In 1735, a small group of Moravian missionaries began working in the newly settled community of Savannah, in the colony of Georgia. They sought to evangelize the Native American tribes and minister to the settlers there. The Brethren refused to take part in the impending war with the Spanish and, as a result, were evicted from Georgia in 1739.
Methodist evangelist George Whitefield, a widely known British cleric, brought the group of evicted Brethren north to Philadelphia in his sloop. Whitefield then hired the Moravians to construct a school on the 5,000 acres of land he owned in Nazareth, where he intended to educate orphan children of slaves. They arrived in the spring of 1740 and set to work on his estate, about a mile south of where Schoeneck Moravian Church is located.
However, a serious argument with Whitefield over religious doctrine caused the Moravians to leave Nazareth and establish the nearby town of Bethlehem in 1741. When Whitefield fell on hard times soon thereafter, the Moravians bought Nazareth from him. Those 5,000 acres today make up much of the Borough of Nazareth and Upper Nazareth Township.
The two communities of Bethlehem and Nazareth became closely linked in their agricultural and industrial economy. Craftsmen in Bethlehem supplied the communities with blacksmith services, a tannery, and other related necessities. Nazareth became the “breadbasket,” as its farms proved more fruitful than Bethlehem’s. Nazareth was a closed community, where only members of the Moravian Church could live within its boundaries, until 1857.
In The Beginning…
Just north of the Nazareth settlement lived several individual families, mostly farmers and tradesmen. These families lived on their separate farms, and were of the Lutheran and Reformed faiths, not Moravian. However, they wanted a church — or at least someone to preach to them.
In January 1755, these families wrote to the Synod of the Unity Brethren at Bethel on the Swartara making a request to find a preacher who would preach to them “the Gospel in a pure and apostolic fashion.” According to the letter now preserved in the Moravian Archives, it was signed by six men — brothers Franz and Georg Claewell; their brother-in-law, Johann Peter Staudt; their father-in-law, Johannes Kuechlin; Walter Mueller; and Caspar Dervalt. Church lore would also add Heinrich Kostenbader and Walter Bleily to those who were requesting a preacher.
In February 1755, Brother Franz Christian Lembke went from Nazareth to Franz Clewell’s home in Bushkill Township (then part of Plainfield Township) several miles north of Nazareth and preached to the assembled families and some neighbors who had joined them.
For the next several years, the Moravians sent preachers to Franz Clewell’s house to preach to anyone who was interested. Some who attended were worried that they would have to become Moravians, who faced some suspicion in those days, but their fears were unnecessary.
Whenever the Moravian Church sent out missionaries, the concern was only for winning souls for Christ, not to expand the denomination. The two Clewell families and the families of J. Peter Stoudt and Henry Kostenbader eventually became members of the Moravian Church when it became possible.
In 1760, the meeting place moved from Franz Clewell’s house to the home of John George and Mary Catherine Clauss, located just north of Nazareth. The Clauss log cabin had been built in 1752 as the first building of a proposed Moravian settlement called Gnadenstadt (City of Grace). For a variety of reasons, Gnadenstadt was not completed.
In 1761, the Nazareth Diary noted that “A piece of land behind Nazareth has been shared out in lots… The beginning of a settlement has been made.” Twelve lots comprised the new settlement, six on each side of the road.
The 12 lots still exist today, from the Schoeneck church up to Beil Avenue. The road which today is called North Broad Street Extension has been in the same approximate location since 1761.
For more information on the Clewell Family, please click here.
The First Church Building
Construction of the church building, on lot 12 on the above map, began in the spring of 1762. The Nazareth Diary called it a Gemeinhaus, or congregation house, as found in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other Moravian communities. It was a two-story log house, built where the parsonage now stands. The building would serve as church, school, and residence for the pastor.
In June 1762, the new settlement was named Schoeneck (in German Schön Eck, for pretty or pleasant corner), after one of the properties in Austria which belonged to Count Zinzendorf. The Village of Schoeneck still exists today in Upper Nazareth Township.
The first resident pastor of the Schoeneck church and his wife, Daniel and Hannah Neubert, arrived from Emmaus to begin work in August 1762. The Schoeneck congregation was established and the building was consecrated on October 3, 1762, the official anniversary date of the congregation. Many visitors from Nazareth, the Upper Places farms at Christian Spring and Gnadenthal (Gracedale), Bethlehem, and as far away as Lititz came to attend the services, including Brother and Sister Lembke, who had been the initial preacher for the gathered families.
In addition to a worship area, the log building also housed a school taught by the pastor. At the dedication, there were already 28 children attending the school, with boys and girls meeting in separate rooms.
The Schoeneck cemetery, God’s Acre, was laid out in 1763 just north of the original 12 lots. The first interment was actually Brother John George Clauss, whose home was instrumental in the founding of the Schoeneck church.
God’s Acre has been expanded throughout the years, but the oldest graves remain in the corner closest to Bushkill Center Road and W. Beil Avenue. Several Eagle Scout projects have recorded the names and dates of each burial and it is still possible to find the grave of each person buried in the Schoeneck cemetery.
With a church and school nearby, the lots in Schoeneck were very attractive.
By 1776 all 12 lots had been purchased from the Nazareth congregation, and there were six houses in the village. More houses were built, and the land immediately outside the village was used as farming fields, meadows, and woods.
The Second Church Building
Thirty years after the consecration of the log building, the congregation needed more space. The population of the village of Schoeneck and the nearby area was increasing, and more residents attended the worship services.
A new stone church was built where the present brick church stands. It was 42 feet long, 36 feet wide and 16 feet high and was built to the south of the “old school-house” and connected to it by a passageway. The cornerstone was laid on June 17, 1793, the roof was placed on July 27th, and the new church was consecrated on October 20, 1793 with a lovefeast in the afternoon. There were 157 members of the congregation.
