Where Christ's Light Shines on Olivet Church Road
Olivet Moravian Church has stood on Olivet Church Road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for more than 150 years, making it one of the older Moravian congregations in the city's southern hills. The church's motto - "Where Christ's Light Shines" - reflects the warmth that greets visitors each Sunday morning, and the long tradition of service that has shaped the surrounding community since the 1800s.
Sunday Morning: Traditional Moravian Worship
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and follows a traditional Moravian pattern. Hymns and liturgies come from the Moravian Book of Worship, accompanied by choral and instrumental music and a children's message before the young people head to their own classes. A Gospel sermon is preached by the pastor, and a nursery is provided for infants and toddlers. Many families begin the morning earlier with Sunday School at 9:00 a.m., where classes for every age gather to study Scripture and discuss how it applies to daily life.
The Pastor and a Lifelong Music Team
Rev. Matthew W. Allen was installed as pastor of Olivet on January 18, 2015. A native of Winston-Salem, he grew up in the Friedland Moravian congregation, was baptized and confirmed there, and went on to earn a degree in Communication Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master of Divinity from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Before Olivet he served Pine Chapel Moravian Church (1998-2002) and Oak Grove Moravian Church (2002-2015). He also sings in the Olivet choir and the Moramus Chorale.
Music has been a hallmark of Olivet for decades. John Golden, the choir director, has been involved in music for nearly fifty years and has led the Olivet Choir for many of them. Winfield Beroth directs the Olivet Band, having joined the group himself as a fifth grader and now leading it for more than ten years. Together with the chancel choir, the band plays almost every Sunday as well as at Christmas, Easter, funerals and other special services. Handbells round out the music program.
Communion and the Lovefeast Tradition
Holy Communion is observed roughly eight times a year, and all professing Christians are welcome at the table. The Moravian Lovefeast, a fellowship service that includes hymns, special music and a simple shared meal of a sweet bun and coffee, is celebrated at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as at other times throughout the year. The tradition traces back to 1727, when the early Moravians shared a simple meal on Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf's estate in Saxony, and it has continued in Moravian congregations for nearly three hundred years. At Olivet the Lovefeast is a highlight of the church calendar, drawing members and visitors together in a vivid expression of unity in Christ.
Ministries for Every Age
Christian education runs from the nursery through the oldest members. Children join worship with their families, hear a brief message from the pastor, and then go to their own Sunday School classes. The Christian Education Committee oversees Sunday School, Youth Fellowship and Vacation Bible School. On Wednesday evenings, Pastor Allen leads an adult Bible study that works through different books of the Bible and occasional topical studies.
Men of the church and community gather for a Men's Fellowship breakfast on the third Sunday of each month, sponsor a biannual golf tournament, prepare and serve meals at homeless shelters and take on service projects at the church. A Congregational Care Team provides food for members after hospital stays, remembers shut-ins and college students on special occasions, and sends cards of sympathy, encouragement and care. A Stewardship Committee, a Missions Committee and an Evangelism Committee round out the leadership structure, while the Evangelism Committee welcomes visitors with a bag of information about the church and maintains Olivet's presence on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Serving Winston-Salem Through Outreach
Outreach is woven into the life of the congregation. The Blessings Box, located on the church grounds, is stocked with non-perishable items - canned tuna and chicken, vienna sausages, pork and beans, canned pasta and vegetables, small boxes of cereal, granola bars and similar goods - for anyone in the neighborhood who needs a meal. The Men's Fellowship prepares and serves food at homeless shelters, and a monthly Missions Committee project rotates among local partners.
Olivet supports a wide network of local and global ministries through ongoing financial gifts, donations and monthly collections, including Crisis Control, The Dwelling, Forsyth Jail and Prison, the Special Children's School, the Moravian Music Foundation, the Moravian Board of World Missions, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Sunnyside Ministry, Trellis Supportive Care, Samaritan Ministries and Laurel Ridge Moravian Camp and Conference Center.
A Congregation of the Unitas Fratrum
Olivet is a congregation of the Moravian Church in North America's Southern Province and a member of the Unitas Fratrum, the worldwide Unity of the Moravian Church. The church's stated beliefs center on Christianity as a way of life in Christ, the Bible as the Word of God, salvation as a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ, and practical faith lived out in daily experience. The guiding spirit of the congregation is captured in a long-standing Moravian motto: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love."
Worship is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel each Sunday at 10:00 a.m., and a sermon archive is available there as well. Gifts can be made during worship, mailed to the church office or given securely online.