Cindy Ford made a big impression on everyone around her. Her enthusiasm and seemingly boundless energy helped make the building of the parsonage possible in Salmon, Idaho.
Salmon Adventist Church members completed and received an occupancy permit on the Cindy Ford Parsonage fifteen months after the building's groundbreaking.
On July 3, 2023, church members, the community and the Ford family gathered to celebrate the completion of the parsonage with an open house. David Salazar, Idaho Conference vice president, represented conference administration. Also present were Patrick Frey, Idaho Conference superintendent of education, and Eve Rusk, Idaho Conference communication director.
Ford was a driving force behind the fundraising for the parsonage. Tragically, she passed away just days before the community auction she organized to raise funds. In a tribute to her dedication, the parsonage was named in her honor. The house is debt-free.
Salmon is a remote town in Idaho Conference, about a five-hour drive from the conference office. It has an Adventist church and an Adventist school; however, due to its distance from any other church in the conference, it is in a district by itself. The next nearest Adventist church is in Montana. The town’s population is 3,360, making it the 45th largest city in Idaho, a state of just over 200 cities in total.
Because of this remoteness, the conference hires only a part-time pastor for the church, and most recently, that position has been filled by retired pastors for two-year terms. Finding housing in Salmon can be challenging, especially when one is working on a part-time basis, so to help solve this issue, members of the Salmon Church determined to build a parsonage.
The project became more than a Salmon Church project; the entire community of Salmon and its surrounding areas became involved in the fundraising, and members of the church provided much of the labor. At the groundbreaking, several local officials were present. At the open house, a community member donated a solid oak dining table.
Salmon is a ranching, rafting, hunting and outfitting community, with the nearest box store shopping options two and a half hours away in Missoula, Montana. People have learned to depend on each other. It’s a place where you know your neighbors.
Salmon Church members are known in their community. Their light shines more brightly on the hill now; they are just waiting for a pastor to fill the parsonage and help them impact the community of Salmon for God’s Kingdom.
The Cindy Ford Parsonage is a lovely three-bedroom/two-bath home waiting for Salmon's next pastor.
David Salazar, Vice President for Administration, represented Idaho Conference administration at the open house.
Attendees enjoyed delicious food and a cake in honor of Cindy Ford.
Many Salmon Church members, Cindy Ford's family and community members listen to the history of the parsonage.
To honor Cindy Ford, a plaque was attached to a large rock in the front yard of the parsonage.