For over 30 years, Schoeneck was an affiliate congregation of Nazareth, guided and assisted by the Nazareth Elders Conference and pastors. Schoeneck members would attend services on major festivals in Nazareth, and worship was held at Schoeneck every fourth Sunday. Schoeneck finally achieved separate congregation status on Sunday, April 17, 1796.
The Nazareth Diary records that there was a lovefeast at Schoeneck, at which it was announced that Schoeneck would now be a separate country church (Land Gemeine). The Elders Conference at Nazareth would still provide counsel, but worship would now be held at Schoeneck every week.
Schoeneck purchased its first organ just after the turn of the century. It was made by Philip Bachman, an organ maker in Lititz. Bachman was the son–in–law of the well–known Moravian organ builder David Tannenberg. Tannenberg had made the metal pipes for the organ, which had three tones, or stops. The organ was installed on January 17, 1803 and consecrated on January 25, 1803. It was enlarged by two registers, rows of pipes which added two more stops in 1867.
In 1825, the condition of the log schoolhouse and parsonage was discussed at Church Council, and it was decided that the log building would be taken down and a new one built of stone. By October 1826 the new parsonage was completed and the pastor took up residence.
The parsonage, which survives today as the stone house next to the church building, was connected to the church, sharing a common wall with the church.
The congregation was officially incorporated as “The Congregation of United Brethren in the Village of Schoeneck and its Vicinity” on January 22, 1861.
Present Church Building Constructed
Plans were made for a new church building in 1888. It was to be a separate church building for the first time in Schoeneck’s history, no longer attached or connected to the parsonage. The building would be made of brick, with a stone foundation for the basement.
The stone church was disassembled carefully since one wall still belonged to the parsonage. The stone may have been saved and used in the new foundation. The brick church has two cornerstones, the one from 1793 reused on the left front corner and one dated 1888 on the front right corner of the church.
Stables were built behind the church for the horses which brought worshipers to church.
The new church was consecrated on October 6, 1889, celebrating the 127th anniversary of the congregation.
There were three services, one in the morning, afternoon, and evening. At least two of them featured two sermons — one in German and one in English. A new organ was also used for the first time. (The old organ was given to the new church in Easton in May 1893.) The next year a new church bell was consecrated, donated in memory of Philip and Anna Maria Clewell by their children and grandchildren.
Schoeneck in the 20th Century
Schoeneck opened the twentieth century with an act ahead of its time — at the Church Council meeting on December 19, 1901, women gained the right to vote in future meetings of Church Council. The next year, four married women were appointed as sacristans.
Along those lines, on May 4, 1924, a special Church Council meeting was held to decide whether women members of the congregation could hold office. The vote was affirmative to give the women full privileges of membership.
And later that year a woman, Annie Caroline Schmickle Beitel, was elected as a delegate to the District Synod. That same woman also attended the 1925 Provincial Synod as a delegate. Her grandson, John Beitel, is a member of the Schoeneck congregation today.
The year 1911 was memorable for two reasons: electric lights were installed in the church and parsonage, and there was a fire in the church on November 6, 1911. The organ was ruined and the church interior was damaged. The congregation worshipped in the basement for several weeks until the sanctuary could be repaired.
1912 marked the 150th anniversary of the congregation. A new organ was purchased. The organ was dedicated on July 28, and inaugurated with an organ recital by Dr. J. Fred Wolle, founder of the Bethlehem Bach Choir, on August 8.
The Sunday School Addition
By 1916, the congregation needed an addition to the church. A two-story Sunday School addition was added at the back of the church and officially opened on November 11, 1917. The addition included a Sunday School Auditorium. (By 1934 the look of the addition had been changed to blend more with the rest of the building.)
On May 26, 1918, the first ordination in the Schoeneck church took place. Reinhold Henkelman, newly graduated from Moravian Theological Seminary, was ordained into the Moravian ministry and installed at Schoeneck as the new pastor on the same day.
The next two decades saw improvements to the buildings and equipment. In 1926 a “modern bathroom” was installed in the church parsonage in preparation for a new pastor and his wife to move in. A heating system was installed in the church in 1935 and in 1939 the interior of the church was redecorated. In 1940 the organ purchased in 1912 was electrified, re-leathered, and the pedal section was enlarged.
On November 25, 1950, a hurricane “carried away much of the south side of the church roof.” In 1956, a Revised Standard Version of the Bible for the pulpit was given to the church. Church “Welcome” signs for outdoor use was donated by the Ushers Organization in 1957. The bathroom in the parsonage was again “modernized” in 1959.
Beginning in the late 1950s, members of Schoeneck played a significant role in the Moravian Symphony in Brass and Reeds, made up of members of a number of Moravian churches in the Lehigh Valley. By 1960, the symphony had about 140 members. The Schoeneck members also formed the Schoeneck Choir of Brass and Reeds, pictured here on Palm Sunday in 1961.
Preparations for the Bicentennial
As the congregation looked ahead to its 200th anniversary in 1962, members also planned an extensive building program which would add a new Christian Education wing and renovate parts of the church. Construction began in February 1959, the cornerstone was laid on August 30, 1959, and it was dedicated on October 12, 1960.
The new addition was one story and contained classrooms, a “modern” church kitchen, a church parlor, and the pastor’s study. The former Sunday School auditorium was divided into classrooms which still exist as the “old Sunday School rooms” for the younger children. A new hot water heating system, with an oil furnace, was also installed.
Also in 1960, the church Sanctuary was renovated with a new ceiling, redecorating of the interior, repointing of the outside walls, waterproofing, and painting of all outside woodwork. New lights for the front church steps were given to the church, and a new pedal stop (Lieblich Gedekt) were also given to the church.
