Organization Update

Salem Evangelical Church has been blessed with more than 160 years of history ministering to the people of Salem and the Willamette Valley.  We have gone through numerous changes, building projects, and pastor changes.


For over 30 years, Pastor Randy Butler led our family through incredible growth, new outreach opportunities. and ministry connections across the street and around the globe.  For the months leading to his retirement, he laid the groundwork for a new pastor to lead Salem E.


Today we are building on the legacy of Pastor Randy and others who helped SEC introduce people to Jesus in Salem/Keizer.  This page outlines the steps our church is undertaking as we continue to follow our mission to give everything to follow Jesus as we help others follow Him.

Timeline to Progress

List of Services

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why are we reorganizing?

    The staff reorganization ensures that every staff member is crystal-focused on the Game Plan God has given Salem Evangelical Church. We want to serve with excellence because God deserves our best. We want to use the resources God has given us as efficiently as possible. And we want to be a body where every member serves. Reducing staff also provides additional opportunities for congregants to serve.


    The Evangelical Church was recognized as a not-for-profit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in 1968. This recognition covered multiple Regional Conferences and local churches across the country, including Salem Evangelical. Over the past 50+ years, giving patterns and non-profit laws have changed, and the Church leadership feels it is essential for SEC to obtain our non-profit status. This will give us more control over other ministry opportunities from the work God calls us to. This means we are writing new Bylaws to be registered as an independent not-for-profit organization with the IRS.


  • Are we leaving the Evangelical Church denomination?

    No! There are no plans by the Church Council to leave the Evangelical Church denomination.


    The new bylaws we are writing are in line with the Evangelical Church’s Discipline, the organizational document of our denomination. The existing Discipline is designed to address churches of all shapes and sizes. By crafting our Bylaws, we can be more specific to the needs of a church our size. 


    Creating new bylaws and registering as an independent not-for-profit organization aligns with other Evangelical churches our size. However, none of these customizations deviate from the organizational structure of the Evangelical Church. We are a member of the Pacific Conference of the Evangelical Church.

  • Pastor Stephen is sure gone a lot. What's going on?

    Stephen is part of a pastor coaching cohort in Dallas, Texas, that meets quarterly. This group of pastors learn together, seek God’s direction, and support each other in the unique and trying jobs that pastors have. Church leadership committees saw the value of these coaching sessions and wrote these times away into Pastor Stephen's contract.