This is the process Salem followed to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church to become an Independent Church. The process and events, as they occurred, were added to the end of the following chronology.
August 18, 2022 – Salem Church Council voted to begin discernment process.
August 19, 2022 – Rev. John Wunderlich, District Superintendent of the Cumberland-Hagerstown District, was notified of Salem’s desire to begin the disaffiliation process.
August 28, 2022 – The Salem congregation was advised via email and Sunday worship announcement of the Salem Church Council’s decision to begin the disaffiliation process.
October 2, 2022 – At the beginning of Sunday worship, Pastor Bob Snyder gave the congregation a brief review of the steps in the discernment process.
October 9, 2022 – The congregation viewed a webinar “Stay or Go: Real Talk for United Methodists Exploring Their Future” at 10:15 a.m. in place of Sunday School.
October 16, 2022 – The congregation began a four-week Bible Study using a book titled “Living Faithfully: Human Sexuality and the United Methodist Church” published by Abingdon Press. The four seasons were held October 16, 23 & 30 and November 6, 2022 at 10:15 a.m. in place of Sunday School, and were led by Pastor Bob Snyder.
November 13, 2022 – Pastor Bob Snyder conducted an Open Forum to address questions that came out of the Webinar and Bible Study at 10:15 a.m. in place of Sunday School.
November 2, 2022 – The Salem Church Council approved the formation of a committee to explore Salem becoming an independent church. The committee will be titled “Independent Church Exploratory Committee” and Michael Burrier will be the committee facilitator/chair.
November 20, 2022 – Vernon Stottlemyer, Chair, Salem Church Council, shared with all members of the congregation during Sunday worship, the general terms and conditions of disaffiliation as determined by the Board of Trustees of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. The cost to disaffiliate will be $412,104 which includes three categories of costs: $346,283 (50% of the assessed value of the church property), $16,800 (12 months of mission shares/apportionments), and $49,021 (church’s pro rata share of unfunded pension obligations).
December 7, 2022 – The Independent Church Exploratory Committee met 4 times between December and February. Committee members were Vernon Stottlemyer (Council Chair), Dennis Leatherman (Lay Leader), Michael Burrier (Committee Chair), and the following volunteers: Debbie Irons, Bill Weaver, Kathy Laky, Meredith Harshman and Theresa Haupt.
January 20, 2023 – Letter to all Salem Members to advise of an upcoming Church Conference to vote on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church or remain with the United Methodist Church: The cover letter stated the following: Dear Salem Member: You are receiving this letter to inform you of a Church Conference that is being held at 10:15 a.m. on March 19, 2023, at Salem United Methodist Church, 12479 Wolfsville Road in Wolfsville, Maryland, when members will vote to decide whether Salem will remain affiliated with the United Methodist Church. As a Professing Member currently on our membership roll, you are eligible to participate in this vote, but you are required to vote in person. We also want to make you aware of an important informational briefing that will be held at 10:15 a.m. on March 5, 2023, at the same address as the vote. If you will be voting, we strongly encourage you to attend this informational briefing. At this meeting, Salem’s Independent Church Exploratory Committee will brief the congregation on the results of their findings and Church Council will provide information to help you prepare for the vote. Signed: Vernon Stottlemyer, Church Council Chair, and Robert Snyder, Pastor. A copy of the package can be viewed here.
February 15, 2023 – The following letter from Rev. John Wunlerlich, District Superintendent Cumberland-Hagerstown District, Western Region, Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church was also sent to all Salem members. The letter stated: Dear Salem UMC Member: I am writing to inform you that Salem United Methodist Church in Myersville, Maryland, is gathering to vote on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. A church conference has been called for this purpose on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. at Salem United Methodist Church located at 12477 Wolfsville Road, Myersville, MD 21773. Salem United Methodist Church has been engaged in a process of discernment and prayer as it considers whether it will remain a United Methodist Church or depart the denomination. As that process reaches a decision-point, this church conference will present each member of the congregation with the opportunity to vote on the outcome. As a member of Salem United Methodist Church, you are an important part of that decision. You are encouraged to attend and vote on March 19, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. In the meantime, I would invite you to be in prayer for the United Methodist Church, the congregation and all those who will be in attendance. Signed: Rev. John Wunderlich III, District Superintendent, Cumberland-Hagerstown District, Western Region, Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church
February 16, 2023 – Michael Burrier, Chair of the Independent Church Exploratory Committee gave a presentation to the Salem Church Council for feedback or suggested changes before presenting the information to the entire Salem congregation.
