Salem Baptist Church
Lincoln County, GA 

Salem Baptist Church 1907	Salem Baptist Church 1977

Excerpts from the History of Salem Baptist Church, Lincoln County, Georgia compiled by Hester F. LeRoy, 1977 on the occasion of its Sesquicentennial Year.

Salem Baptist church was constituted  Friday, July 6, 1827. The Reverend Billington M. Sanders, one of the great among early Georgia Baptist preachers, brought the Introductory sermon. Salem had 34 charter members who came with letters from Wilkes, Lincoln and Columbia Counties.

History says that prior to the founding of Salem Baptist church there had been in the same location a meeting place for worship called Rock Hill-- a very appropriate name. We do not know whether it was a building or a brush arbor-- a very common place for worship in pioneer days. There are no records of when the original church building was erected. Several of the older people of the community remember the old church building with its balcony where, we are told, the Negro slaves sat during the worship services. Many of them were faithful members. All of them were, at their request, given letters of dismissal November 11, 1871, to found a church of their own, which they established on the second hill to the north of Salem--less than a half mile away giving it the name of Mount Zion. This may have been the first Negro church established in Lincoln County. That church has been a place toworship for them since that date.

Salem's original building was completely destroy by fire on October 29, 1906. The only things preserved were the church records which were kept in the home of Dennis B. Bently who was the church clerk, and the church communition silverware that was kept in the home of Asa J. Bently, a church deacon.

Immediately after the fire, at a called meeting of the church in conference, the church voted unanimously to rebuild at once. During the winter months lumber was sawed and the buildind was erected. Worship was held in the new building in February 1907. All work done on the building was by volunteer labor. Money was given by persons and businesses who had no connection to the church. As a result of generous giving by the entire community, the church was dedicated debt-free on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1907. The dedication sermon was preached by the Reverend Dr. J.H. Kilpatrick.