By Karen Willoughby (republished from 9/5 issue of Baptist Press, by permission)

SALMON, Idaho (BP) – This county seat town is so rural people drive three hours one way over two-lane roads – to Missoula, Montana, or Idaho Falls, Idaho – to shop at Walmart or other big box stores. 

But what Salmon lacks in shopping it makes up for with its “can do” sense of community. People here care about each other, watch out for each other and help each other, frequently by digging out from the town’s average of 42 inches of snow each year. 

Mike Palmer, fresh from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, arrived 27 years ago to Salmon Valley Baptist Church for his first pastorate. 

“We have good people who love the Lord and who serve Him willingly,” Palmer told Baptist Press. “Whatever’s needed, they’re quick to pitch in.” 

Palmer sets the example: In 2010 he started and now also pastors Lemhi River Cowboy Church in Tendoy, Idaho, 20 miles east of Salmon. About 30 people gather Sunday nights for worship in a newly constructed building on a field given to the church. 

Palmer has been church planting director for the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention for 10 years, which has grown into the title of Church Planting Leader for the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Send Network Utah Idaho.  

Fourteen years ago Palmer started and still leads Western Preacher School, a two-day short course in sermon and Bible study preparation, which has grown to include Utah and Wyoming.

“Living where I live, on Sunday morning you’re not going to find a supply preacher on short notice,” Palmer said. “We need to train people. We need to train and raise up people to preach, lead Sunday school and other ministries. 

“In the New Testament, the pastors of churches came up from within the church,” he added. “They didn’t have the idea of calling someone from someplace else. It’s a biblical concept: Teach men and women to be able to share the Gospel. Teach them how.” 

Members of the congregation minister locally at the food bank, pregnancy care center, nursing care facility, through hospital chaplaincy and more.

Associate Pastor Tyler Baker and Palmer host a weekly podcast – “Into the Western Wild” – and discuss the circumstances of the world to help listeners understand and respond through the lens of Scripture.

In addition to being Salmon Valley’s Family Pastor, Frank Unrein 15 years ago planted and continues to lead the Challis Community Bible Study, about 60 miles southeast of Salmon. He’s also a chaplain at Castleview Hospital in Salmon.

Nathan and Amber Harden are Salmon Valley’s fulltime missionaries. They travel the Rocky Mountain states as NAMB Mission Service Corps (self-supported) carpenter missionaries, helping churches with construction projects at no cost. It was Harden who led in building the Lemhi River Cowboy Church. 

As the congregation has grown from Palmer’s arrival in 1997 – it numbered 63 then – to 180 or more, Palmer has taught them to lead however they feel comfortable. For example, one woman doesn’t want to be in front of the church’s women’s ministries group.

“I like to do this,” she said, waving her hands over stacks of items for an upcoming women’s retreat that was, for the first time, to include women from churches up and down eastern Idaho. “This behind-the-scenes I could do all day long.” 

Women – and one man – from the church prepared the Friday supper and Saturday lunch during last spring’s Western Preacher School that took place the first weekend in May at the church. Purchasing, preparing, setting out and cleaning up all took different skill levels and helped newer members connect with those who’d been around awhile. 

Last year 20 people were baptized at Salmon Valley Baptist. In recent years the church had a baptism rate in the upper single digits, but God began to do a fresh work in the church and community in 2023 resulting in the increased baptisms.  

Central to Salmon Valley’s purpose as a church is to participate with other Southern Baptists in helping to fulfill the Great Commission. This is done through the investment of 10 percent of the congregation’s offerings to missions through Southern Baptist causes: the Cooperative Program, (7 percent) Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention (2 percent) and the Eastern Idaho Baptist Association (1 percent.) 

Church members in 2023 also gave $12,464 directly to international missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and $3,858 to North American missions through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. 

“For me personally, I think as a church the Cooperative Program is important because we’re joining other Southern Baptists in doing ministry around the Mountain West and across the world,” Palmer said. “God promises if we give, He’s going to give and I don’t mean financially but when we give to God, that’s obedience and He blesses that.  

“We’ve been extremely blessed by the partnership of our fellow Southern Baptist churches in Idaho as we reach out together to do ministry around the region and plant churches,” the pastor continued. “They’ve joined us in that ministry and we’re grateful they were able and willing to do that.” 

When Palmer moved to Salmon, he had no idea how to “do church” other than what he had learned at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, the pastor said, “walking with people in the joys and tragedies of life. I’ve learned from God, from doing, and from the people I’ve been walking with. 

“This is my first pastorate so everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned here,” Palmer said. “Always point people to Jesus. I don’t have anything that’s going to make a difference in their life, but Jesus does. 

“Don’t quit. Nobody sets out to quit, but many people do. God is faithful if we will remain true to His call. 

“Pastor your family first. If you don’t take care of your family, you’ll lose your family and your ministry.” 

When asked his vision for the future at Salmon Valley Baptist, Palmer said, “We’re going to continue to love our community when it’s hurting and when it’s not, and plant churches.”