March 5, 2023 – Michael Burrier, Chair of the Independent Church Exploratory Committee gave a presentation to the Salem congregation at 10:15 a.m. during the Sunday School time. The presentation included the committee’s work on (1) Information Gathering, (2) Next Steps if Salem Disaffiliates, (3) Costs to Disaffiliate and Source of Disaffiliation Funds, and (4) a Comparison of operating procedures as an independent church vs. the United Methodist system.
March 16, 2023 – Council Meeting: Approved two public statements: (1) If disaffiliation passes, and (2) If disaffiliation fails.
March 19, 2023 – Rev. John Wunderlich, District Superintendent of the Cumberland-Hagerstown District conducted a Church Conference for the congregation to vote on disaffiliation at 10:15 a.m. Rev. Wunderlich was assisted by Rev. Bill Warehime. To be eligible to vote, Salem members were required to be physically present and a member on Salem’s membership rolls. The voting was done by secret ballot and a 2/3 majority was required to approve disaffiliation. Theresa Haupt served as secretary, taking minutes. Sue Ellen Stottlemyer verified the membership of each member as they were given a ballot. Vote counters were Bobby Fogle, Meredith Harshman, Debbie Irons and Rev. Bill Warehime. Results of the vote were announced immediately following completion of the count.
Disaffiliation Vote at Salem (March 19, 2023)
66 YES – 79%
18 NO – 21%
84 Total – 100%
Disaffiliation Public Statement issued after the vote
On March 19, 2023, the members of Salem United Methodist Church in Wolfsville, Maryland, voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church (UMC). The results of the vote were 79% in favor of disaffiliation and 21% against disaffiliation. A 2/3 majority was required to pass. This vote was the culmination of a lengthy discernment process by the congregation that included Bible study, prayer, conversation, and extensive research outlining the steps and costs necessary for Salem to disaffiliate from the UMC.
The United Methodist Church has been wrestling with differing perspectives on theological and social issues since its founding in 1968. The denomination’s most recent legislative session, known as General Conference, resulted in a pathway for local UMC churches to exit the denomination, if certain conditions are met, over matters of conscience resulting from actions or inactions taken by the UMC.
Going forward, Salem intends to operate as an independent church and continue its mission to serve the greater Wolfsville area by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, helping each other grow in faith, and serving those in need in our congregation, community and the world.
The next step in the disaffiliation process is for Salem’s vote to be approved by the Annual Conference of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church at its May 31-June 3, 2023 meeting. Salem has met all of the conditions outlined by the UMC for disaffiliation.
April 2, 2023 – The Salem Church Council has formed a Transition Team to complete the steps necessary for disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church and to implement the independent church plan as outlined by the Independent Church Exploratory Committee. The Transition Team will report to the Church Council and consist of five working groups to focus on specific areas of the plan:
· By-laws / Constitution
· Statement of Beliefs, Core Values, Mission & Vision Statements
· Legal matters
· Church Name / Logo / Branding
· Pastor Search Committee
Volunteers were invited to step forward and serve. Volunteers don’t need to be a formal member of Salem to serve and persons can serve on more than one working group as they feel led. If we have more volunteers than slots for a particular group, we will expand the group to accommodate them.
If you have questions or feel led to join the Transition Team, please contact Michael Burrier at 301-401-7575 (call/text) or bankermike73@gmail.com.
The working groups began organizing shortly after Easter.
