About Calvary Moravian

Moravians believe deeply in Jesus as Savior and Lord, but we do not seek to define every aspect of doctrine and faith. We teach the essentials of faith, leaving the nonessentials to the individual believer to discern as they grow in their own spiritual journey. We believe that the manner in which we live our lives is the most important testimony. Those who live a life of love and respect for others testify more clearly of God than those who only preach doctrines.

The informal motto of the Moravian Church is: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love. The Moravian Church emphasizes only those core values that are made clear in the Bible, especially those taught and lived by our Lord Jesus Christ, who we regard to be the highest and best revelation of the nature of God. Issues that are not made clear in the Bible, particularly those that have historically divided the Church, are left to the individual believer. For example, the Moravian Church is one of the only denominations that does not teach a specific understanding of communion; people of Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Baptist backgrounds are welcome to meet at the Lord’s Table where each understanding of Communion will be respected.

It is not conformity to a particular interpretation of scripture that unites us; rather, it is Christ. Thus the Moravian Church does not focus so much on “right doctrine,” but rather on “right living.” Some of our basic beliefs are contained in a document known as The Ground of the Unity. Rather than signing on to a list of beliefs, members are asked to agree to a standard of life known as The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living. For more information, visit the web site of the Moravian Church in America.

Calvary Moravian Church has been in continuous service since 1889 when the “Calvary Chapel” opened. The church grew so much in the following years that the chapel was razed in 1926, and the sanctuary that stands today at the corner of Holly Avenue and Poplar Street in Winston-Salem. was built to hold 675 worshipers.

Calvary Moravian has long been noted for inspirational and creative worship, an outstanding music program, Sunday School for all ages, a caring fellowship, and varied opportunities of service to the congregation and the local community. In these ways, Calvary has responded to its call to faith in God through Jesus Christ.

Well into our second century of ministry, Calvary and its membership look forward to continuing in service to the Lord in a way that celebrates the past and is open to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit for the future. Our history reveals a deep desire to serve “the present age,” an “age” that is always before us.

The Moravian Church (officially the Unitas Fratrum, Unity of Brethren) is the oldest Protestant Church, predating Luther by 50 years.  A hundred years before Luther, what would become the Reformation was already under way in the person of Jan Hus, a Catholic priest who called for major reform in the Roman Catholic Church. He was declared an arch-heretic at the Council of Constance, and was burned at the stake. His martyrdom began the Hussite Wars and several groups exploring faith independent of Rome. At the end of the Hussite Wars, one group of Hussites influenced by Petr Chelcicki (whose writings also inspired Gandhi and MLK) abandoned violence and built a town where they could follow the Beatitudes and the model of the early church. They published the first hymnals for congregational singing, translated the Bible into Czech, and by the mid-16th century numbered over a half million. John Amos Comenius, the “Father of Modern Education” was a bishop and president of the group when the Thirty Years War nearly destroyed the population in Moravia and Bohemia, and placed them under Roman Catholic rule. Many went underground.

In the early 1700s a remnant — the grandchildren of the last official Brethren — emigrated to Saxony and built the village of Herrnhut on the lands of a Lutheran noble, Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf. After a terrible period of conflict, they all experienced a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit (the “Moravian Pentecost” in 1727) that brought them together as a true community — again trying to emulate the first century church. They felt called to mission (there were no organized Protestant missions at that point) and sent people all over the world to evangelize – particularly to the “last and the least,” slaves and natives, who were treated as equals. Moravians came to America not for religious freedom but to minister to the native Americans and settlers. They influenced the conversion of John & Charles Wesley, founded Bethlehem, PA and Salem, NC as central church communities that supported outlying mission communities. Moravians were the first to educate women in America at Salem Academy & College in North Carolina and Moravian Seminary for Women in Pennsylvania.

Today, most Moravians are in Africa and other mission fields. There are only about 35,000 in the US but over a million in Tanzania. The “Moravian principle,” which we share with other denominations, is “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things love.” We are the only mainline denomination that has never experienced a schism.

We encourage community organizations to contact us about using our available spaces for any number of events.

In addition to the sanctuary, Calvary Moravian has a three-level Christian Education wing that was erected on the west side of the building with over 6,000 square feet of classroom and office space on three levels, which is all handicap accessible via an elevator. We also have a basement fellowship hall which serves as a large meeting space and as a dining space, adjacent to our kitchen.

The Fellowship Center, a separate structure located behind our main building, contains a kitchen, bathrooms, meeting space, and pavilion. This center is used both by the church and the community.

Calvary’s organ was built by the Hook and Hastings Co. of Boston, Massachusetts. The Opus Number 2510 is inscribed in various places inside the organ, including the following: “organ installed March 18, 1926, W.C. Greenwood, J.B. Wilson.”

The organ is the only specimen of its type surviving in this area. It is part of the original equipment of the building and was unaltered until 1983 when it was “conservatively modernized.” The organ was refurbished again in 2019.

The clock tower was added to the church when it was re-built in 1926. This clock, which is still working today, had a previous life atop the original Winston-Salem City Hall that stood where the R.J. Reynolds building is today. Until 1972 when the clock was electrified, this Seth Thomas original was hand-wound every Friday.

Calvary’s bells are another unique feature of our sanctuary. A rope in the attic rings the larger bell manually. It was cast in 1892, and the smaller bell attached to the clock was cast in 1890.

Our pastor will be glad to discuss this with you. An appointment can be made to visit your home or you may make an appointment with Pastor Chaz at the church. Please click here to call church or call 336-722-3703 and schedule a time to speak with Pastor Chaz.

There are four ways to become a member of our congregation:

1. By baptism as a child, and confirmation of faith in later years.
2. By baptism as an adult. This is for persons not baptized as children, who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, and who desire to become members of the church.
3. By Reaffirmation of Faith. This is for persons who have previously confirmed their faith (by confirmation or adult baptism) but who have not been active members of a congregation for some time.
4. By transfer of membership from another Moravian or Christian Church by persons reaffirming their faith. This is particularly for persons in good standing of another congregation who wish to change their membership. A letter of transfer, or similar commendation, is required from the former congregation.