The lighted crosses on the belfry were made by members Charles Schaefer, Jr. and Gregory Unger and installed by Gene Seyfried and Spencer Eastridge for the Passion Week services in 1961. The sanctuary was extensively renovated with a new ceiling installed. The exterior of the building was repointed and repainted.
Stained glass windows were added to the sanctuary and the front entrance of the church. The first window, Christ and Children, was installed to the right of the front door in 1960, given by the Clewell Family Reunion in memory of Louisa Frache Clewell, matriarch of the family.
Two years later, the Clewell Family Reunion gave a second window, Christ and Nicodemus, in memory of Franz and George Clewell, two founders of the congregation.
The window over the front doors of the church with the congregation’s name and founding date was also donated at this time. All three windows were dedicated on August 26, 1962.
Other windows on the sides of the sanctuary followed. Dedicated on June 12, 1966 were The Annunciation, The Nativity, Christ in the Temple, The Baptism, Christ Before Pilate, and The Crucifixion. Dedicated on April 21, 1968 were Gethsemane, The Resurrection, The Ascension, and Pentecost.
The congregation joyfully celebrated 200 years of service throughout all of 1962. The celebration began only minutes into 1962, at the close of the Watchnight service which began on New Year’s Eve 1961, when Bishop Kenneth Hamilton offered a prayer to begin the anniversary.
During the year, each living former pastor was honored in some way, with many returning to preach at a worship service.
The year-long celebration included viewing of photographs from years past, anniversary luncheons, special musical performances — including the playing of some of Schoeneck’s historical trombones, the creation of two anniversary plates, the publication of a Bicentennial booklet, the live broadcast of four Sunday Morning worship services on the Easton radio station W.E.S.T. , and a Bicentennial Dinner held on the actual anniversary day.
The Church Grove
The property owned by the congregation was also enlarged and changed over the years. The church property once extended from the road in front of the Schoeneck creek in back, almost a block farther than the present–day property.
In 1933, some new acres of land behind the church were traded in favor of more frontage on the road in front of the church. In 1956, Schoeneck Farms donated an acre of land to the congregation. Located on the south side of the church, it included 125 feet of frontage on N. Broad. Street Extension and extended 400 feet back from the road. The acquisition of this land was necessary for the erection of the Christian Education wing.
In 1962, another 2.7 acres of land were purchased from Schoeneck Farms. These foresighted acquisitions provided the present green space between the church building and parking lot and the houses to the south and east.
The church grove saw some improvement during these years as well. In 1958 the Sunday School raised $1,500 to purchase materials for a pavilion. The labor was entirely donated by members of the congregation, led by Fred Koehler, Walter Haupt, and Arlington Frantz.
In 1961, the Boy Scouts built an outdoor fireplace of stove in the grove. The new pavilion and improved grove were dedicated on June 3, 1962 as part of the Bicentennial celebration.
The Next Fifty Years
The newly enlarged and renovated church facilities saw extensive and appropriate use in the decades following the 200th anniversary. In addition to the many church activities expected of a vibrant congregation, outside groups could also make use of the facilities. Boy and Girl Scout troops, Cub and Brownie Scouts, various 12-step programs, and other community organizations found a welcoming home at Schoeneck.
In 1978, the congregation held a mortgage burning ceremony to celebrate the final payment of all loans on the 1960 Christian Education wing.
In 1981 the sanctuary was refurbished.
In 1989 the 100th anniversary of the brick building was celebrated by a major enlargement of the pipe organ. This necessitated widening the balcony to accommodate the expanded pipe chest, and including repainting the sanctuary, repairing many cracks in the plaster. The renovated organ was dedicated on October 8, 1989.
In 1994, the congregation called the Reverend C. Hopeton Clennon as its pastor. Born and raised in Jamaica, Pastor Hopeton was the first black pastor of Schoeneck Moravian Church as well as the first black pastor (but not the last!) called to an exclusively white congregation.
Pastor Hopeton was consecrated a Bishop of the Moravian Unity at Schoeneck Moravian Church, Nazareth on October 25, 1998. (Photo: The Rt. Rev. C. Hopeton Clennon. Photo courtesy of The Moravian Church, Northern Province.)
An Expanding Community
As the church facilities have expanded over the years, so has the community who uses those facilities. The first members of the congregation lived within a few miles of the church. Improvements in roads and transportation meant that people could come from farther away to attend the church.
A congregation once composed almost exclusively of German- and Pennsylvania Dutch-speaking members grew to incorporate English-speaking members. In recent history, the congregation has seen the addition of members whose heritage is from Jamaica, China, the Philippines, Nicaragua, and other countries.
In the mid-1990s, a proposal to add a second sanctuary was considered, but eventually tabled in favor of building an enlarged Fellowship Hall. The project would also fix the problems of the flat roof on the 1960 addition by adding two peaked roofs, hoping to alleviate the frequent leaks when it rained.
Work on a new Fellowship Hall was begun in 1996. The old fellowship hall was converted into classrooms, the kitchen was expanded and modernized, and a separate office was created for the pastor. The new facility was dedicated on April 6, 1997.
The 1990s and early years of the 21st century saw a movement in the wider Moravian Church which focused on congregations undertaking projects and ministries which took the church into the community. Schoeneck embraced the idea, with some members and congregational groups beginning some mission projects on their own and others taking part with those from other congregations in other projects.
Members of Schoeneck were instrumental in helping to create the Northeast Moravian Disaster Response team, formed in response to the needs created by Hurricane Katrina. NEMDR organized several mission trips to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi to assist in rebuilding houses and lives. Mission trips were also made to northern New Jersey and New York in the wake of Super Storm Sandy. In addition, NEMDR also assisted individual Moravian congregations and agencies with various projects where their knowledge and experience were needed.