April 26, 2023 — Salem’s Church Council formed a Transition Team, led by Michael Burrier, that is working to complete the steps necessary for disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church and to implement the Independent Church Plan as outlined by the Independent Church Exploratory Committee. The Transition Team reports to the Church Council and consists of several working groups to focus on specific areas of the plan. The Transition Team was announced to the congregation on Palm Sunday, April 2nd, and members and active participants in the life of the Salem congregation were invited to serve on one or more of the five working groups. Thank you to each person who responded to the call.
The following summarizes each working group, its role, its membership, and actions taken to date. A progress update will be provided each month in “The Mountain Shepherd.”
By-Laws / Constitution
Role:
Responsible for making recommendations to the Church Council for the church’s new by-laws and constitution (how Salem will organize itself and operate going forward), which must be written and adopted before the Legal Work Group can complete its work.
Members:
Michael Burrier (leader)
Bill Weaver
Vernon Stottlemyer
George Stottlemyer
Linda Marenic
Gary Barkdoll
Actions:
First meeting: April 26, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Second meeting: May 15, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Statement of Beliefs, Core Values, Mission & Vision
Role:
Responsible for making recommendations to the Church Council regarding Salem’s statement of beliefs, core values, and mission and vision statements that would outline our guiding principles for the future. These statements would be posted on the church website and social media.
Members:
Theresa Haupt (leader)
Jessie Leatherman
Michael Burrier
Debbie Irons
Denny Leatherman
Steve Leatherman
Jim Laky
Actions:
First meeting: April 24, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Second meeting: May 8, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Third meeting: May 18, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Legal
Role:
Responsible for making recommendations to the Church Council, working with Salem’s legal counsel, and interfacing with the Conference Trustees to coordinate transfer of the church’s property, along with any other legal items.
Members:
Meredith Harshman (leader)
Sue Ellen Stottlemyer
Wanda Barkdoll
Marlene Young
Actions:
On April 20, 2023, Church Council approved the structure and legal names for the new non-profit corporations that will be formed to receive the church assets and property currently held in Trust by the United Methodist Church. Meredith Harshman, leader of the Legal group, and the church’s attorney, Michael Delauter, Esq., will work together to complete these steps. Mr. Delauter’s legal advice will guide the final structure of the corporations.
Meeting with Michael Delauter, Attorney: May 9, 2023
Church Name / Logo / Branding
Role:
Responsible for making recommendations to the Church Council regarding Salem’s new name and logo image to create an inviting brand that is representative of our new independent church and statement of beliefs.
Members:
Michael Burrier (leader)
Denny Leatherman
Bill Burrier
Donnie Stottlemyer
Jessie Leatherman
Debbie Irons
Sandy Miller
Heidi Agostini
Actions:
First meeting, May 1, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Pastor Search Committee
Role:
Responsible for making recommendations to the Church Council regarding a pastor job description, a profile of Salem Church to share with candidates, the selection of online job sites to use for the posting, establishing procedures for reviewing and interviewing candidates, and making recommendations to the Church Council regarding candidate selection and the compensation package.
Members:
Robin Haupt (leader)
Vernon Stottlemyer
Michael Burrier
Wanda Barkdoll
Donnie Stottlemyer
Debbie Irons
Joyce Weaver
Linda Marenic
Sandy Miller
Cathie Elsbach
Bill Buhrman
Caroline Buhrman
Dennis Leatherman
Marlene Young to assist with writing a job description and employment contract.
Actions:
First meeting, May 10, 2023, 7 p.m.
Second meeting: May 22, 2023, 7 p.m.
Third meeting: June 12, 2023, 7 p.m.
May 25, 2023 — Much has happened since last month’s disaffiliation transition update. During May, all of our Transition Team working groups met (some multiple times) and several groups completed their tasks. Thank you to each person who responded to the call and volunteered to serve on the Transition Team. It has truly been a church-wide effort.
On May 25, 2023, Salem’s Church Council approved several recommendations made by the Transition Team. The following summarizes the actions of each working group to date, including approvals by the Church Council.
Our disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church is expected to receive approval from the Baltimore-Washington Conference on June 1, 2023. After this approval is received, we will complete the final legal work in preparation for the formal disaffiliation on September 15, 2023.
