New Philadelphia Moravian Church sits on Country Club Road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the heart of the state's historic Moravian country. The congregation's motto, drawn straight from the seal of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum), reads "Our Lamb Has Conquered, Let Us Follow Him," and the rhythm of the place - the brass of the band on Sunday mornings, the peal of the Bells of Joy, the shared bun and beeswax candle of the Christmas Eve Lovefeast - belongs unmistakably to the Moravian tradition that has shaped this corner of the Piedmont for more than two and a half centuries.
The mission of the church is stated plainly: "We seek to be an open and caring Christian congregation in the Moravian tradition, worshipping God and honoring the Scripture, while encouraging one another to live, love, and serve like Jesus as we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit." The senior pastor is the Rt. Rev. Sam Gray, a Bishop of the worldwide Moravian Unity elected in 2006. Associate Pastor Paul Stutzman, a former Church of the Brethren pastor who came on staff in March 2025, shares in preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. Together with a full staff of directors for children, youth, music, handbells, the preschool, and the audio-visual ministry, they shepherd a congregation whose life reaches from the nursery to the choir loft to the South Fork neighborhood and on to mission fields across the globe.
Sunday Mornings at New Philly
Two Sunday worship services are offered. The 9:30 a.m. service is held in person and livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube; the 11:30 a.m. service is in person only. The Rt. Rev. Sam Gray presides over both. The early service carries a more traditional feel, with the adult choir, the Moravian band, and the handbell choir all contributing, while the later service features a smaller vocal ensemble with a praise band of piano and guitar leading a range of music from classic hymns to more contemporary songs.
A nursery is staffed for the 9:30 service for infants through four-year-olds, and the room remains available to parents during the 11:30 hour. Sunday School meets between the services at 10:45 a.m. for everyone from preschool through high school, with a slate of adult classes running in parallel. The greeters, described by the church as "friendly team members with love and warmth," are on hand to answer questions and help newcomers find their way around the building.
The Christmas Eve Lovefeasts are the apex of the church year. Two services are held, at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., each preceded thirty minutes earlier by a band prelude. Dieners serve a simple meal of buns and coffee as the congregation sings carols; the choir offers several anthems; and as the congregation sings "Morning Star," candles of pure beeswax are distributed to every worshipper. In the final hymn the candles are held aloft, filling the sanctuary with a soft glow meant to recall the words, "I am the Light of the world."
A Faith Shaped by the Moravian Tradition
The Moravian character of the church is woven through its identity. The seal portrays a Lamb with a banner of victory and proclaims the Latin motto "Vicit Agnus Noster Eum Sequamur," which the congregation renders, "Our Lamb Has Conquered, Let Us Follow Him." The Moravian Church, also known as the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren), is one of the oldest Protestant traditions in the world, and New Philadelphia embraces that heritage while remaining rooted in Scripture and open to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Worship is Bible-centered and Christ-centered, with Communion observed regularly and Baptism practiced as a sacrament. Two foundational Moravian documents shape the congregation's life together: the Ground of the Unity, which serves as a theological guide, and the Covenant for Christian Living, which sets out how Moravians live as individuals, families, and worshiping communities. The Moravian motto in the New Philadelphia seal is repeated on banners, the church's own materials, and in the regular language of its members.
Music as Worship
Music is one of the defining expressions of Moravian worship, and New Philadelphia sustains a remarkable program of vocal and instrumental music under Director of Music Steve Gray, Organist Michael Westmoreland, and Handbell Director Terri Queen. The Choir leads the congregational singing and offers anthems at the 9:30 service, then sings at the 11:30 service as a smaller ensemble; the Choir also sings for the Christmas Eve services, Lenten services, and Easter. Rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and are open to anyone who wishes to sing, with or without prior choral experience.
The Moravian Band carries on a tradition that in this part of North Carolina goes back to the earliest Moravian settlers. Records kept by the community in Bethabara record the arrival of a shipment that included brass horns, and those instruments were put to use immediately. Today the band plays a prelude before the 9:30 worship service each Sunday, and contributes special music on Church Festival occasions throughout the year, including Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Palm Sunday, Passion Week, Easter, Pentecost, the Fourth of July, August 13th, the Church Anniversary, and Thanksgiving. During Lent and Advent the band plays rounds through the community and at the homes of shut-ins, and it also serves funerals of members within New Philadelphia and other Moravian congregations by playing in the graveyard before, during, and after committal.
