Sunday School space below

• In 1934 the RCUS merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America to form the Evangelical and Reformed Church

• In 1957 the Evangelical and Reformed Church joined with the Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ (UCC)

• In the mid-1960's the Lutheran congregation left and constructed their own building

• In 1966 the educational wing and Fellowship Hall were constructed

• In 2005 the congregation voted by an overwhelming majority to withdraw from the United Church of Christ and joined the Evangelical Association.