Canaan United Methodist Church is at 1760 Shady Grove Church Road in Winston-Salem, a local congregation with roots in 1909 and a motto that sums up its work: “Love God, Serve Others, Grow Believers.” It is known for a century of Methodist worship and service, a blended Sunday rhythm that begins with Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and moves into worship at 10:30 a.m., and ministries that extend from nursery care and children’s classes to FUSION for youth, adult discipleship and the Lord’s Table food distribution.
From 21 People and a One-Room Church
Following a revival meeting at Old Bethany School House, near Bethany Church, on November 10, 1909, 21 people organized and decided to build Canaan Methodist Protestant Church. A one-room structure was completed, the first sermon was preached on the fourth Sunday in March 1911, and the church was dedicated that July. The interior and exterior were painted white in fall 1912. Four large Sunday School classrooms and a concrete porch were added in 1929. In 1933, a fence went around a cemetery purchased with money raised by the Ladies’ Aid Society. Another room and a belfry followed in 1936; the belfry held a bell donated by Mrs. W. P. Pickett of High Point, and a hand-carved solid walnut cross topped the steeple. The name became Canaan Methodist Church in 1939 and later Canaan United Methodist Church.
Renovation work began in 1941, bringing sheet-rocked walls, hardwood floors and new pews. Plans for an educational building took shape in 1944, a building fund was established in March 1945, and work started in 1946. The one-story brick veneer building had a full basement, seven classrooms, a pastor’s study, a fully equipped kitchen and an oil furnace large enough to heat the proposed new church. An electric organ and piano served the downstairs assembly room. After the educational building was dedicated in fall 1949 and connected temporarily to the old church by a causeway, the old structure was torn down in spring 1950. Regular worship continued in the assembly room while the modern brick sanctuary rose. The first service in the new sanctuary was held May 6, 1951.
A Sunday Morning That Begins at 9:30
Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, with classes for all ages from young children to senior adults. The hour offers study, fellowship and spiritual growth. At 10:30 a.m., the congregation gathers for a unified worship service that includes music by the choir, congregational singing, prayers, Scripture readings and the pastor’s sermon. The recurring service runs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and is intentionally described by Canaan as a blended style of traditional and contemporary elements. Reflection, inspiration and worship are all part of the service, which is intended to empower worshipers to share the difference with the world throughout the week.
A nursery is provided during the 10:30 service and staffed by dedicated volunteers who “rock and play.” Children can also join children’s Sunday school at 9:30. Services can be watched live through Canaan’s YouTube channel, giving those unable to attend in person a way to join the Sunday gathering. Canaan’s invitation is simple: “Come as you are.”
Canaan’s Kids: Learning, Loving and Living for Jesus
Canaan’s Kids includes a preschool ministry for children ages 3 and 4 and an elementary ministry for grades K through 5. Children’s Sunday school at 9:30 serves from birth through grade 4. Younger children have nursery and a more traditional Sunday school setting, while pre-kindergarteners through fourth graders participate in Sunday school classes. The church describes its child-centered approach with the words “Learning and Loving and Living for Jesus,” and its ministry welcomes “small hands,” cookie crumbs, noise and the prayer of a child’s voice.
Children with unique needs are supported, and Canaan is happy to arrange special accommodations so children and families feel comfortable. Canaan quotes Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Another reading, 1 John 3:2, says that when God appears, his children will be like him because they will see him as he is.
FUSION: Discipleship and Lunch After Worship
FUSION meets after the Sunday worship service, beginning at 11:45 a.m., and lunch is provided. Its focus is “I AM THIRD” being disciples. The youth ministry is intended to encourage and support the spiritual journey of young people, strengthen their involvement in church and help them participate in service to others. Sunday school, FUSION and confirmation classes all give young people places to learn and belong.
United Methodist Youth adds Bible study, retreats, mission work and service projects. Canaan also invites young people to share their gifts and talents through seasonal events, special services, worship, mentoring and teaching. The youth emphasis is practical as well as devotional: open hearts and willing hands are paired with study, fellowship, lunch and opportunities to serve.
Journey, Wesley and Friendship for Every Stage
Sunday school’s adult classes reflect different seasons of life. Journey gathers college students and young adults. Wesley is a diverse group for people in their “40 to 60 something,” including married couples and singles, whose study is normally outside the International series and is led by rotating teachers. Its goals are to study God’s Word, fellowship together and strengthen faith. Friendship is made up of members age 60 and older, but its easygoing environment welcomes all ages. Its teachers lead a fuller understanding of God’s Word, while the class takes a world-mission focus, supports the Lord’s Table Food Pantry and assists with community needs as they arise. Activities through the year add fun and fellowship.
