Central Moravian Church has stood at the corner of West Church Street and Heckewelder Place in historic downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, since the early Moravian settlers built a log house on the east bank of the Monocacy Creek in 1741. Two centuries and more than 280 years later, the congregation still gathers for worship in its 1751 Old Chapel and 1806 Sanctuary, anchors a cluster of Moravian ministries in the Lehigh Valley, and is one of three Moravian Church Settlements - together with Herrnhut, Germany, and Gracehill, Northern Ireland - recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Locals know it as the church that sings, the church that fills the sanctuary with trombone choirs on holy days, and the church that has quietly fed and clothed its neighbors for decades through a food pantry, a clothing closet, and a refugee resettlement committee.
Two Worship Buildings in the Heart of Bethlehem
The campus is a small village of stone and stucco clustered around the Campus Green. The Sanctuary, completed in 1806, seats 1,100 and anchors the corner of Church and Main Streets. It is used for the 11 a.m. Sunday worship September through May, for the single 10 a.m. summer service June through August, and for weddings, funerals, lectures, and public concerts. The northeast entrance off Heckewelder Place is the handicap accessible door, and handicap parking spaces are tucked close to that entrance - on Sunday mornings that stretch of curb space runs all the way to Church Street.
Across the green to the east stands the Old Chapel, built in 1751 when the Moravian community outgrew its first worship space in the Gemeinhaus. A small, intimate room seating about 180, the Chapel hosts 9 a.m. Sunday worship September through May, weddings, funerals, and the Chamber Music Concert series. A lift carries worshippers from the handicap accessible lower level up to the worship space. Tucked between the Chapel and the Sisters' House on Main Street is the Christian Education building, built in 1901 and remodeled in 1966 and 1998. Its ground floor holds Nitschmann Hall and the Zinzendorf Parlor, its first floor holds Benigna Auditorium and the classrooms where children gather on Sunday mornings, and an elevator links the floors. A small parking lot beside the CE building offers space for loading and unloading, and a larger CE parking lot beside God's Acre offers spaces for Sunday programs. Across the street, the Church Office Building at 73 W. Church Street holds staff offices on the first and second floors, with the Food Pantry, Cynthia's Boutique clothing closet, and the Candle Making Room down in the basement.
Roots in the Unitas Fratrum
Central Moravian Church is Bethlehem's first congregation and the oldest Moravian church in North America. Moravian settlers arrived in 1741 to serve unchurched German settlers and to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Native Americans in the region. Their leader, Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf, named the place Bethlehem on Christmas Eve 1741, and the congregation officially organized on June 25, 1742. The missionary settlers were part of one of the oldest recognized Protestant denominations in the world, the Unitas Fratrum, the Unity of the Brethren, which began in 1457 in what is now the Czech Republic. After years of persecution in their native land, many from the old Unity immigrated to Germany and began settling on Zinzendorf's estate at Herrnhut in 1722. With a renewed spirit of purpose they began sending out missionaries in 1732, and over the centuries the Moravian church grew to span Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, North America, South America, Nepal, and Africa.
Central Moravian carries on that missionary work today. Since 1991 the church has partnered with its sister congregation, Sikonge Moravian Church in Tanzania, in a ministry that has evolved from AIDS education and prevention into support for church construction, well-digging, and orphans in the larger Sikonge district and in Tabora. From 2009 to 2018 a Nepali Moravian Outreach Committee supported the growth of educational ministries in Nepal, and although that committee concluded its work in October 2018 the congregation continues to encourage and support the Nepali Moravian church. Central also collaborates with Moravian University to bring international students to study in Bethlehem; members help furnish dormitory rooms, supply books and personal items, and provide local support, while Moravian University covers tuition and room and board for two qualified students every other year.
Essentials, Liberty, and Love
The Moravian motto hangs over everything at Central: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love." The church states its own essentials briefly: "God creates, redeems and blesses. We respond in faith, love and hope." Its mission is "an inclusive community of God's people which assembles for worship, education, and fellowship as members of the worldwide Moravian Church," with members committed to meeting the needs of society and nurturing individuals on their spiritual journeys while honoring Moravian heritage. The vision statement calls for meaningful opportunities for worship, a dynamic music ministry, active Christian education and spiritual development, awareness of and response to social, spiritual and physical needs, good financial stewardship, affirmation and development of community and worldwide partners, and the practice of the motto.