Congregation members collected needed items for Turning Point, a shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence in their homes. They cooked meals for Safe Harbor, a shelter in Easton for people experiencing homelessness. They collected money for Moravian Open Door, a non-profit organization committed to providing transitional housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness, those who are in distress, and the underserved population of New York City. The church conducted regular food drives to benefit the Nazareth Area Food Bank. Sunday School classes adopted villages in Tanzania, raising money to help feed and educate children who were orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, and collected money for desks for a Moravian school in Nicaragua. Several of these mission outreach programs are still conducted today.
Into The 21st Century
In 2000, the congregation called a pastoral couple, the Reverends Rick and Wendy Beck, as its pastors. Pastor Wendy was the first woman pastor called to the Schoeneck congregation. During their co-pastorate, Schoeneck held Lighthouse Worship services, which were contemporary praise services on Saturday evenings.
Two creative spiritual disciplines were also added to assist the Schoeneck congregation with their faith journey: Art of the Soul, and the prayer labyrinth. Art of the Soul was held in two or three cycles during the year, with a theme for each cycle. Participants gathered for the enjoyment of spiritual meditation, art making, and fellowship. No art experience was necessary, and several congregants were pleasantly surprised by how well they did.
The prayer labyrinth was mowed into the lawn at the southern end of the parking lot. A prayer labyrinth is a tool for prayer and reflection, featuring a single, winding path that leads to the center and back out again, symbolizing a spiritual journey. Many members of the congregation enjoyed this contemplative, peaceful practice.
A Parish Nurse Program was instituted in 2003 open to all nurses in the congregation. Parish Nursing is a health ministry of faith communities which emphasized the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit. Rooted in the vision of Christ as Healer, this ministry grows out of the belief that all faith communities are places of health and healing and have a role in promoting wholeness through the integration of faith and health. Monthly blood pressure screenings began in 2005/2006 and continue to be a vital ministry to our congregation.
Renamed the Health & Wellness Ministry, the program focuses on promoting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well–being of Schoeneck’s members and the wider community. Our program goes beyond traditional medical care, emphasizing holistic health and wellness through education, support, and advocacy. Over the years the Health & Wellness Ministry has held CPR and First Aid classes, sponsored blood drives, offered flu vaccine clinics, and held seminars on a variety of subjects.
An AED (automated external defibrillator) was installed at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the sanctuary, as well as three First Aid Kits around the church. Health & Wellness have wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and a shower seat available for those in need, which may be borrowed and used by congregation members and their families, friends, or neighbors, etc. for as long as needed.
Greetings, Schoeneckians!
In 2006, Pastor Terry L. Folk arrived and with him came the nickname “Schoeneckians.” Julia Folk, Pastor Terry’s wife, brought Summerfest, a summer Sunday School program to Schoeneck. The children begin in the worship service with their parents. After the Children’s Message, the children head to Summerfest where they learn songs, have a snack, and make a craft pertaining to the lesson of the day. The program proved to be extremely popular and continues each summer as part of our Christian Education Ministry.
As the congregation looked forward to its 250th anniversary in 2012, it combined several needed projects into one capital campaign leading up to the anniversary. Projects included an elevator lift to the sanctuary, repairs to the steeple, air conditioning the sanctuary, and several smaller refurbishing and repair projects.
An elevator lift was added to the side of the covered entrance in the back off the parking lot. The lift opens into the Diener’s kitchen behind the sanctuary, allowing people with reduced mobility to enter the sanctuary from the front.
The entrance was rebuilt, so that the main entrance into the church facility is now at the rear of the building, just off the large parking lot. The elevator lift was first used for the Thanksgiving Eve lovefeast service in 2007.
The belfry and steeple were repaired in 2008, along with repointing the brick on the sanctuary building. The church bell wheel and the lighted crosses on the steeple were replaced. Work progressed on several of the smaller projects. All exterior wooden surfaces of the church were repainted in 2009, the landscaping around the church was refreshed, a new concrete porch was poured for the parsonage, and marker foundations in the cemetery were repaired.
In 2008, Schoeneck added a part–time Visitation Pastor to the pastoral staff and welcomed the Rev. Norm Prochnau in this ministry. In addition to ministering to Schoeneck’s homebound members, Pastor Norm attended to members when they were hospitalized or otherwise needed in–home pastoral care. He also assisted Pastor Terry with services of Holy Communion, shared worship leadership duties once a month, and performed funeral services. Pastor Norm served Schoeneck for five years, and we welcomed Rev. David Wickmann as Visitation Pastor in 2013.
Plans and work continued the capital improvements in anticipation of the 250th anniversary: replacing the carpeting in the Fellowship Hall, Library, Sunday School hallway, and Church Office hallway, repainting the Fellowship Hall, and replacing the wiring in the sanctuary chandeliers. The Diener’s Kitchen was completely renovated in 2010. The roof of the Pavilion in the Church Grove was replaced with labor donated by the Northeastern Moravian Disaster Response Team.
One of our former student pastors, the Rev. Rhonda Robinson and her husband Rev. Tracy founded Esperanza for Bethlehem, an emerging Moravian ministry in south Bethlehem in 2010. The members of Schoeneck Moravian Church have been proud supporters of Pastor Rhonda and Pastor Tracy’s endeavors with Esperanza for Bethlehem. We have collected school supplies for children in their after school program each year.
250 Years In Our “Beautiful Corner”
The year 2012 was an exciting one at Schoeneck Moravian Church as the congregation celebrated its 250th anniversary in grand style. We looked back with gratitude and appreciation for those who helped lay the path of ministry for us and as we looked forward, we recommitted ourselves to our ongoing ministry together as God’s people.
