Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Thank you, Tryon Daily Bulletin, for Storme Smith’s excellent article on the gift of Saluda Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary to the City of Saluda. Happily, there’s more to the story that your readers might like to know. 

When a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation dissolves, ownership of its real estate, furnishings, endowments, monies, etc., is transferred to the regional governing body, the Presbytery. In this case, the Presbytery of Western North Carolina. The Presbytery establishes a commission to determine what to do with the congregation’s assets. 

In many cases, the church property is sold by the presbytery to another congregation or to developers. Returns are then used for other causes within presbytery bounds. The Saluda Church’s property is a valuable piece of real estate. On the open market, it could have secured a sizable payoff for the presbytery. Yet, as Smith’s article details, the commission, instead, voted to give the sanctuary to the city for use as a historical museum. In addition, the commission voted to give the education building to the Saluda Pop-Up Pantry. That building will house the pantry and allow them to rent the remaining space to fund their service to area residents. 

Plus, it is hoped that the congregation’s remaining funds can be used to continue their mission of providing scholarships for grade school-aged children in Guatemala and for installing smokeless ovens in Guatemalan homes. In this way, the congregation’s mission will continue near and far for years to come.  

 

David Hosick

Tryon