History

One of the first Mennonites to settle in the area was John Stemen, coming from Fairfield County, OH in 1831. He came prospecting through the forests of Sugar Creek Township in 1831 and was welcomed and lived with members of the Seneca, Shawnee, and Hog Creek Tribes. The first Mennonite congregation was organized in 1841 and by 1843 they were meeting in a log cabin across the road from where the church sits today. First known as the Dutch Hollow church and later as Sherrick’s Meeting House, the name was eventually changed to Salem meaning “peace” to mark the end of the civil war. The building where the church is now located was first constructed in 1883 and has gone through several changes and additions over the years. Today, the congregation is made up of people from a variety of backgrounds and ages. Our desire is to provide a warm, caring and sharing community from which we are able to minister to the needs of others and be an attractive witness to the love of God.