Ten special worship services were planned for the 250th year, each one featuring either a former pastor or former student pastor returning to lead worship. In addition, confirmation classes were invited to return on those Sundays. For instance, all confirmation classes with years ending in the number “3” were invited to the February 12, 2012 worship service for recognition and a luncheon after the service. Displays of historical Schoeneck documents from the Moravian Archives and memorabilia from congregation members were displayed for some of these Anniversary Sundays as well. A worshipful spirit prevailed throughout the year.
A 250th Anniversary Banquet was held on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at East Hills Moravian Church Family Center in Bethlehem with over 200 people attending. The 100th anniversary of the Schoeneck organ was celebrated on Sunday, September 30, 2012. Ryan Morrow, Director of Music, composed special music for the occasion.
The 250th Anniversary Lovefeast and Celebration was held on Sunday, October 14, 2012 with the Right Reverend C. Hopeton Clennon preaching. Special music was composed for the event by Brian Henkelmann, Margaret Sandresky, Jill Bruckart (former Director of Music at Schoeneck), and Ryan Morrow. Over 325 people came to worship God in praise and thanksgiving for all that He has accomplished through Schoeneck Moravian Church over the past 250 years, and prayers were uplifted that He would continue to bless our ministry for at least 250 more.
The 250th Anniversary Mission Project was Esperanza for Bethlehem. The congregation produced and sold Schoeneck anniversary t–shirts, golf shirts, aprons, and coasters to help fund the anniversary. The Women’s Bible Study produced and sold garden flags as their project.
A 250th Anniversary Membership Directory was published, and Susan M. Dreydoppel published a history book called “Faithful Spirits: The First 250 Years of the Schoeneck Moravian Church.”
“Sing For Your Supper” a congregational cookbook in celebration of the 250th anniversary was published by the Senior Choir. Proceeds were used to repair and refurbish the church’s handbells, which were originally purchased in the early 1980s. The handbells were sent to Jeffers Handbell Supply, Inc. in Irmo, SC for a full–service refurbishment: they were disassembled; the bearings, bumpers, and washers were replaced; and they were cleaned, polished, and re-tuned.
Through an anonymous donation, the church was able to purchase three octaves of Schulmerich tone chimes. This was an enormous blessing for the handbell choirs and the congregation! Both the refurbished handbells and the new tone chimes were rededicated/dedicated on October 27, 2013.
At the beginning of 2014, a humidification system was installed in the Baldwin grand piano in the sanctuary. The music program was also able to purchase two used timpani for use at special times of the church year. The timpani were used in worship for the first time during Holy Week that year.
Also in 2014, the balcony was remodeled slightly to add multi–level seating for the Senior Choir as well as adding a second row of balcony railing for safety reasons. A fourth and final octave of tone chimes was purchased at the end of the year.
New Ministries Abound!
The Busy Bees crafting group began in 2015 with almost 30 participants. They made quilted fabric ornaments and recycled beeswax Christmas Eve candles into ornaments as well. Their first year was a resounding success as they raised $4,000! Ten percent of that total was tithed to two local charitable organizations, and the remainder stayed with the church. Ten special Moravian Seal ornaments were sent to past Pastors and the current Pastor, Director of Music, and Administrative Assistant. These ornaments were made with material used to make our old Diener outfits that the women wore years ago, so they are very meaningful to many.
Twenty–eight big and small property projects were addressed in 2016, many with multiple tasks to be completed. Six improvements required professional contracted work, but the rest were accomplished through the time, talent, and dedication of Schoeneckians! Two clean–up days, one in the spring and one in the fall, with many volunteer hours from the Schoeneck congregation completed many of the “routine maintenance” items that sometimes fall through the cracks.
2016 was also a year of change for Schoeneck Moravian Church. Visitation Pastor, Rev. David Wickmann, retired on May 16, 2016. After almost 10 years of faithful leadership and service here at Schoeneck Moravian Church, Rev. Terry L. Folk retired from active ministry on September 30, 2016. At the end of October, Rev. Lance Fox was installed as Interim Pastor for a minimum of one year during the transitional period between full–time pastors.
The Busy Bees were once again busy, busy, busy in 2016! They created fabric easter eggs of all designs and sizes and hit the local Moravian craft fair circuit. They raised over $5,000 for Schoeneck and tithed to several local agencies and ministries. In addition, the International Board of Communications reached out to the Busy Bees and asked to sell the Moravian Seal ornaments in their online store, which means their creativity and hard work was seen world–wide! As of this writing (August 2025), there are still 16 in stock in the IBOC Store – get them before they disappear forever!
Schoeneck was blessed with a new ministry in 2017 — the Fire Pit Ministry! The idea came to Brother Mel Messinger while helping to remove a very large (and very dead and therefore very dangerous) Hemlock tree from the parsonage lawn.
Rev. David Bennett, then Eastern District President, wrote in the November issue of the District Developments, “Somewhere in the midst of the effort, possibly while eyeing up the enormous pile of wood, Brother Mel Messinger conjured up an idea. Instead of seeing the old hemlock tree simply as a difficult menace… what if God planted it so that it could eventually become the seeds for a new ministry… a fire-pit ministry! And with that thought and with help from other Schoeneck faithful, the pile of wood found a new home near a fire-pit in the church’s grove and an evening around a warm fire, campfire foods, and singing was planned.”
The first Fire Pit Fellowship was attended by 65 people from five different congregations with a total of five clergy present! There were two more Fire Pit Fellowship nights before the Ministry took a break for the winter.
