Salem Church was organized in 1780 by Rev. Samuel Doak. Here, on the first Tuesday in August 1785, Abingdon Presbytery was formed with Doak as moderator. This first presbytery on Tennessee soil was taken from Hanover Presbytery, and it included churches south of New River and west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its members were Hezekiah Balch, Charles Cummins, Samuel Houston, Adam Rankin and David Rice.