SALEM MISSIONARY CHURCH
On September 30, 1886 Reverend William Schroeder left his family in Elmwood, Ontario to begin his spiritual ministry on Manitoulin Island by train, boat and finally, stage.
The first service was held in a local residence near Lake Mindemoya, and the second held at the Bock schoolhouse. (Near Stanley Park at Lake Mindemoya.)
On October 17, 1886 Reverend William Schroeder in which he baptized eight candidates conducted the first baptismal service.
In April of 1887 the Annual Conference appointed William Schroeder as a home missionary to give attention to Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island.
In 1888 the Annual Conference listed Manitoulin Island as one of the Missionary Church circuits and William Schroeder was appointed the first pastor of the church.
In July 3-9, 1889 the first Camp Meeting was held on Manitoulin Island.
In 1890 the Salem Missionary Church was built on a parcel of deeded land from Mr. George Hartley.
The Church was completed just after New Year’s Day in 1891.
When Reverend Schroeder was permitted to do missionary work, Mr. Edwin Battye was then appointed as the second minister in 1891.
It was during Reverend Battye’s ministry that the second Missionary Church was constructed at Long Bay in 1892.
This second Missionary Church was closed in 1948 because of the loss of several of the people because of death or relocation.
In 1940 it was the outreach ministry of the Salem Missionary Church that had services in people’s homes in the Mindemoya area and then in 1949 a church was constructed under the watchful eye of Reverend Clarence Hunking.
The Salem Missionary Church was originally known as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, but in 1947 because of confusion with other Mennonite groups in Canada and the United States; the name was then changed.
In 1969 in union with another church in the United States the name was then changed to the Salem Missionary Church.
In 1955 it was decided that repairs needed to be completed on the parsonage where the minister was living. The board decided to relocate the minister and a building fund was then started. In January 1956 a lot was offered by Mr. Harvey McColeman and in May 1967 the building was started and then in late March 1968 Reverend Bender and family moved into the completed parsonage.
On September 11, 1975 the old parsonage was bulldozed and set on fire.
It was in 1910 during Reverend A.T. Gooding's ministering that the parsonage was erected.
In October 1974 the renovation of the Salem Missionary Church began and completed in October 1975.
SALEM MISSIONARY CHURCH MINISTERS
1886-1988
| DATE | NAME |
| 1886 | William Schroeder - Missionary |
| 1888 | William Schroeder - Minister |
| 1891 | Edwin Battye |
| 1895 | Silas Cressman |
| 1897 | Ed Chatman |
| 1899 | Joshua Schell |
| 1900 | C. R. Miller |
| 1902 | J. F. Gugin |
| 1905 | R. J. McLaren |
| 1908 | Slyvester Fretz |
| 1909 | Harvey Frey |
| 1911 | A. T. Gooding |
| 1915 | William Waldron |
| 1916 | W. H. Yates |
| 1920 | Isaac Brubacher |
| 1924 | L. R. Pipher |
| 1927 | Russel Pike |
| 1930 | P.G. Lehman |
| 1934 | E. Lucas |
| 1937 | Gordon Johnson |
| 1942 | Cyril Berry |
| 1945 | W. D. Sargent |
| 1948 | Clarence Hunking |
| 1952 | D. T. Pugh |
| 1957 | Willard Geiger |
| 1961 | Curtis Bender |
| 1969 | William Purdy |
| 1970 | Cecil Rosenburger |
| 1975 | J. E. Montgomery |
| 1979 | David Thiessen |
| 1982 | Phil Delsault |
| 1988 | Ray Kloetstra |
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* Anyone with information after 1988 please go to "Home" and click on Contact Us*