Also in 2017, the Christian Education Committee was re–structured into its current form through the adoption of a new charter. The membership of the committee was defined, appointments were outlined, and duties of each officer were described. Notable among the changes were the inclusion of two Elders and one Trustee as CEC voting members, as well as the duties of the Sunday School Coordinator. The charter modified the duties of the Sunday School Coordinator to better reflect its facilitator role.
Our Busy Bees hibernated in the winter (naturally) but were a flurry of activity in 2017. In addition to the Moravian craft show circuit, the Busy Bees made 1,200 ornaments for a company who wanted to send them to their customers across the world! The company wrote a lovely note about Schoeneck Moravian Church and the Busy Bess to accompany their gifts. Once again, God’s grace allowed Schoeneck to be witnesses for Him worldwide. The company ordered an additional 90 ornaments for their company employees. In addition, the Bees shared ornaments with Moravian Open Door and Esperanza for Bethlehem. The money they earned was tithed to several organizations, and they also gave money to the cause of sprucing up the parsonage for our new pastors.
The sanctuary air conditioning, initially conceived as part of the 250th anniversary capital campaign in 2012, was delayed for several years for a number of reasons. The project was finally completed in 2017. Summer worship services, previously held in the already air-conditioned Fellowship Hall, were moved to Sanctuary. It’s so wonderful to be able to worship in the sanctuary with our beloved organ year–round!
A Familiar Face Returns
Pastor Lance received a call to Castleton Hill Moravian Church in Staten Island, NY with his last Sunday at Schoeneck as October 8, 2017. Schoeneck had entered the call process, and in November it was announced that the Reverends Garritt and Sanette Fleming had accepted the call to Schoeneck. This announcement was very gladly received as Pastor Garritt had been with Schoeneck during the 2013–2014 Moravian Seminary academic year as our Student Pastor under the supervision of Pastor Terry.
Between October and January, the Board of Elders worked diligently on obtaining pastoral supply for worship services. In addition to several wonderful pastors who stepped into Schoeneck’s pulpit, several members of the congregation provided messages of personal witness and reflection. Schoeneck also held three Singstunde worship services which were heartily enjoyed by the congregation. Pastors Garritt and Sanette were installed at Schoeneck on Sunday, January 14, 2018.
The Technology Ministry was implemented in 2018. The Technology Ministry began its work by improving the appeal and functionality of our church website. They also spent time researching ways to make our worship services available online either by streaming or by posting selected parts or the entire service online. The Technology Ministry also installed a television in the vestibule, initially using it to post the church calendar, announcements, and worship videos.
2018 was a year of great growth for our Community Dinners. Begun in 2017 as a focused ministry for the congregation, they were initially called “Greet & Eat.” Six dinners were held from April to September. At the first dinner, Schoeneck volunteers served 84 guests. By the last dinner in 2017 that number had grown to over 200.
in 2018, six more Community Dinners were held with menus ranging from ham with scalloped potatoes to pork and sauerkraut to Schoeneck’s famous Ohio Baked Chicken. Meals were also delivered to our homebound members by the Visitation Ministry. Overall, 864 individuals were fed physically and spiritually through this new but vital ministry.
In 2018, Director of Music Ministries, Ryan Morrow, led our music program in the recording of a CD called “Sing Hallelujah! Moravian Hymns for the Church Year – The Choirs of Schoeneck Moravian Church”. The CD, which was recorded live in Schoeneck’s sanctuary, includes choral hymns, brass and organ performances for liturgies throughout the church year. All musicians who participated in the recording were active congregation members in Schoeneck’s music program. For more information about the Schoeneck CD, please click here.
The Fire Pit Ministry was hit by a minor setback when a tree fell on it in late fall. (God’s sense of humor is a constant surprise!) Thanks to the hard work of an Eagle Scout project, the Fire Pit Ministry found a new home on the other side of the Pavilion, complete with a beautiful wooden cross. Fire Pit Fellowships were held on the first Saturday of the month from April to October with sing–a–longs, storytelling, devotions, and of course – s’mores! The new Fire Pit was dedicated in April 2019.
The Covid-19 Pandemic
Along with the rest of the world, Schoeneck Moravian Church experienced many changes during the Covid–19 pandemic in 2020. Pastors Garritt and Sanette Fleming, along with the Joint Board, guided Schoeneck through this difficult time.
Based on the recommendations from our state and county leaders as well as the Provincial Elders Conference of the Moravian Church, the Joint Board decided to close the church building and cancelled all in–person worship and activities in mid–March 2020 to keep our church family safe from the dangers of Covid–19.
The congregation was still able to worship together, however, just in a different way. On Sunday, March 15, 2020 a worship service at Schoeneck was live–streamed for the first time using Facebook Live. Pastors Garritt and Sanette and Ryan Morrow, Director of Music Ministries, were the only people in the sanctuary.
This experience could not compare to being together in-person, but it provided a means for Schoeneck’s congregation to have a sense of community as we worshipped the Lord.
What was to have been a brief closure was extended for several months as the pandemic continued to worsen. The Joint Board made the difficult decision to close the church until further notice in April 2020, as this was the best thing to do to protect the health of our members and the community.
Online worship was offered every evening during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday. Not hearing the sounds of the Brass Choir greeting the dawn or smelling the sweet fragrance of the lilies on Easter was difficult. As Pastors Garritt and Sanette said in their 2020 Annual Report, “We were reminded that such was the circumstances that Christ’s disciples lived after the crucifixion — locked behind doors for fear of the threats outside. And yet Jesus showed up at their door to offer them peace, forgiveness, and hope. Resurrection Sunday in the midst of the lockdown reminded us of our need for all these things as well, and that Jesus Christ is the only one who can provide them for us.”