The Bells of Joy, the church's handbell choir, rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 6:45 p.m. and on Friday mornings, and frequently rings in worship. Beyond the core ensembles, New Philadelphians contribute trumpet, flute, violin, and guitar in services throughout the year, and children have many opportunities to sing and play instruments in Kids' Worship, Sunday School, and Kids' Corral.
Forming Faith from the Nursery Up
Children are a central part of the church's life. The Children's Ministry, directed by Rachel Paden, is built around four rhythms: the nursery, Sunday School, Kid's Worship, and Kids' Corral. The nursery (Room 226) is staffed with two trained adults from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. and is also open during the 11:30 service. Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. offers classes named for ponies, phillies, and colts - Ponies for Preschool and PreK in Room 232, Phillies for K-2nd in Room 234, and Colts for 3rd-5th in Room 239. Each child is given an age-appropriate Bible.
During worship, children begin in the sanctuary with their families (or at the Nook Table, a space set aside for older toddlers and younger elementary). After the Children's Moment they are invited to the Fellowship Hall for Kid's Worship, a time of age-appropriate Bible teaching, worship, activities, and fellowship. Kids' Corral is the church's junior youth group, where children in the middle grades gather for Bible study, games, and the questions that come with growing up in the faith.
The youth ministry, led by Director of Youth Ministries Abby Dwiggins, meets middle and senior high students in the Youth Building. Sunday school runs from 10:45 to 11:25 a.m., with series such as "Faith in an Anxious World" and "The Big Questions." On at least two Sundays a month, the youth group meets in the evening: middle schoolers from 5:00 to 5:45, a shared dinner for all youth at 5:45, and senior high from 6:15 to 7:30. Doughnuts or munchkins are a regular feature.
Confirmation is offered for students in 6th through 8th grade. From the first week of January through Pentecost in May, classes meet Sunday afternoons in the youth hut, with each Confirmand paired with a Shepherd - an adult mentor of the student's choosing who meets with the young person one-on-one each week to discuss the journal topic. A second track called Discipleship: The Confirmation Experience (DCE) is tailored for 9th-12th graders who did not take Confirmation in middle school, with one-on-one meetings with a Shepherd every other week from October to Pentecost and a monthly gathering with Abby Dwiggins and Pastor Sam. Two summer mission trips extend the work beyond the church: a week at Laurel Ridge Camp, Conference, and Retreat Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains for service projects, and a Senior High trip with YouthWorks to a different city each summer, where the group serves food pantries, shelters, gardens, and day-care programs.
Adults in Study and Fellowship
Christian education does not stop with the young. Adult Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. offers a generous range of classes. Advent (Room 300) is a large presentation-based Bible study for working adults and those transitioning into retirement. David Jones (Room 222) is a discussion-based study using The Present Word, comfortable for retired adults. Discipleship (Room 133) gathers a mix of late-twenties to early-fifties members for conversation. Discovery (Room 139) uses study guides and current Christian literature. Inklings (Library) is a multi-generational discussion of provocative Christian books. Mary-Martha (Room 306) is a women's group studying texts grounded in Biblical interpretation. New Friendship (Room 301) is a mid-sized class oriented to presentation and discussion. Wayfinders (Room 201) is for those with questions and a desire to know more about Jesus. The Sisters of Deborah, "the Debs" (Room 305), is a fellowship and study group for younger women. A Men's Bible Study meets in Room 224.
Beyond Sunday morning, the Funtastics is a group of adults of all ages (and sometimes their grandchildren) that meets on the second Thursday of each month for a meal or light refreshments and a program, with special outings planned during the year. The New Philadelphia Mostly Southern Writers Book Club meets on the third Thursday of each month in the Friendship Room at 6:00 p.m. for conversation about the book at hand. Church members and non-church members are equally welcome.
The Women, the Men, and the Elders
The Women's Fellowship of New Philadelphia dates to 1919. Its charter is to promote Christian fellowship among the women of the congregation and to aid in the spiritual, social, and financial work of the church at home and throughout the world. Monthly Circle Meetings build Bible study and prayer, and the annual Holiday Treasures Sale supports a number of benevolent causes. The fellowship is perhaps best known for its chicken pies and homemade beeswax candles, both prepared by the loving hands of its members. Three active circles meet on different schedules: Circle 1 on the fourth Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. (responsible for candle trimming and candle tray cleaning), Circle 5 on the second Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. (cakes for Yokefellow Prison Ministry and Advent goodie bags for at-home members), and Circle 8 on the third Monday at 5:30 p.m. (Easter flowers on graves and Christmas tree decorating). A Bereavement Team, coordinated by Jane Shore, walks alongside families in times of loss.
