Central Moravian Church

Central's History

by Barbara B. Caldwell

Weaving through the venerable history of the Central Moravian Church are the recurring themes of change, adaptability and progress. From its genesis in 1742 when a handful of Moravian pioneers settled Bethlehem, Central Church and the early community emerged simultaneously and forged a unique bond that has become the cornerstone of contemporary Moravian life.

In January 1742, the Moravian settlers dedicated their central place of worship in the Saal, located on the second floor of the Gemeinhaus or community house. In June of that year, fifty-six members comprising the first Sea Congregation arrived in Bethlehem from Germany and joined the twenty-six inhabitants already present. The settlement congregation was officially organized on June 25, 1742. To this day, Central Church marks this significant date as the anniversary of its birth.

Nine years later in 1751, when the Saal could no longer accommodate the growing community, the Old Chapel became the new place of worship and served the congregation for the next fifty-five years.

Concerned that the Old Chapel was not large enough to house all the Moravians from the surrounding area for special festival occasions, some members began to press for a larger church building. None of these discussions was brought to fruition until the arrival of Bishop John Ettwein, whose unwavering determination kept the matter continually before the membership. As the result of the General Synod of 1789 in Herrnhut, Germany, Bishop Ettwein was inspired by the official approval to build a larger church; but he was disheartened by the laggard response of the Bethlehem authorities, who were preoccupied at the time with the proposed bridge to be built across the Lehigh River. He died before the decision to build was reached.

Finally, at a Church Council held in September 1802, the vote was unanimously made to move ahead with the building of a new church; but, disagreement about the construction site soon developed. Eventually, a compromise was reached and the present site was selected. Two log buildings were cleared, and stone was quarried that winter. Although an architect from Reading was chosen to be construction supervisor, that this title carried no significant weight was clear from the outset as the Elders' Conference had every intention to be fully responsible for matters pertaining to the building project and that every feature, no matter how minute, would be designed and constructed subject to their exclusive approval.

A number of building sketches emerged and after painstaking alterations, they settled upon a final plan which in many respects was influenced by the style of the German church in Neuwied-am-Rhein. Despite their intention to have the Bethlehem church built according to the established European Moravian custom, they broke the tradition early on by not placing the benches in the traditional lengthwise arrangement in the sanctuary.

In the following March, excavations began. Less than one month later, the massive, six-feet thick foundation walls were in place. On April 16, 1803, amidst great rejoicing the cornerstone was placed at the northeast corner of the building.

The building was impressively large, and the auditorium was nobly conceived with its unadorned dignity and remarkable spaciousness. It was the largest church building in Pennsylvania at that time. So great were the number of modifications that had occurred during the two years of construction that the interior of the church had become barely recognizable by those who attended the May 18, 1806, consecration services. The final cost of $52,000 had exceeded the $11,000 estimated when the plans were approved.

On the day of consecration, which was announced at five o'clock in the morning from the recently installed belfry, the sound of trombones, trumpets, and wind instruments filled the hearts of all with thanksgiving and festal joy. It was said that the estimated throng of 6,000 overflowed into the main street with arresting stillness since the church could only accommodate about one third of them.

The Moravian community evolved with its new church; and in 1845, after the exclusive communal system espoused by the congregation finally had been dissolved, the Moravian Church chose to become incorporated on April 3, 1851. Thenceforth, it took unprecedented measures to reach out to the growing and expanding community.

After other Moravian churches appeared in the area - first to the west and then to the north - the affiliation known as the Moravian Congregation of Bethlehem was eventually formalized in 1905 under a collegiate system and remained in effect until 1993. During these eighty-eight years, the members of West Side, College Hill, and Central Churches annually came together to celebrate the Easter Dawn and Sunrise Service, the Anniversary Lovefeast, the Children's Lovefeast and the Christmas Eve Vigils. Edgeboro Moravian Church was a part of the collegiate system until 1942.

In 1992, the 250th anniversary of the Moravian Church provided the opportunity for the Moravian Congregation of Bethlehem to recognize that there was a serious deficiency in its existing structure. (That this sense of dissatisfaction with the collegiate structure had earlier been made manifest is aptly recorded in the Gray Book as far back as the 1940's.) The important moment was at hand for Advent, East Hills, and Edgeboro Moravian Churches, Moravian College, and Moravian Academy to experience a spirit of solidarity as together they celebrated the community's rich and proud heritage. The old Moravian Congregation of Bethlehem could never return to its former static arrangement, for the need was now felt to be more inclusive and expansive to address the spiritual needs of today's community. In 1993, all of the Moravian entities in Bethlehem formally agreed to become part of a new organization known as the Bethlehem Area Moravians and a new dimension of Moravian life was introduced.

The grand mission of the Moravians throughout our time has been our great Christian evangelical endeavor. Education has always been an essential component of this goal. In keeping with the purpose of the Moravian system of education, which is to cultivate the soul, mind and body, Central Church has offered its members a sound foundation of Christian education with educational opportunities offered throughout the year by a staff of dedicated leaders and teachers. The curriculum includes Bible study, the study of religious literature, and programs which focus upon contemporary social issues. Today the Christian education program is stronger than it has ever been, and its future is committed to the ongoing spiritual nourishment of its members.

Another significant dimension of Central's witness has been felt through the ministry of music. From the early days of the community to the present, music has inspired every occasion. The ministry of music draws newcomers to the choir and to church membership. Weekly worship services are enhanced with the fine music provided by the Central Choir, which has developed an international reputation. One of the noteworthy musical organizations, which originated on April 2, 1900, in Central Church, is the Bethlehem Bach Choir. In 1950, Central Church was the site of the first Moravian Music Festival in America, featuring outstanding Moravian music. Subsequent festivals have been held in the church in 1976 and 1992. In addition to the choir, the Trombone Choir, Children's Choir, and Bell Choir add to the worship experience on special occasions. Central's musical program annually provides music for the wider community with the Estelle Borhek Johnston Memorial Concert.