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning at Central looks like this from September through May: at 9 a.m. the Old Chapel fills with about 180 worshippers for a 45-minute service led by Chapel Organist Richard Miller and the volunteer Chapel Choir. The service includes a Children's Message, at which the children come forward for an age-appropriate lesson with the pastors before being dismissed to Sunday School. Children's packets and bulletins help younger worshippers follow along.
At 10 a.m. children move to the Christian Education building for Sunday School and the K-5 Children's Choir, with separate classes for Pre-K (ages 2 through Pre-K), lower elementary (kindergarten and up), and upper elementary (middle school). Adults also gather at 11 a.m. in Zinzendorf Parlor for the Adult Sunday School Class, led by Dr. Brigidda Zapatta, New Testament professor at Moravian Theological Seminary, for an informal and engaging look at the biblical texts.
At 11 a.m. the Sanctuary service begins under the leadership of the Senior Pastor, with the Church Choir, Brass Ensemble, Trombone Choir, and other instrumentalists contributing to the music. An unstaffed nursery in the West Room of the Sanctuary is available for families with small children who need a break during worship. The service is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube Live and posted to Central's YouTube channel for later viewing. The 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services run on the same September-through-May schedule so families can participate in either one and still get to Sunday School in between. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend the congregation gathers for a single 10 a.m. Sanctuary service.
Lovefeasts and Communion
Lovefeast is one of the most distinctive Moravian worship traditions, and Central practices it with care. The service began as an early Christian fellowship meal, the "agape" meal, and took its particular Moravian shape on August 13, 1727 in Berthelsdorf, Germany, when Count Zinzendorf, wanting to encourage members of the Moravian community to stay and talk after worship, sent down food from his kitchen. A Lovefeast at Central today may or may not include a sermon, but it always includes singing and something to eat and drink - a sweet bun or cookie and coffee or juice. While sacristans serve this simple meal, the congregation sings hymns chosen to convey the message for the day. Children's Lovefeasts, like the one that filled the Old Chapel in late September, gather the youngest members for their own version of the tradition.
Holy Communion is offered to members of all Christian denominations. Pastors or elders serve first the bread and then the cup while the congregation sings hymns especially chosen to convey the message of the day, and then the congregation partakes together. Gluten-free wafers are available, and families with children who wish to receive communion are invited to talk with one of the pastors; children may receive communion provided they have an age-appropriate understanding of it.
A National Landmark of Music
Music has been woven into Central Moravian since the first settlers chose musicians among the first citizens of Bethlehem. The first pipe organ in Bethlehem was installed in 1746, a small orchestra was founded in 1748, and in 1754 a full trombone choir of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass was sent to the new colony, the forerunner of the Bethlehem Area Moravian Trombone Choir, which still performs regularly and can be heard at least once a month playing hymn chorales from the belfry of Central Moravian Church. Because of the close connection of early American Moravians to their European roots, the Moravians had access to contemporary music being composed in Europe. Haydn's "The Creation" was performed for the first time in the United States in the Sanctuary of Central Moravian Church in 1811, and the first complete performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor was presented at Central in 1900, earning the Sanctuary recognition as a National Landmark of Music.
That tradition continues under the leadership of Becky Lepore, Minister of Music and now Pastor of Congregational Life. The Central Moravian Church Choir, a non-auditioned choir of mostly volunteers, sings for Sunday morning worship, special services and concerts, and has recorded three CDs and been featured on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion Christmas Show. The Chapel Choir, an eighteen-voice all-volunteer ensemble directed by Richard Miller, sings for the 9 a.m. worship one or two times a month from September through May, with small ensembles, soloists, a men's chorus, and a women's chorus filling the other Sundays. The Central Brass Ensemble plays chorales, hymn accompaniments, and joins the organ for postludes in the Sanctuary on the second Sunday of the month from September through June. The Bethlehem Area Moravian Trombone Choir, founded in 1754 and directed by Don Kemmerer, plays for memorial and worship services throughout the year.
The Sanctuary organ is a 1954 Möller Opus 8650, restored in 2007 by Emery Brothers with digital enhancements by the Walker Technical Company: four manuals, 109 ranks, and 3,057 pipes. The Chapel organ is a 2013 three-manual instrument with three ranks of pipes and 46 ranks of Walker digital stops. The Kleiner Saal organ on the Sanctuary's second floor is an 1857 Erben of one manual and six ranks. Central's concert series also welcomes the wider community: the Bach Choir of Bethlehem offers Bach at Noon concerts free to the public in the Sanctuary on the second Tuesday of every month from September through April (except December), and chamber music concerts in the Old Chapel draw musicians from across the region.
