The Reverend Tristan J. Salley is a native of Hartford, CT, and now serves as the Senior Pastor of the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rockville Centre, NY. 

 

Reverend Salley is a 2008 graduate of the University of Hartford, in West Hartford, CT, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.  Upon graduation Reverend Salley began working in higher education at Goodwin College in East Hartford, CT, where he served in the dual capacity of Summer Bridge Coordinator and Mentor Coordinator for the Men of Vision and Education “MOVE” Program, a grant funded program that assisted minority young men with the opportunity to bridge barriers and achieve their educational goals.

 

In July of 2012, Reverend Salley returned to the academic arena at Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, OH, where he obtained his Master of Divinity degree in May of 2015.

 

In April of 2015 the Right Reverend Gregory G.M. Ingram ordained Reverend Salley as an Itinerate Deacon at the 164th Session of the New England Annual Conference and the following year, 2016, Bishop Ingram ordained Reverend Salley as an Itinerate Elder in the AME Church at the 20th Session of the Western New York Annual Conference.

 

In June of 2015, Reverend Salley received his first pastoral appointment, as he was assigned to serve as the 16th and "youngest" pastor of the Delaine-Waring AME Church in Buffalo, New York. During his three-year tenure as pastor, Delaine Waring Church grow spiritually and financially as Reverend Salley was a champion for administrative autonomy and organizational infrastructure.

 

In September 2018, Reverend Salley was assigned to his second pastoral charge, when Bishop Ingram assigned him to lead the St. Paul AME Church in Rockville Centre, NY. Since his appointment Reverend Salley has actively worked to “touch lives, impact generations and empower communities.” 

 

As a lifelong AME, Reverend Salley has served the church on all levels, most notably as the First Vice President of the First District Young People’s and Children’s Division (YPD) from 2006-2013, and as a member of the General Board of the AME Church from 2008-2012. Reverend Salley attributes his love of the African Methodism to the support and encouragement of those who saw something in him and pushed him to grow.

 

Outside of the church, Reverend Salley has been a member of numerous non-profit and governmental organizations and has served in many leadership capacities. Currently Reverend Salley is a member of the Nassau County Police Department’s Commissioners Community Council and is an active member of the Lakeview Branch of the NAACP.

 

Reverend Salley is the proud son of Mrs. Glenda Brisard and his favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5 and 6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”