“Baby Flem–ingo” was born in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic. The special blessing of a baby born to the pastor(s) of Schoeneck was one that had not been experienced for many, many years! Both Pastor Sanette and Pastor Garritt took maternity/paternity leave to bond with their baby girl.
The Joint Board established a Reopening Task Force to assess how Schoeneck might be able to begin safely reopening the building and gathering together again. This task force also examined the information with regards to the spread of the virus from many sources, the impact on our community, and worked out the pros and cons of opening our church and engaging in various activities. They then passed on information as well as recommendations to the Joint Board. Many decisions were made with additional guidance from the Provincial Elders Conference.
Parking Lot Worship Services
The first church event since the start of the pandemic was a drive–by Joyful Noise Offering in the church parking lot on June 7, 2020. Congregation members were not able to get out of their cars, but there was a lot of waving and “long distance air hugs” among our church family.
The next gathering as a church came on June 28, 2020 with a parking–lot worship service. It was decided that this was the best and safest way to begin transitioning into worshipping in person again. The congregation had the option of sitting in their cars in the parking lot (every other parking space) or sitting (socially distanced) in the grove.
A PA system was utilized to amplify the piano, cantors, and worship leaders, and the services were continued to be streamed on Facebook Live for those who were unable to attend. Also during this time, the church pavilion was made available to both inside and outside groups to meet.
The Reopening Task Force and Joint Board devised a plan for how we could safely gather to worship in the building together. The sanctuary was reopened for in-person worship on September 20, 2020 with safety measures in place. Because of social distancing, seating for the in–person services was limited to 40 people (not including pastors, musicians, ushers, greeters, and the Scripture reader).
Registration was on a first–come, first–served basis with the worship service also live–streamed to Facebook. A safe, socially distanced communion service was held in the parking lot.
Christian Ed & Music Programs During the Pandemic
Vacation Bible School was held in 2020, but in a different format: a virtual VBS! Information was emailed to children in the Schoeneck and Nazareth congregations on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with a video, coloring pages, origami, Bible study lesson, memory verse, craft, games, and music. Once the emails were sent, the children could watch the videos as often as they wanted.
Our youth were able to stay in touch throughout the lockdown with each other throughout the year via texting and Facebook. They had a socially distanced picnic during the summer. In the fall, they held meetings via Zoom. Although not the same as meeting together, they ate lunch together and had a lot of fun in the two hours they spent together each time.
Our music program was, of course, greatly impacted by the pandemic. Music in the life of the congregation from March through May consisted only of the organ in use during the live–streamed Sunday services. To help augment the holy season of Lent and Holy Week, special music videos were made and published on Facebook. This included recording the Great Sabbath lovefeast music for congregant members to use.
As we moved into the summer months, the decision was made to allow cantors to help lead singing during the parking lot/live–streamed services. The cantors also regularly sang solos during worship to add to the musical offerings provided. Once worship moved back indoors, with cantors continuing to provide leadership for liturgies and hymns, our musical offerings expanded to include instrumental solos. In addition, the Brass Choir played twice in the fall — both times were outside using social distancing. But it was a great joy to hear them play again!
A small group of handbell ringers met weekly from October to December to practice and pre–record handbell music for play–back during live worship services. Special music videos were again created and published on social media to help enrich our worship life. These included recordings of every lovefeast service that could not take place live.
Even though the church was open for worship services, Sunday School was held in the fall via Zoom. Weekly Bible stories, crossword puzzles, word searches, coloring pages, and small crafts were mailed out each week to go along with the lessons on Zoom. An Advent Calendar was also sent to the Sunday School children.
On November 13, 2020, a rise in Covid cases in the Lehigh Valley meant that the Joint Board made the difficult decision to close the building. This decision came at a heavy cost because it meant the congregation would not be able to celebrate the Thanksgiving Eve lovefeast, weekly Advent services, our beloved Christmas Eve Lovefeast and Candlelight Worship Services, or the New Year’s Eve lovefeast together.
A lot of live and pre–recorded music was provided to enrich and supplement our live–stream worship services and our own devotions at home during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Our 2018 CD “Sing Hallelujah!” found widespread use through the whole denomination as it was one of the featured resources for congregations promoted by the IBOC. God be praised for this resource!
Special music videos which included organ, piano, and handbell music for the four weeks of Advent were recorded and released each week on Facebook. A meaningful and engaging Christmas Eve Vigil Service video provided a beautiful alternative form of worship on Christmas Eve (may it never need to be used again!)
Although our Christmas Eve service was different in 2020, we found a unique way to celebrate together, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Schoeneckian Lori Hahn mentioned how great it would be to hand out candles and a lovefeast ode and the idea of the Christmas Eve To–Go Bag was born!
These bags contained all the special things that were usually included in the Christmas Eve services: the lovefeast ode, a pre–packaged sugar cookie, a red–wrapped beeswax candle, and a 2021 Watchword. Over 350 Christmas Eve To–Go Bags were prepared and handed out. The Schoeneck congregation was able to sing along, enjoy a cookie, and light a candle as we watched the service from home.
Moving Hopefully Into 2021
The church remained closed to in–person worship throughout the winter and spring of 2021. Zoom was utilized for the annual Church Council meeting, and six youth confirmed their faith in Christ over zoom in January. While it wasn’t the same as being in person, it was such a blessing to see so many congregation members join the service to support our youth.
Sunday School continued on Zoom, learning about and studying the books and stories of the Bible with a weekly video lesson. Age-appropriate weekly materials were mailed out to the students which included reading material, activity sheets, work sheets, coloring pages, and pages that could be shared with the family.
