A group of Methodists was formed in Marblehead, Massachusetts, probably in 1791 or 1792, and was connected with the Lynn circuit until 1794, when it was set up for itself with thirty-two members. Salem was connected with it for a long time. In 1818, Rev. Jesse Fillmore was appointed to the circuit and preached fourteen sermons in Salem; he was assigned to Salem as a stationed pastor in 1822. He found twenty-five members there, all poor. Fillmore bought a lot of land on Sewall Street from A. Kneeland and his wife for $600 and built a church, which cost $4,000. It was dedicated on February 11, 1824, and Fillmore’s brother, Daniel Fillmore, preached the sermon.

Fillmore financed this church personally and never raised money from his parishioners. He soon fell deeper and deeper into debt, eventually to the amount of $20,000. Before the formation of a second Methodist church, the following names appear as having been pastors: Joseph B. Brown, 1832-1833; Jefferson Hamilton, 1833; T. C. Macreading, 1834; Aaron Waitt, 1834-1835; J. W. Downing, 1835-1838; T. G. Hiler, 1838-1839.

The Second Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in March, 1841, by members withdrawing from the First Church. They built a church in Union Square, later known as the Advent Church. The first pastor was Rev. N. S. Spaulding, who was succeeded by pastors including Revs. Joseph A. Merrill, David K. Merrill, Horace Moulton, Phineas Crandall, David L. Winslow and John W. Perkins. Trouble arose in the First Church, and after a few years the Second Church absorbed the active membership of the former. In 1851, a larger church was found necessary and was erected on Lafayette Street. The pastors include the following: Revs. Luman Boyden, 1851-1853; A. D. Merrill, 1853-1854; Daniel Richards, 1854-1856; John A. Adams, 1856-1857; Austin F. Herrick, 1857-1859; John H. Mansfield, 1859-1861; Edward A. Manning, 1861-1862; Gersom F. Cox, 1862-1864; Loranus Crowell, 1864-1867; S. F. Chase, 1867-1869; D. Dorchester, 1869-1872; J. S. Wheedon, 1872-1874; George Collyer, 1874-1877; Daniel Steel, 1877-1879; George W. Mansfield, 1879-1882; William P. Ray, 1882-1885; T. L. Gracey, 1885-1887.