The Men's Fellowship hosts a breakfast on the first Friday of each month at 7:30 a.m. in the Banquet Room. A cooking crew prepares a hearty home-style meal, and speakers from the Moravian community and beyond share informative and inspirational messages. There is no set charge; donations support the Simmons-Dula Fund for Laurel Ridge Camp and Conference Center, which underwrites maintenance projects at Laurels Lodge and four cabins, often completed by NPMC volunteers. The Men also sponsor annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Smoked Meat Sales.
On the first Wednesday of each month, the Open Door Ministry brings a meal and a visit from a member of the congregation to adults who are homebound. Acolytes also bring communion to those unable to attend worship in person - a gift of the sacraments and a time of prayer that is, the church notes, "an act of worship very much welcomed by those unable to enjoy in-person church attendance."
Neighbors at the South Fork
New Philadelphia is deeply connected to its South Fork neighborhood, and particularly to South Fork Elementary School, a Title 1 school just down the road. The relationship touches nearly every season of the church year. Apple Day opens the year, with apples from a Virginia orchard given to every scholar, faculty, and staff member. The school year closes with a 5th-grade graduation in the Fellowship Hall. In between, the congregation provides Thanksgiving meals for twenty-five to forty families, Christmas gifts and meals for thirty scholars and their families, a 4th-grade Lovefeast and punched-tin ornament making, toothbrushes and toothpaste for every scholar during Children's Dental Health Month, a book fair and egg hunt for all third-graders, Spring Break bags for twenty-five families, and lunch for the faculty and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week in May. Volunteers serve as Dolphin Dads on Duty, run the Valentine's Day Dance, and proctor End-of-Grade testing. The partnership is overseen by a South Fork Ministry team that meets on the third Tuesday of most months.
In May 2020 the congregation erected a Blessing Box on its grounds, a small pantry that provides food staples to hungry families and individuals in the surrounding neighborhood. Neighbors outside the church help keep it stocked. Each year during the first twelve days of December the church undertakes 12 Days of Service, a season of ramped-up community involvement that has included Sunnyside Ministry, South Fork Elementary, Samaritan Ministries, Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministry, and City with Dwellings among its partners. "12 Days of Service strengthens our church's impact as we start asking, 'How can we serve like Jesus?'"
Reaching to the Ends of the Earth
The same heartbeat reaches well beyond Winston-Salem. The Missions and Social Concerns Committee oversees financial support to missionaries and faith-based organizations locally and around the world, including partners in Sierra Leone, Kenya, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, the Middle East, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Honduras, and Haiti. Closer to home, the church supports InterVarsity/CRU, Sunnyside Ministries, the Rescue Mission, the NC Diaper Bank, Help Our People Eat (HOPE), Samaritan Ministries, Solus Christus, Winston-Salem Street School, City with Dwellings, and Forsyth Prison Ministry. The committee meets on the second Sunday of each month (except December) at 5:00 p.m. in the Banquet Room and is open to all who wish to participate.
A regular rhythm of prayer circles the world through the congregation. Each day of the month, members pray for a particular missionary, region, or ministry, from the Moravian Church in Alaska and Labrador to the Moravians in India, Nepal, Peru, and Brazil, from the Star Mountain ministry to the Ahuas Clinic in Honduras, from congregations in the Southern Shores region to Rolling Hills Moravian Church in Longwood. The Worldwide Unity, the Board of World Mission, and the Mission Society are lifted up in turn. Prayers are gathered by the Prayer Team, which welcomes requests sent to pray@newphilly.org.
Plan Your Visit
New Philadelphia Moravian Church is at 4440 Country Club Road in Winston-Salem. The main phone line is 336-765-2331 and the general email is info@newphilly.org. Sunday worship is at 9:30 a.m. (in person and online) and 11:30 a.m. (in person only), with Sunday School for all ages at 10:45 a.m. The nursery is staffed during the early service and available to parents during the later one. Visitors are warmly greeted and offered help finding classrooms, restrooms, and a place to sit; those who let the church know they are coming through the visit form can be met at the front door, introduced around, given a tour, and saved a seat in the sanctuary. A Plan Your Visit form is available on the church's online home, and the bulletin is posted each week for those who want to follow along with the service or watch later. The full music program, an extensive list of adult Sunday School classes, and the church's calendar are likewise available online. Those who want to walk alongside New Philadelphia in prayer or in giving can join the Prayer Team, contribute through Realm or the Moravian Ministries Foundation, or volunteer with one of the many committees and ministry groups that keep the congregation's life running.