The season of Lent dawned, and as in years past, Schoeneck collaborated with Nazareth Moravian Church and Moravian Hall Square to offer a Wednesday evening worship service. In addition to a pre–recorded worship service each Wednesday, Schoeneck offered a live “pre–worship” parking lot gathering of announcements, song, and prayer as a way of helping the congregation stay connected.
As Easter Sunday approached, the congregation was able to begin gathering again for worship in the parking lot. Maundy Thursday Holy Communion and our Good Friday Vigil services were held in the open air. Some of the Adult Sunday School Classes also began holding socially distanced classes in the parking lot.
Resurrection Sunday brought even more hope and joy — worshipers were able to gather together in person to process to God’s Acre for the Easter Sunrise Service. Our 10:30 am Easter worship service brought everyone back to the grove where all were encouraged to bring a lawn chair and worship together by the cross at the fire pit. A live–stream service was still offered for those who were unable to join us in person or who felt more comfortable worshiping at home. Our Handbell Choir and Brass Choir were brought together for Easter Sunday for the first time in a long while.
Improving public health conditions related to the Covid–19 virus allowed Schoeneck to resume in-person worship in the Sanctuary on Sunday, June 6, 2021. Some safety requirements remained in effect to protect the everyone’s health — every other pew was roped off to allow for social distancing, masks were worn during worship services, and each person attending had to sign-in to provide necessary information if contact tracing became necessary.
Live–stream worship was still provided for those who did not yet feel comfortable worshipping in the church. In–person Sunday School also resumed, with the Zoom option available as well. Vacation Bible School was held completely outside in July 2021.
Once the fall arrived worship, Sunday School, and other activities at Schoeneck mostly went back to normal. But it was a “new” normal – many people continued to wear masks to protect themselves and those around them from illness. Worship continues to be live–streamed each week on Facebook and YouTube.
Ministry Activities Resume
The very successful Community Dinner program had to be halted during Covid. In the spring of 2021, the dinners resumed with one change. They became to–go style meals with mobile pick–up. Even though fellowship around the table would not be possible, the church was still able to give to the people who needed this vital service. Cars lined up in the parking lot and even onto North Broad Street Extension, with meals running out before the conclusion of the time allotted!
The mobile pick–up Community Dinners continued for several years. A parking lot ministry naturally developed — some volunteers directed traffic to prevent the cars from impeding traffic on the road and others delivered the meals. Some volunteers went from car to car, cheerfully greeting the occupants, talking with them and getting to know them, and even offering prayers when needed. The Community Dinner Ministry served over 1,930 meals in 2024.
In 2025, a hybrid Community Dinner program debuted. April, May, June, and September featured the mobile pick–up dinners while the July and August dinners were held in the Fellowship Hall. Many of the people who came to these meals were so happy to be reunited once again with friends they made during the first few years before the pandemic intervened.
Women’s Fellowship was begun in 2021 as well. This group provides much needed social connection and mutual encouragement through the help of God’s spirit. The idea of a community Thanksgiving dinner arose from this group. The Women’s Fellowship and the Community Dinner Ministry worked together to make it happen. The Thanksgiving Dinner was gratefully received and 219 meals were served that first year. In 2024, over 300 Thanksgiving meals were served.
When It Rains…
During the spring of 2021, when the church building was closed due to Covid-19, a heavy rainstorm caused considerable water damage to both the steeple roof and the organ pipe chamber. The damage included more than 50 ruined pipes, water damage to the wind chest, damage to the electrical workings of the organ, and several small mechanical components of the organ were damaged or broken.
The congregation contracted for work on the bell tower and roof to be done in the summer and fall of 2021. It was imperative that the roof issues be fixed before the organ was repaired. As the belfry and roofing work was being completed, an Organ Restoration Fund was established; the cost of the organ repairs was estimated at over $120,000.
Many creative fundraising activities occurred during 2021 and 2022, and the congregation was able to raise an astounding $130,000 in just under 23 months! This included several memorial funds being directed toward the organ project as well.
Brunner & Associates Organbuilders, LLC from Silver Springs, near Lancaster, PA was awarded the contract to repair and refurbish our organ. They arrived in January 2023 to remove the organ and take it back to their workshop.
In addition to repairing the water damage, all pipes were cleaned, some parts were rebuilt, and some necessary organ maintenance and updating were completed. Schoeneck was given constant updates on their progress, and the organ was reinstalled in our balcony in August and September 2023.
Schoeneck celebrated the completion of this project on Sunday, October 15, 2023. The refurbished organ was rededicated with a lovefeast and Singstunde to mark the congregation’s 261st anniversary. It was a memorable service hearing the organ for the first time and how well it blends with brass, voice, bells and timpani in praise and thanksgiving to God!
For more information on the organ restoration, please click here.
Looking Into The Future
Pastors Garritt and Sanette Fleming answered a call to another church in the spring of 2023. Schoeneck Moravian Church was without a pastor for over a year, and our Joint Board ably led us through the call process.
One of our guest pastors, the Rev. Ian Edwards, made a wonderful impression on the congregation in February 2024. The Call Committee issued a call to him, he prayerfully considered and accepted the call, and Schoeneck was thrilled when he was installed as our 48th pastor on May 12, 2024.
For more than 260 years, the Schoeneck Moravian Church congregation has been gathered together, pursuing its Mission Statement: To follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to love and serve all. Our prayer is that as a congregation we may continue to be saved, gather, and give thanks for another 260 years.
Pastors of Schoeneck Moravian Church
The information on this page has been taken from “Faithful Spirits: The First 250 Years of the Schoeneck Moravian Congregation” by Susan M. Dreydoppel. Copyright © 2012, Schoeneck Moravian Church. All Rights Reserved.
The featured image: Schoeneck Moravian Church, date unknown. Collection of the Moravian Historical Society. Used with permission.