A Brief History of the

Presbyterian Church of Salado

The Presbyterian Church of Salado was initiated by the Rev. Billy P. Smith, Th. D., and his wife, LaGreta Reed.   The first worship service held on March 10, 1996, in Allen Meeting Hall was attended by 8 people.  Shortly thereafter, a steering committee met to organize a mission church and to name Rev. Billy P. Smith as pastor.  At that time, the fellowship had 11 members representing 6 families.

On March 15, 1997, Grace Presbytery voted to charter the Presbyterian Church of Salado.  The service of organization and commission was held on October 5, 1997 with a charter membership of 32.  The Rev. Marilyn Wedell-Legge became the pastor in November 1998.

Prompted by continued growth and the need for educational and program facilities the congregation expressed the desire to move to a larger space.  In 1998, the session began the search for a new church site.  When the present location became available, representatives from Grace Presbytery examined the property, expressed support for the purchase, and pledged financial help.  The congregation voted unanimously to purchase the property that consists of 2 ½ acres and a 6,800 square foot building.

 Using cash reserves, generous special gifts, and much “sweat equity” on the part of the members, the new church home was completed and dedicated on February 11, 2001.  The location provides room for future growth and gives the congregation an identity in Salado and a home from which to witness its faith and minister to the needs of our community.

Several Presbyterian pastors served our congregation by contract and with the approval of Grace Presbytery in the years 2001-2004. In January, 2005, the Reverend Carl V. Thompson, Jr. became our stated supply pastor. He faithfully served God with us until his retirement, July 2, 2023.  

While Reverend Thompson was our pastor we achieved several milestones. Our membership grew, but more importantly we welcomed everyone into our fellowship for one time or for a lifetime. Carl  brought us the faithful witness of Jesus Christ as head of the church, and gave us the stability needed to follow our church order, or polity. 

With gratitude and love, we celebrated Rev. Thompson and his wife Evelyn’s ministry with us with a retirement party after his last Sunday of leading worship—July 2, 2023.

We welcome our new pastor, Rev. Mari Lyn Jones at the beginning of August 2023 and look forward with her to responding to Jesus’ invitation “Come and see.” (John 1: 39) Come and see where God will lead us.  Come and see to whom Christ will call us to minister.  Come and see how the Holy Spirit will accompany us in our journey of faith—together.

We have Sunday worship services at 10 am, Sunday school for adults, Men's Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday mornings, Chair Yoga at 1PM on Tuesdays and 10:30 AM on Thursdays, plus special events, such as Christmas Eve and Maundy Thursday services.

Our finances have been greatly supported by generous yearly pledges and individual gifts. The church has a beautiful sanctuary with stained glass, comfortable seating, and a new Johannes organ from the Netherlands.

Outside, we have a garden of memories, a paved parking lot, and a new stone wall to replace the wood on the east side of the building. Inside, we have ample kitchen space, adult and children’s classrooms, a library, and a wonderful room for social activities.

But these are things that will all disappear. The essence of our church is a Christian body of believers. We are grateful for our Presbyterian heritage and connectivity. Our congregation belongs to: the Grace Presbytery, headquartered in Irving, Texas (135 congregations).

Along with other Christian denominations, we practice two religious sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism represents a serious commitment of parents to present their children to God in the presence of Christian believers. The entire congregation, along with the parents, commit themselves to nurturing infants and children in the Christian faith, with love, teaching, discipline, encouragement, and example. Adult baptism is given to those who wish to confess their faith and become members of the church, but were never previously baptized. The congregation responds with the commitment to welcome and nurture these new members.

The Lord’s Supper is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. This is not a ritual, but rather a sacrament that sets aside special time to remember Christ’s sacrifice of his life, so that we might live!  We are called to confess our sins and repent of those actions that lead us away from our Christian faith, and to celebrate the certainty that God is always listening and ready to receive us back as His children.

CHARTER MEMBERS