Konnoak Hills Moravian Church

World War II was over. America was enjoying a postwar boom. Television was in its infancy and had not yet come to Winston-Salem. The worldwide Moravian Church was in the opening stages of a 10-year celebration of the Quincentennial, its 500th anniversary.

And on February 25, 1949, 180 young adults from 34 congregations met at Trinity Moravian Church to organize the Provincial Young Adult Fellowship. Someone must have said, “Let’s start a church!” Because that’s exactly what they did.

The Young Adults tackled their first major project with professional vigor. In September 1949 they surveyed the Konnoak Hills section of Winston-Salem and found 128 Moravians as well as others interested in having a Moravian church built. The Church Aid and Extension Board approved the project in October, and in November PEC called John S. Goserud as founding pastor.

Meanwhile, the Young Adult Fellowship raised money by holding a “Konnoak Hills Dinner” on January 28, 1950, in Ardmore’s brand-new fellowship hall. Seven hundred people attended, representing 37 of the 42 churches of the Province. Cash in hand, the Young Adults purchased a lot on Konnoak Drive.

Br. Goserud, newly arrived from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, held Konnoak Hills’ first service on May 28, 1950, with 247 prospective members and well-wishers attending. The “church” was a large tent erected on the property, but soon that would change.

Groundbreaking for a permanent church building was on June 11, 1950, and the first service in it was on December 10.

Konnoak Hills Moravian Church was formally organized as a congregation of the Southern Province on January 21, 1951, with 82 charter members. It was less than 16 months since the Young Adult Fellowship conducted its survey of the community.

Quickly born, Konnoak Hills was also quickly growing. By 1954 needed Sunday school space was provided, a permanent parsonage replaced “tempar” (“temporary parsonage”) in 1956, and a handsome new sanctuary was built in 1965 and dedicated on October 17.

In 1951 PEC accurately observed that Konnoak Hills “has begun under most favorable circumstances.” It continues that way today, a congregation the whole Province pitched in to build.