Church Name / Logo / Branding
Met May 1. Reviewed sample church names and logo ideas. Church Council approved the group’s recommendation to adopt Salem Community Church as our new church name. The logo design and branding are still in process.
Statement of Beliefs, Core Values, Mission & Vision
Met April 24, May 8 & 18. Developed a Statement of Beliefs and Mission and Vision Statements that were approved by the Church Council. The vision statement is intended to be used as a tagline along with the new church name, Salem Community Church. The mission statement and beliefs will be used to guide Salem’s ministry efforts moving forward and will be posted on the church’s website and social media to be easily found by those searching for churches.
- Vision (what we’re always doing): BUILDING CONNECTIONS. GROWING GOD’S FAMILY.
- Mission (how we accomplish the vision): BRINGING HOPE BY SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST THROUGH TEACHING HIS WORD, EXTENDING HIS GRACE, AND SERVING OTHERS IN HIS LOVE.
By-Laws / Constitution
Met April 26 and May 15. Developed constitutions and by-laws for the three non-profit corporations that will be formed to receive the church assets and property of Salem United Methodist Church on the date of disaffiliation (September 15, 2023). The constitutions and by-laws were approved with edits by the Church Council. A resolution was also passed that allows the current Council and church officers to remain in place until the first leadership election for the new church is held at a Congregational Meeting in the fall of 2023.
Legal
After June 1, Salem’s attorney, Michael Delauter, Esq., will begin the process of forming three non-profit corporations that will be used to receive the church’s assets and property currently held in Trust by the United Methodist Church. The disaffiliation payment from Salem to the UMC will occur on or about August 25, 2023 and the transfer of assets from the UMC to Salem will occur on the date of disaffiliation, on or about September 15, 2023.
Pastor Search Committee
Met on May 10 & 22; next meeting June 12. This group is working to establish policies and procedures for hiring a pastor. Items being completed include writing a job description and defining the steps involved in the selection process. The selection process is expected to include screening applicants, interviewing candidates, checking references and performing background checks, preaching on a Sunday, receiving feedback from the congregation, bringing back top candidates to preach again, receiving additional feedback from the congregation, and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the Church Council.
The committee is currently working to finalize these procedures, after which the job posting will be made public and the selection process will begin. Pastor Bob Snyder will be with us until June 30, 2023, after which the Church Council will arrange for guest speakers each Sunday (both from within the congregation and outside speakers) until a new pastor is hired. Arrangements will also be made for pastoral coverage in the event of an illness or death in the congregation during this transition period.
Vote at Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
June 1, 2023 — On June 1, 2023, the delegates at the Annual Conference of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to approve Salem’s disaffiliation from the UMC – along with 22 other churches from our Conference.
This vote by the Annual Conference was the last approval step in Salem’s disaffiliation process.
Salem’s Transition Team and Church Council, along with our attorney, Michael Delauter, Esq., will now complete the legal work necessary to form the non-profit corporations that will receive the assets of Salem United Methodist Church currently held in Trust by the UMC.
Salem has selected the date of August 25 by which the signed Disaffiliation Agreement and disaffiliation payment must be submitted to the Baltimore-Washington Conference (BWC). Salem’s disaffiliation will be effective, and we will be an independent church, when these items are received by the BWC Trustees.
Transition to an Independent Church Continues
June 24, 2023 — During June, our Transition Team working groups continued their work and additional tasks were completed. Again, a sincere ‘thank you’ to each person who responded to the call and volunteered to serve on the Transition Team.
Your commitment in time and energy enabled Salem to cover much ground in the relatively abbreviated amount of time available to complete the disaffiliation process.
Progress updates will continue to be provided each month in The Mountain Shepherd.
Disaffiliation Approved
On June 1, 2023, our disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church (UMC) was approved by the delegates at the Annual Conference of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The vote carried with 92.3% of the 653 delegates in attendance voting to approve the disaffiliation of Salem and 22 other churches in our Conference. All of the churches had met the criteria for disaffiliation.
Legal Work in Progress
Salem’s Transition Team and Church Council, along with our attorney, Michael Delauter, Esq., are now working to complete the legal work necessary to form the non-profit corporations that will receive the assets of Salem United Methodist Church currently held in Trust by the UMC.
