“Come over and help us” was the plea. And so Francis Florentine Hagen, pastor of Friedberg, crossed the Yadkin River and preached at Cope’s Schoolhouse in Davie County on September 16, 1854.
This was not the first time a Moravian minister had visited the area. George Soelle, our itinerant preacher, wandered through. Other ministers held occasional services at the Bryant settlement, and a meetinghouse was built there called Timber Ridge. But all that was in the 1770’s and 1780’s. Moravians hadn’t done much since then — not until Br. Hagen answered the plea to “come over and help us.”
What Br. Hagen found were “very zealous” people, zealous for their church and their faith.
They were eager to build a meetinghouse for Moravians to preach in, and in less than two years it was done. Bishop John C. Jacobson, visiting from the Northern Province, consecrated the little church on May 24, 1856, and the crowd was so large the service had to be held outdoors. The church received the name Macedonia as in the Apostle Paul’s vision in Acts 16:9.
Barely 20 years later, in 1878, Macedonia built a larger church, and Bishop Emil A. de Schweinitz consecrated it on September 7. Less than 50 years later, in 1927, Macedonia saw the need for yet a larger church. This one was a brick structure able to seat 300. Bishop Edward Rondthaler consecrated it on May 25, 1930. He was 87 years old; Macedonia was 74, almost to the day. Hardly 30 years later, in 1963, Macedonia broke ground for its most recent church to date, one that can seat 450. Bishop Kenneth G. Hamilton consecrated it on October 18, 1964. Meanwhile, Macedonia built a parsonage in 1924 (“with running water and electric lights” — very modern for a country church then), classrooms, chapel, and fellowship hall in 1931, a second parsonage in 1969, and a new fellowship hall and educational facilities in 1990.
Today Macedonia finds itself a growing church in a growing community with ample opportunity to practice the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Macedonia’s Social Concerns Committee received the Governor’s Award in 1994 for outstanding volunteer service. A Christian Network for the Needy was organized in 1995. A preschool program is nearing its second decade of service. Prayer ministries abound, and spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12) are exercised by the members as God works among them.