History of Leaksville Moravian
When a number of Moravians from Mayodan moved to nearby
Leaksville in the early 1920’s to work in the new cotton mill
there they naturally wanted to take their church with them. And
they did just that.
At first in the summer of 1923 they held meetings in an â
€œupper roomâ€� above a store. Then they invited their
pastor, Howard G. Foltz of Mayodan, to preach. He held his first
formal Moravian service in Leaksville on August 5, 1923, in the
local YMCA.
Quickly the idea developed that Leaksville should be a
permanent work. A Sunday school was organized in July 1924,
and a Moravian society formed that December 5. Early the next
year J.K. McConnell, secretary of the Leaksville Y, took an
interest and began preaching. The Marshall Field company
offered a building lot, and the Leaksville Moravians began
raising money for a church from among themselves and â
€œfriends of the enterprise.â€�
The cornerstone of the Leaksville church was laid on July 8,
1928, and the building was formally opened that October 7 with
the Matilda Ward class of Home Church and Bishop Edward
Rondthaler holding a lovefeast. With Mayodan’s full
approval, Leaksville Moravian Church was organized as a
congregation of the Southern Province on April 21, 1929.
Leaksville weathered the Great Depression and World War II,
and with growth in the 1950’s the congregation added a
new Christian education building and belfry and renovated the
church. From 1970 until his retirement in the summer of 2002,
Leaksville’s pastor was John Christman. He had come down
from Pennsylvania for “only a couple of years.�
As the only Moravian church in an area of many other
denominations, Leaksville has been strong in ecumenical
endeavor. In 1979 it helped establish the Community Christian
Ministries of local churches, which provides emergency food,
fuel, and shelter to those in need.
Though many of its members are not of Moravian background,
Leaksville Moravian Church provides a “Moravian witnessâ
€� to the community with such services as Christmas Eve, Holy
Week, and Easter morning.
When a number of Moravians from Mayodan moved to nearby
Leaksville in the early 1920’s to work in the new cotton mill
there they naturally wanted to take their church with them. And
they did just that.
At first in the summer of 1923 they held meetings in an â
€œupper roomâ€� above a store. Then they invited their
pastor, Howard G. Foltz of Mayodan, to preach. He held his first
formal Moravian service in Leaksville on August 5, 1923, in the
local YMCA.
Quickly the idea developed that Leaksville should be a
permanent work. A Sunday school was organized in July 1924,
and a Moravian society formed that December 5. Early the next
year J.K. McConnell, secretary of the Leaksville Y, took an
interest and began preaching. The Marshall Field company
offered a building lot, and the Leaksville Moravians began
raising money for a church from among themselves and â
€œfriends of the enterprise.â€�
The cornerstone of the Leaksville church was laid on July 8,
1928, and the building was formally opened that October 7 with
the Matilda Ward class of Home Church and Bishop Edward
Rondthaler holding a lovefeast. With Mayodan’s full
approval, Leaksville Moravian Church was organized as a
congregation of the Southern Province on April 21, 1929.
Leaksville weathered the Great Depression and World War II,
and with growth in the 1950’s the congregation added a
new Christian education building and belfry and renovated the
church. From 1970 until his retirement in the summer of 2002,
Leaksville’s pastor was John Christman. He had come down
from Pennsylvania for “only a couple of years.�
As the only Moravian church in an area of many other
denominations, Leaksville has been strong in ecumenical
endeavor. In 1979 it helped establish the Community Christian
Ministries of local churches, which provides emergency food,
fuel, and shelter to those in need.
Though many of its members are not of Moravian background,
Leaksville Moravian Church provides a “Moravian witnessâ
€� to the community with such services as Christmas Eve, Holy
Week, and Easter morning.
| Leaksville Moravian Church 712 McConnell St. Eden North Carolina 27288 336-623-9440 |
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