Salem has selected the date of August 25 by which the signed Disaffiliation Agreement and disaffiliation payment of $412,104 must be submitted to the Baltimore-Washington Conference.
Salem’s disaffiliation will be effective, and we will be an independent church, when these items are received by the Baltimore-Washington Conference Trustees. The formal transfer of the deeds and property will occur on or around September 15.
New Church Name
We will adopt our new church name of SALEM COMMUNITY CHURCH along with our new mission and vision statements shortly after the Disaffiliation Agreement and payment is delivered to the BWC (end of August).
An exciting new chapter of Salem’s history will begin as we support the church’s mission of “Bringing hope by sharing the peace of Christ through teaching His Word, sharing His grace, and serving others in His love” and living out the church’s vision of “Building Connections and Growing God’s Family.”
New Church Logo
On June 15, 2023, the Church Council approved a new logo and branding for SALEM COMMUNITY CHURCH that was recommended by the Transition Team.
Our new logo represents an open Bible from which we learn about God’s love (the heart) and the Good News of salvation (the cross) leading to spiritual growth in our lives (a growing leaf).
The color green will be used in branding across the church’s communications and online platforms.
Pastoral Coverage
Pastor Bob Snyder’s last day serving Salem Church will be June 30, 2023, and the United Methodist Church will not appoint another pastor for the time period between Pastor Bob’s departure and our date of disaffiliation (end of August).
Salem is responsible for arranging pastoral coverage after July 1, 2023. Our monthly apportionment payments (also known as Mission Share) to the Baltimore-Washington Conference will also end as of June 30, 2023.
New Pastor Recruitment
The Transition Team’s focus is now turning to hiring a new pastor.
The Pastor Search Committee consists of Robin Haupt, Vernon Stottlemyer, Michael Burrier, Wanda Barkdoll, Donnie Stottlemyer, Sandy Miller, Debbie Irons, Joyce Weaver, Linda Marenic, Cathy Elsbach, Caroline Buhrman, and Bill Buhrman.
This group met on May 10 & 22 and June 12 to establish policies and procedures for hiring a pastor. These procedures were approved by the Church Council on June 15th and the pastor job posting went live on June 16th. View the job posting here:
www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=ea89b01b99b051f4
The pastor selection process will consist of screening applicants, interviewing candidates, checking references and performing background checks, preaching on a Sunday, receiving feedback from the congregation, bringing back top candidates to preach again, receiving additional feedback from the congregation, and ultimately making a hiring recommendation to the Church Council.
We know that God has a pastor selected for Salem Community Church and we need to be diligent and prayerful during this process. Thank you for continuing to keep the Transition Team and church leaders in your prayers — we have felt your support.
July 2, 2023 — The following update on our disaffiliation process was shared during worship this morning:
Administrative Phase Nearing Completion
The first phase of our transition work is drawing to a close. Many of the administrative tasks that are necessary to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and create an independent church have either been completed or are on-track to be completed by our disaffiliation date of August 25th. We fully expect to deliver the Disaffiliation Agreement and disaffiliation payment to the Conference on or before that date. When that delivery takes place, Salem will be an independent church. Much hard work by many individuals has gone into this first phase of the transition. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Pastor Search Process
The transition is now entering a new phase that is focused on the Pastor Search process. We wanted to share an update on exactly where we are.
As you may have read in the newsletter, the job posting for the open Pastor position was made public on June 16th. We immediately began receiving applications. To date, nearly 100 applications have been received from candidates all over the world. We know that Wolfsville is a wonderful place to live, but apparently the rest of the world is catching on too!
The pastor search committee is diligently working to sort through the applications and screen candidates that we would want to interview. At least half of the applications have come from overseas and another quarter are either not qualified or obviously not a good match. So far, we have identified 10-15 candidates that we want to get to know better.
Each of these identified candidates will receive a copy of our statement of beliefs and a questionnaire that asks the candidate to affirm their agreement with our beliefs and tell us more about their spiritual lives and ministry experience.