Confirmation is a year-long preparation for students ready to claim their baptisms and begin life as disciples of Jesus. Regular learning sessions, visits to other Christian worship traditions and a weekend retreat are part of the preparation. Other ministries include women’s Bible study, Lenten Bible study, Advent Bible study, Family Night Meals and Senior Lunch Celebrations.
Canaan also connects generations through its Prayer Partner ministry, pairing older church members with younger members for prayer and fellowship. The men’s prayer group meets Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Each class and gathering offers a distinct setting for study, fellowship, spiritual growth and shared life.
The Lord’s Table and a Practical Ministry of Care
Food Distribution is a regular expression of Canaan’s local outreach. It takes place in the church parking lot from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month. Canaan partners with Second Harvest Food Bank, and all are welcomed. Guests are asked to bring proof of identification. Those who do not have a Food Bank card can complete paperwork and have one assigned.
Canaan hosts quarterly Red Cross blood drives, with walk-ins welcome. Its mission work also includes a Bed Ministry, support for Ronald McDonald House and a Bone Pillow Ministry. The Circle of Friends and Circle of Christian Service create additional times for fellowship and service. Giving to Canaan’s work is available through OnRealm.
A Sanctuary That Keeps Its Earliest Symbols
The present sanctuary carries visible pieces of Canaan’s earlier life. In its tower hangs the old bell, and on the pulpit rests the same Holy Bible. At the top, the cross moved from the old steeple glows from the light within. Chimes were added in 1953. In 1957, the educational building grew by three floors and ten more classrooms. Canaan marked its first fifty years with activities in November 1959; three charter members were still living, and membership stood at 225.
A major sanctuary renovation in 1998 added seating, enlarged the vestibule and brought in stained-glass windows illustrating the life of Christ from birth through resurrection. The first Fellowship Hall was built in 1961, and the current hall was completed in January 1990. In 2003, five classrooms and a large youth room were added at the back, with storage beneath. These additions reflect a church that has continually shaped its rooms for worship, study, fellowship and youth.
Pastor Jay Bowers, the Ministry Team and a Blended Choir
Pastor Jay Bowers has been in ministry for more than 20 years. Before entering ministry, he worked as an urban planner and grants administrator in eastern North Carolina, including work focused on disaster recovery. He studied at UNC Asheville, pursued graduate work in public administration at ECU and earned an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He also served churches in East Ayrshire, Scotland, in Cumnock and Lugar. Bowers considers his role at Canaan a privilege and God’s grace.
Jennifer Thompson directs Children and Youth Ministries. Her previous 12 years at Midway Elementary School included work with special-needs children, and she watches Canaan’s children learn to love Jesus. Monte Tuttle serves as Music Director and Organist. His deep love for traditional hymns and contemporary music shapes worship, and he directs the choir while providing cantatas, children’s music and seasonal services.
Grace, Discipleship and the United Methodist Faith
Canaan’s beliefs center on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born, lived, died and rose again for salvation; he is Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin and of the need to confess and repent. When people respond to God’s grace in this way, they enter a life-giving and life-saving relationship with God. Canaan aligns with the Apostles’ Creed and its confession of the Trinity, God as Creator, Jesus as God’s eternal Son and reconciler, the Holy Spirit, the universal church, communion of saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
As a United Methodist Church in the Yadkin Valley District of the Western North Carolina Conference, Canaan describes the denomination as worldwide, opening hearts, minds and doors through active engagement with the world. Its mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The Wesleyan heritage brings an emphasis on practical divinity, meaning genuine Christianity implemented in the lives of believers. Scripture is primary, illumined by tradition, vivified by personal experience and confirmed by reason. Individual members are expected to reflect critically on issues of faith, which leads to a church marked by diversity and variation, as well as a strong emphasis on grace, God’s unmerited favor.
Canaan describes itself as a safe, healing and transforming place where people can receive unconditional love and grace, simply be who they are, and seek connection with God, one another and the world. Those convictions shape a congregation whose life extends from the nursery and Sunday school to FUSION, adult classes, music, prayer and food distribution. At Canaan, loving Christ, loving each other and serving God in all that they do remain the shared center of worship, study, fellowship and service.