During its long and successful history dating back to 1742, Moravian Academy has worked hand in hand with Central Church in carrying out a portion of its valuable work. The church sanctuary is frequently used to gather the young students for worship, festival occasions and vespers. This association has played a key part in the whole process of education and exposure to Moravian traditions for students and faculty.

Moravian College, the sixth oldest institution of higher learning in America, is a recipient of our Church's support in fulfilling many of its programs for the students, faculty, and community. The church has been the backdrop for the College's opening Freshmen Vespers, Baccalaureate Services, recitals, and the renowned Christmas Vespers which attract thousands every December. Moravian Theological Seminary holds its annual Commencement Exercises in Central's sanctuary.

Bethlehem and Central Church being the focal point of the Moravians in North America, visitors from all walks of life have made their pilgrimage to this historical place. The church has been visited by a large number of local citizens and is host to many international visitors and Moravians from other lands.

During the Advent and Christmas season, the church campus receives thousands of visitors who tour the historic buildings, view the famous Putz, and listen to beautiful organ concerts in the Old Chapel.

Central Church continues to change. An authority on Moravian architecture observed that "The attitude toward the old has changed in the past few years; we have become conscious of the value of our heritage. Any modification in the appearance or construction of the church should be in the direction of restoring the building to its earlier form." (Howland, Garth, An Architectural History of the Moravian Church, 1947) Care has been taken to heed this advice. The East End of the church was renovated in 1991. The Sacristy and Vestry were restored to their original purposes on the first floor. The second floor of the East End of the building had formerly been the home of the first Moravian Archives in America. Prior to that, it was used for practicing music from 1814 until 1824. This room, the Kleiner Saal, was restored as a music room.

Today it serves as a rehearsal hall for the Trombone and Bell Choirs as well as a setting for meetings and small worship gatherings. Its ornate molding was part of the original construction. The room is graced by a chandelier from Czechoslovakia, and the cherry spindle chairs are reproductions of the original choir chairs at Central in the 1800's. The southeast stairway was duplicated to be a mirror of the northeast stairway leading into the Kleiner Saal and features the original Oriel Pulpit (1806-1851) from the sanctuary. The 1750 Erben Tracker Organ, which had been stored in the Kleiner Saal, is currently being restored and will be returned to this setting.

The church offices, which had been housed on the first floor of the East End, were moved across the street to 73 West Church Street in 1987 when the property was purchased from the Provincial Elders' Conference. The pastoral, musical and secretarial staffs were, for the first time, consolidated under one roof. The office building was restored to its original character. In 1988 Central Moravian Church became incorporated.

The church has had a long-standing sensitivity to the social and missionary issues that confront it, and with prayerful thoughtfulness and practicality has responded to these concerns. The establishment of a food bank at the church continues to provide nourishment for hundreds of individuals and families in need. The clothing bank supplies usable garments to Moravians in other lands and states as well as our local citizenry.

In 1989, in a concerted effort to address the rising plight of homelessness in our city, Central Church joined with Wesley United Methodist, Christ Church UCC, Trinity Episcopal, Trinity UCC, and Grace Lutheran Churches to form an organization called Center City Ministries (CCM). Until a permanent facility was located, CCM churches opened their doors and welcomed the homeless to their premises. Today, this visionary group still comes together for joint worship and educational programs. Congregational members volunteer to help combat homelessness in the community. The Transitional Care Center, which provides temporary convalescent care to needy individuals, was developed in 1992 under the direction of CCM.

In 1990, Central Church officially established a partnership with the Sikonge Moravian Church in Tanzania for the particular purpose of sharing in ministry and prayerful support.

As our community and the world at large have been impacted by the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus, Central Church has become a leading force in addressing the issue through educational forums and the implementation of universal precautions for its members.

In order to remove barriers that would preclude the full participation of every person, the church building has undergone the necessary physical renovations to make it accessible to all.

With the advent of Musikfest in 1984, the community's nine-day music festival, Central Church has allowed its sanctuary to be used for vesper concerts; and in 1992, the Old Chapel was the setting for the Musikfest Chamber Concert series.

In 1991, the Board of Elders took action to reinstate regular worship services in the Old Chapel. Historically, the Old Chapel had been the early site of services conducted in English, while the Central Church sanctuary was used for the German services. This practice lasted until the twentieth century. Today, however, with the large number of younger families joining the church and the yearning for increased diversity in the worship experience, an early Sunday worship service in the Old Chapel now accommodates these needs. When the church sanctuary is under repair as was the case after the fire in 1941 and during periodic redecoration, the Old Chapel serves as the worship setting. The Chapel is also used for many other purposes including weddings, funerals, services for Moravian Academy students and Church Councils for the former Moravian Congregation of Bethlehem.

In 1988, the Board of Trustees established the Outreach Grants Fund, designed to provide support for evangelical and mission-oriented projects. Such expediency brought a more befitting stewardship of the undesignated legacies left to the church by devoted and caring members.

Throughout its formidable chronicle, the Central Moravian Church has attracted men, women and children who have a deep sense of awareness to that which is spiritual, a reverence for all of life, and a courage to blend these concepts into everyday living. Worship, mission, education, and music have become the hallmarks of this remarkable and ever-growing congregation. These values have been reflected vividly in architecture and program, but most of all through the lives of individuals who are the "living witnesses." Their vision, courage, and action will continue to serve future generations of Moravians