From these responses, we will select a group of candidates to personally interview and then invite to preach for us here on a Sunday morning.
A Prayerful and Discerning Process
This is not a fast process and we want to be prayerful and discerning throughout every step. We are encouraged by the response to our job posting so far but we wanted to make clear that the pastor search process will likely be ongoing throughout the summer months and perhaps into the fall. It is possible that we may have our first candidates ready to preach for us by the end of August or beginning of September – but all of that will be determined by God’s perfect timing.
Sunday Worship Leadership
In the meantime, our Sunday worship services will be led by a combination of lay speakers from our congregation and guest speakers from outside the church. We have received offers to preach from several individuals and churches and we will be exploring those options.
Interim Pastoral Care
In the event of an emergency where someone in our congregation would need pastoral care, we are very pleased to announce that local pastor, Karen Grossnickle, has graciously agreed to assist us until we hire a new pastor. Pastor Karen’s phone number is 301-514-5625.
God is Faithful
In the meantime, please continue to keep our Transition Team and church leadership in your prayers. Many people have told us that they are praying for Salem Church as we move through this transition. We have felt those prayers and we give God the praise for how faithful He has been.
July 17, 2023 — Some information about Church Membership as we continue through our transition to becoming an independent church:
1. If you are currently a member of Salem United Methodist Church and would like to continue as a member of Salem Community Church when our disaffiliation process is completed, you do not need to do anything. Your membership will automatically transfer.
2. If you do not want your Salem UMC membership to transfer to Salem Community Church, please provide a written request to the Church Council (attention Vernon Stottlemyer). Please instruct us if you want your membership withdrawn or moved to another church. Note that the request must be in writing for record keeping purposes.
3. If you are currently not a member of Salem UMC and are interested in becoming a member of Salem Community Church — we are excited that you are ready to take this next step in your faith journey! More information will be forthcoming on the process for receiving new members following the completion of our disaffiliation process.
July 28, 2023 — During July, our Transition Team completed most of the administrative tasks necessary for disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church.
Articles of Incorporation & By-Laws
Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws were completed for the three non-profit corporations that will be formed to receive the church, the church property and the cemetery assets of Salem United Methodist Church currently held in Trust by the United Methodist denomination. We thank attorney Michael Delauter for his assistance during this process.
Disaffiliation Agreement
In mid-July, Salem received the draft Disaffiliation Agreement from the Baltimore-Washington Conference (BWC) that outlines the terms by which Salem will leave the United Methodist Church. There were no major surprises in this document. Salem has selected the date of August 25 by which the signed Disaffiliation Agreement and disaffiliation payment of $412,104 must be submitted to the BWC. Salem’s disaffiliation will be effective, and we will be SALEM COMMUNITY CHURCH when these items are received by the BWC Trustees. The formal transfer of the deeds and property will occur on or around September 15.
Remove United Methodist References
One requirement of the disaffiliation is for Salem to remove any reference to “United Methodist” from its signage. Salem’s Trustees have been planning for this and are working on permanent solutions for the billboard in front of the church, the bronze plaque at the entrance to the cemetery, and our hymnals — all of which currently say Salem United Methodist. (Our hymnals are not United Methodist Hymnals but have the church name inscribed on the cover.) In the interim, we will use banners to cover the billboard and cemetery plaque to announce our new church name, SALEM COMMUNITY CHURCH. These banners will go up when the disaffiliation is completed near the end of August.
