About Us

Around 1790, there was a little log house built near the present site of Bensalem Church for a Mr. William Bowdoin to preach in; he would continue to preach there until 1794. About that time, Rev. John Kadie began to preach at what was known as the old store at the head of McLendon's Creek (about 6 miles from the present site). He continued three years statedly on every 4th Sabbath, and was succeeded by Rev. Colin Lindsay, who preached at the same place statedly on weekdays until 1802, when a log house was built for him near Mr. Murdock Martin's down McLendon's Creek (about 4 miles from the present site); there he preached until 1811.

Following a brief period where there was little to no preaching at the old site, Rev. Murdock McMillan began to preach at the present site, and in the course of a year, and a log house was built there, and by him organized Ottery's Church by the ordaining of Alexander Leach and Hezekiah Ottery, elders. Rev. McMillan continued preaching and administering the sacraments until 1821. Again came a period when the church had little to no Presbyterian preaching, except on rare occasions. Then, in the summer of 1832, Mr. John Warnock, a licentiate, began to preach every fourth Sabbath until December, when he was ordained and installed as pastor of Bensalem, Mineral Spring, Mt. Carmel, and Harmony churches, where he served until 1834.

Still today, for some in our congregation, the memory of the remodeled frame building originally erected in 1859 is still vividly present. On March 7th, 1958, the old church was completely destroyed by fire, for which its cause is undetermined. From those ashes, on July 29, 1962, the present building was erected and dedicated to the glory of God. In 2016, the congregation at Bensalem voted to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) and joined the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), retaining greater autonomy as a congregation as well as ownership of the church.

Although the world around Bensalem has changed a lot over the last 230 years, Bensalem has continued to serve as a place where one thing never changes: the love of Christ and the love we have for one another.