Children and Youth
Children are a visible and joyful part of Central Moravian. Children's Ministries Director Linda de Vries leads Sunday School and the K-5 Children's Choir, coordinates Friday Fun Night, and supports the pastoral staff with youth programming. The Pre-K class meets in a first-floor classroom in the CE building filled with age-appropriate toys and led by Beth Careyva with Ruth Ferrey. Lower elementary (kindergarten and up) gathers around a Noah's ark rug in the lower level to use the "Holy Moly" animated Bible story curriculum, taught by Kelly Ahn, Lynne Brolly, and Pat Metcalf. Upper elementary has its own redesigned space with colorful rockers and uses the Re:Form curriculum with journaling and creative thinking, taught by Gayle Dimmick and Karen Brady. Registration is required for both Sunday School and Friday Fun Night, with a designated adult signature now required for dismissal.
Friday Fun Night meets on the third Friday of the month from September through April, 6 to 8 p.m. in Nitschmann Hall, with games, Bible stories, crafts, music, and food for Pre-K through fifth graders, led by Josh Follweiler. Vacation Bible School runs for a week each summer for four-year-olds through sixth graders in cooperation with East Hills, College Hill, and Advent Moravian Churches, with the middle and high school youth serving as volunteer class assistants. Camp Hope camperships are offered to children and youth wishing to attend weekend summer camps at the Hope Conference and Renewal Center in Hope, New Jersey.
For older youth, the church offers a monthly youth group for grades 5 through senior high, centered around service opportunities in the church and the wider community. Pastor Janel Rice has sent letters to all ninth and ninth high schoolers not yet confirmed exploring whether an older-youth confirmation class might be possible this year. Confirmation, Camp Hope junior and senior high camps, and the spring trip to New York City to serve at the Moravian Open Door's transitional homeless shelter are all part of the rhythm of growing up at Central.
Adults: Bible Studies and the New Catechism
Central Moravian offers several regular opportunities for adults to grow in faith together. The Morning Bible Study meets every Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. in the lower level of the Christian Education building for a free-spirited, ecumenical, discussion-oriented study with a simple breakfast. The Women's Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 11 a.m. in the church office conference room. Comenius Tuesday participants read and discuss a wide variety of books and resources and explore the Bible, biblical archeology and anthropology, progressive Christianity, comparative religions, and environmental morality, deepening their understanding of the Bible and its metaphorical implications for personal and communal life.
The New Moravian Catechism Zoom gathers monthly to explore the catechism adopted by the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church in 2021. The catechism looks back to the historical simplicity of "Essentials, Ministry and Incidentals" of the fifteenth-century Moravian Church, highlighting the unity in core essential beliefs and the diversity in things not required. Two groups are offered: the Evening Moravian Women group meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 7 p.m., and the open-to-all Daytime Group meets on the first Monday at 10 a.m., both running from August through May. The gatherings explore God's role in core belief and the church's part in responding to God and all of creation with faith, love, and hope, building community in the early Moravian spirit of "in all things love."
Other adult learning opportunities include the Adult Sunday School Class led by Dr. Brigidda Zapatta, an ongoing study of end-of-life planning, and a study series on Christian Nationalism that responds to the 2023 Synod of the Moravian Church Northern Province resolution rejecting Christian Nationalism and the Province's 2024 endorsement of the Statement of Christians against Christian Nationalism.
A Long Tradition of Service
Central Moravian's social action ministries are extensive and well organized, guided by a Social Action Committee and supported by the Bishop C. Hopeton Clennon Memorial Endowment for Social Action, established by the Kessler family in memory of the beloved former Senior Pastor. The Racial Justice Team, the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, Bread for the World, the Central Food Pantry, Cynthia's Clothing Boutique, Central Santa, Victory House, and the Mental Health Awareness ministry all fall under its care.
The Food Pantry opens to the public on the first Friday, second Saturday, third Saturday, and fourth Friday of each month from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., with clients choosing the refrigerated, frozen, and non-perishable items they prefer for their families, assisted by volunteers who help pack bags and load cars. Drive-by drop-off donations are accepted in the Christian Education building parking lot on the first Sunday of each month. Cynthia's Boutique, the clothing closet named for Cynthia Clennon, is open to the public on the first Friday and third Saturday of each month from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., with warm and respectful volunteers helping clients find clothing for themselves and their families. Clothing donations are accepted on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon.