New Pastor Recruitment
While we recruit for a new pastor, we are thankful for local pastor, Karen Grossnickle, who has graciously offered to assist the Salem congregation with pastoral care. Pastor Karen may be reached at 301-514-5625 (mobile) or kmom4x@verizon.net. The pastor search process is moving along well. Our job posting went live on June 16th and we immediately began receiving applications. The Pastor Search Committee narrowed the candidates down to 14 that we wanted to know more about. Questionnaires were sent to these candidates and 10 were returned. Committee members then reviewed the answers and résumés and rated each candidate. Those ratings were compiled and the top 5 candidates were invited to interview. Interviews will be conducted by the Pastor Search Committee during the first two weeks of August. The Pastor Search Committee consists of Robin Haupt, Vernon Stottlemyer, Michael Burrier, Wanda Barkdoll, Donnie Stottlemyer, Sandy Miller, Debbie Irons, Joyce Weaver, Linda Marenic, Caroline Buhrman, and Bill Buhrman. After the interviews are completed, the top candidates will receive a background check and references will be contacted. Invitations will be extended to our top candidates and their families to visit Salem to preach during Sunday worship and meet our church family during a luncheon held after Sunday School. (Candidates will visit on different Sundays.) Feedback from the congregation will be collected and the top candidates will be invited back to preach a second time. Ultimately, a hiring recommendation will be made to the Church Council.
We give God thanks and praise for how He has guided the Salem congregation during this entire process. Thank you for continuing to keep the Transition Team and church leaders in your prayers. Progress updates will continue to be provided each month in The Mountain Shepherd.
08/25/23 — During August, our Transition Team finalized several significant steps toward completing our disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. Salem will officially become Salem Community Church, Wolfsville, on September 1, 2023.
Delivery of Disaffiliation Items
On Monday, August 21, Sue Ellen Stottlemyer, our Chair of Trustees, and Michael Burrier, our Transition Team Leader, hand-delivered several disaffiliation items to the Baltimore-Washington Conference (BWC) Center located at 11711 E Market Place, Fulton, Maryland.
These items included our Disaffiliation Agreement between Salem and the BWC, two property deeds that will release the United Methodist Church’s interest in our church property and cemetery, copies of requested church historical documents and records, and our disaffiliation payment in the amount of $412,104.
Everything went well with the delivery. Based on our conversation with the Conference representative, we have selected September 1, 2023, as the date when Salem will officially become Salem Community Church, Wolfsville.
Our disaffiliation will be fully completed when the Conference returns the signed documents to Salem and the property deeds are recorded in the Land Records of Frederick County by our attorney, Michael Delauter, Esq.
Pastor Search Update
The Pastor Search Team has been hard at work. In early August, we conducted four interviews of candidates for our open pastor position. The interviews helped us select two candidates that we would like to introduce to the Salem Church congregation.
Our first candidate, Pastor David Barton, will be speaking on Sunday, September 17th, and the second candidate, Pastor Neil Suders, will be with us on Sunday, October 1st.
On those Sundays, the candidate will bring a message and participate in other parts of the worship service; they will visit with our Sunday School classes; and following Sunday School there will be a potluck luncheon to give the congregation even more time to interact with the candidate and their family.
The services will be recorded and uploaded to the church website for those who are unable to be there in person.
Everyone will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the candidates. That feedback will be used to make a hiring recommendation to the Salem Church Council.
Pastor Search Team
Thanks to Robin Haupt for his outstanding leadership of the Pastor Search Team. Debbie Irons was also very involved in helping us prepare for and conduct the interviews.
Each person on the Search Team has been so faithful with their time and commitment to the process: Vernon Stottlemyer, Denny Leatherman, Linda Marenic, Joyce Weaver, Donnie Stottlemyer, Wanda Barkdoll, Sandy Miller, Cathie Elsbach, Caroline Buhrman and Bill Buhrman.
Please continue to keep the Transition Team in your prayers as we strive to keep our eyes on the Lord for His guidance, wisdom, patience and discernment in all things.
09/23/23 — Disaffiliation in Final
During September, we completed our transition to becoming an independent, non-denominational church. On September 1st, we adopted the name of Salem Community Church, Wolfsville, across our signage, website, and social media platforms. The response has been wonderful — with many more website visits and social media views than we typically see. We pray that God uses this interest in the community for His glory and more hearts are drawn to Him.
The formal disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church became effective on September 15th when we received the fully executed Disaffiliation Agreement from the Baltimore-Washington Conference (BWC). The BWC Trustees also signed a Quitclaim Deed that releases the United Methodist Church’s “trust clause” claim on our church property and cemetery. Our disaffiliation is now complete. We give God all the thanks and praise for His guidance and provision through this process.