A Moravian Congregation on Broad Street
Rural Hall Moravian Church sits on Broad Street in the Forsyth County town of Rural Hall, North Carolina, and carries the simple motto engraved into the rhythm of its life: Enter to worship, Exit to serve. As a member congregation of the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, the church belongs to what it describes as the body of churches forming the oldest Protestant denomination. Members and visitors alike step into a worship life shaped by the distinctive Moravian traditions of the lovefeast, the candlelight service, and the communion of simple buns and sweet coffee shared around a table.
Sunday Worship at Eleven
The congregation gathers for worship on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. at 7939 Broad Street, Rural Hall, NC. Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, allowing members who cannot be present to join from home. The service is grounded in Moravian liturgical tradition, and the bulletin is available each week as a downloadable PDF. Worship is conducted in English.
The church office is open Wednesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors and members can reach the office by phone at (336) 969-9488, or by email at secretary@rhmc.org. The pastor can be reached at pastor@rhmc.org. A weekly newsletter is offered by sign-up for those who want to stay informed about what is coming up.
The Lovefeast Tradition
The lovefeast is at the heart of Rural Hall Moravian's devotional life. A lovefeast is the Moravian custom of gathering to share a simple meal together in worship - typically a sweet bun and a cup of coffee served at a table while hymns are sung. The tradition is observed several times a year at RHMC and is woven into the church's most meaningful services.
The Thanksgiving Lovefeast is held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, when the congregation joins in giving thanks to God for life, health, harvest, family, and spiritual gifts, sharing in the Moravian lovefeast of simple buns and sweet coffee. The lovefeast also marks the annual Church Anniversary Sunday in May, when members recall the founding of the congregation and share in the same tradition of the table.
Christmas at RHMC
No season is more fully Moravian at Rural Hall than Christmas. The celebration begins on the first Sunday of December with the Old Fashioned Christmas Breakfast, a community gathering with a home-cooked morning meal. Two candlelight services follow. The Christmas Candlelight and Lovefeast Service is held on the Sunday before Christmas at 7:00 p.m., a quiet hour of traditional hymns sung by candlelight with the sharing of simple buns and sweet coffee. The Christmas Eve Lovefeast and Candlelight Service continues the same pattern on December 24 at 9:00 p.m.
Throughout December, the rhythm of Advent and the warmth of Moravian observance shape the church's calendar, with the Moravian tradition of singing in candlelight standing at the center.
Community Gatherings Through the Year
Beyond worship, the church runs a busy slate of community events that draw neighbors in from across Rural Hall and the surrounding area. The Women's Fellowship Fall Breakfast, held on a Saturday in mid-October, serves an all-you-care-to-eat country breakfast of ham, bacon, eggs, grits, biscuits, gravy, apples, sugar cake, juice, and coffee. Adult meals are priced at $10 and children's meals at $5, with takeout available. The breakfast also features a bake sale of cookies, pies, cakes, and breads, raffle tickets, and chicken pies for sale by the dozen.
Each fall the church hosts a Trunk or Treat for families on the church grounds, and a Sock Hop and Car Show that invites the community to dress in 1950s attire and bring classic cars. The Chili and BBQ Cookoff fills a September weekend with a People's Choice competition where votes cost fifty cents each and proceeds benefit the church. A Moravian Square Farmers' Market is held in the warmer months on the church property, supporting local growers and crafters and including a car show; vendor applications and regulations are posted for those interested in taking a booth.
A Century on Broad Street
The story of Rural Hall Moravian begins on July 27, 1923, when nine women gathered in the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Stauber to form the Rural Hall Moravian Ladies Aid Society. The charter members were Mrs. Stauber (president), Mrs. S. S. Flynt (vice president), Mrs. A. T. Cox, Miss Lily Lash, Mrs. E. S. Felts, Miss Eunice Flynt, Miss Helen Flynt, Miss Maude Felts, and Miss Edith Shore. They drew up a constitution and declared that the objective of the society would be to promote fellowship and be united for service.
From that organization grew the Rural Hall Moravian Sunday School and Church. The church was formally organized as a congregation of the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, on Sunday, May 3, 1931 - a date the congregation continues to mark as its anniversary. The church sanctuary is now entering its second century, and the 2026 calendar year is a yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the sanctuary building.
Serving the Wider Community
The Moravian Square Farmers' Market at RHMC is more than a market - it is structured to benefit local food banks and support the surrounding community, with proceeds and produce directed toward those in need. The Women's Fellowship and the broader congregation channel the same spirit into the church's outreach, gathering around tables and fellowship halls in service to neighbors near and far.
For a small congregation in a small Forsyth County town, Rural Hall Moravian Church holds an outsized place in the life of the community, drawing people in from across the region for its lovefeasts, candlelight services, breakfasts, and the kind of welcome that has defined Moravian witness for nearly three hundred years.