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Moravian Archives, Winston-Salem, NC

since 1753, documenting
our churches, our families, our communities

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New Eden Moravian Church

South of Winston-Salem in 1923 in a community called Yontztown, members of Trinity Moravian Church and its pastor, Douglas L. Rights, saw a need for a mission Sunday school.

The area had once been served by the old Eden Chapel, begun in 1875 near Emanuel Tesch’s. That work had been superseded in 1915 by the Yontztown Sunday School, begun by Trinity. But this work too had closed in the World War.

But now on January 28, 1923, work was begun again in Yontztown. Meetings were held in a rented store building, and Samuel J. Tesch — years later a bishop of the Moravian Church but now a seminary student — was superintendent.

This time the work took hold — but not before an early scare. The store the Sunday school was meeting in was sold. Faced with disbanding yet again or raising $2,500 for a building of their own, they opted for the latter, and even sold “shares” (“par value $25.00,” “a safe investment”) to raise the money. On June 8, 1924, the “new Eden chapel, on Lexington road, just south of the city limits,” was opened. Br. Rights of Trinity presided, and E. E. Knouse, an official of the old Eden Chapel, offered prayer.

Douglas Rights continued as overseeing pastor of New Eden, and James P. Crouch and William E. Spaugh conducted the services. This arrangement lasted until 1946, when Egbert G. Lineback was called as New Eden’s pastor. In 1953 Br. Lineback became New Eden’s first full-time pastor.

It was during Br. Lineback’s pastorate that the building of a new plant by Western Electric on Lexington Road required New Eden to seek a new home. The congregation chose the site of the old Eden Chapel at Old Lexington Road and Palmer Lane. While the new brick building was going up the congregation held services in a tent. Finally the new church was opened on May 8, 1955, with a combined cornerstone laying and lovefeast.

Still growing, New Eden completed upstairs Sunday school rooms in 1964, and erected a brick parsonage across the street from the church for its pastor in 1967. But for the last number of years, New Eden has declined in membership. In April 2000 it was yoked with Immanuel to share the same pastor, and then on October 7, 2002, it made Provincial history by merging with Immanuel to form a new congregation called Immanuel-New Eden Moravian Church.

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Give to our Technology Fund – a Special Project for 2019-2020

Monies will purchase new computers and software allowing the Archives to better access and share its holdings. Goal was $20,000 by June 30, 2020. More info here.




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Visiting Us

Parking is in the northwest corner of the lot at the western end of SR 4326 (Rams Drive) off Salem Avenue. The same street serves as entry to the Elbertson Fine Arts Center at Salem College.  We are currently closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Once we re-open our hours will be Mondays-Thursdays (excepting holidays), 9:30am – noon, 1;30-4:30pm (appointments required). We will be closed to the public on Fridays for records accession work.  We invite you to contact us to plan your visit.

Contact Us

Moravian Archives
457 S. Church Street
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101

Phone: (336) 722-1742
Email: moravianarchives@mcsp.org

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