Central cooks and serves lunch at the New Bethany Ministries Mollard Hospitality Center on the corner of 4th and Wyandotte Streets in Southside Bethlehem several times a month, a commitment that has lasted for over thirty years. Since 1985 the church has been providing meals once or twice a month for the residents of Victory House, a transitional housing facility for formerly homeless men, where volunteers cook in their homes and bring it in to be reheated and served, or cook in the facility's well-equipped kitchen. About six times a year, members of the six Bethlehem Area Moravian Churches gather at East Hills Moravian Church for the Freezer Ministry, cooking, packing, and freezing major quantities of food for distribution through any of the churches.
The church participates in the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering system, offering supper, overnight shelter, and breakfast for homeless neighbors from December through March, the coldest months of the year. The Resettlement Committee, recalling the Moravians' own history as refugees during times of war and oppression, has helped a Syrian family resettle in the Lehigh Valley since 2015 through the Bethlehem Interfaith Resettlement Committee, and began work to help an Afghan family resettle in Bethlehem in late 2021. Other social action work includes the annual CROP Walk supporting Church World Service, Bread for the World's annual offering of letters, Central Santas providing books for children through Community Services for Children in Allentown and Esperanza for Bethlehem each Christmas, Fair Trade Coffee from Equal Exchange sold on the second Sunday of each month, and Luminaria Night, when the congregation places and lights luminaria around the Sanctuary building one Saturday evening in December as a fundraiser for New Bethany Ministries.
Fellowship and Handcraft
The fellowship groups at Central keep generations of women - and a few men - in stitches and song. The Ladies' Sewing Society was begun by Polly Heckewelder in 1861 to help with the Civil War relief effort and soon began making the signature "Polly Dolls" still sold today to benefit many church causes; the group meets every Tuesday from September through May at 9:30 a.m. in the church office conference room. The Busy Workers' Society meets weekly on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in the lower level of the Chapel, making Anna Nitschmann dolls and running Christmas and Mothers' Day sales that benefit church camp, international students, the Food Pantry, and shelter programs. The Knitting Group, "Knitting into the Mystery," meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. in the church office conference room to make prayer shawls donated to the Busy Workers' Prayer Shawl Ministry. Moravian Women gathers monthly in small group circles for a planned program of study, prayer, and fellowship.
Becoming a Member
Twice a year, Senior Pastor Janel Rice offers Inquirers' Classes, three sessions that develop deeper understanding of the ministry and mission of Central Moravian Church and may lead to church membership. Classes meet in the Christian Education building with lunch included, and are open to anyone interested in membership or simply curious about the Moravian Church's history, the current ministries of the congregation, and what it means to be a member. Reception Sunday follows the classes, when new members are formally received into the congregation.
Visiting Central
Central Moravian welcomes visitors warmly and practically. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3 p.m. The Northeast entrance off Heckewelder Place is the handicap accessible entrance to the Sanctuary; the Old Chapel's lower level is handicap accessible, with a lift to the upper worship space. Handicap parking is available close to the Sanctuary entrance. The North Street Parking Garage at 75 W. North Street is about a ten-minute walk up Main Street. On Sundays, Children's packets and bulletins are available for young families, an unstaffed nursery is available in the West Room of the Sanctuary during the 11 a.m. service, and Children's Sunday School and the K-5 Children's Choir meet at 10 a.m. between the two morning worship services.
Chapel and Church Tours, with a suggested donation of $5 per person, walk visitors through both the 1751 Old Chapel and the 1806 Sanctuary, including the second-floor Kleiner Saal, on Saturdays. Guided tours outside of regular hours can be arranged by contacting the church office. The gift shop carries unique Moravian items, books, and other gifts. Weddings are celebrated in both the Sanctuary and the Old Chapel for members and non-members.
Those interested in supporting the many ministries of Central Moravian Church can give online through the Moravian Ministries Foundation, by ACH or credit/debit card through their own bank's online system, by check or money order mailed to 73 W. Church Street, by stocks or bonds, through planned giving arrangements, or by PayPal. Special mission envelopes, weekly offering envelopes, and the Bishop C. Hopeton Clennon Memorial Endowment for Social Action offer additional ways to support the work of the congregation.
From its first worship in 1742 to its recognition as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its continuing food pantry, clothing closet, refugee resettlement, and music ministry today, Central Moravian Church remains at the heart of Bethlehem's oldest spiritual community, an active congregation carrying more than 280 years of Moravian heritage into the Lehigh Valley of the present day.