Our Story

Salem Community Church, in Haw River, was the first Methodist church in Alamance County.  Sometime between 1770 and 1790, a group of people began meeting on the present site in the beautiful rolling countryside. Salem was initially served by circuit riders in the Methodist Episcopal Church until 1827, when it split from the Methodist Episcopal Church to become part of the Methodist Protestant Church. After the Civil War, three different branches of the Methodist Church would came back together to re-form the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The first fully framed church was built sometime after 1809, with a second structure built around 1855. Interestingly, the current church contains timber from the first two churches! It was renovated in 1950, and during the renovation, brick and stained glass windows were added. Shortly thereafter, a fellowship hall was added and the rest, as they say, is history.

In 1968, the Methodist Episcopal Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to become the United Methodist Church, bringing an end to a long schism initially brought about by the Civil War. Salem moved with them and remained United Methodist from 1968 onward.

However, things would change in 2023. After a season of prayer and discernment, Salem Community Church chose to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and join the Global Methodist Church. We are excited to see what God has in store for us as we move forward! If you have any questions about the history of the church or why we chose to move in this direction, feel free to reach out!

God is Good! All The Time!