The Moravian Church Southern Province (MCSP) is excited to share they have successfully acquired the deed to the home of Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship at 2055 Peak Creek Church Rd, Laurel Springs, NC. The MCSP would like to congratulate the Mountain Laurel Fellowship in this milestone!
As the only Moravian congregational presence in the northwestern mountains of North Carolina (Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, and Wilkes counties), they are an engaged, inclusive church community that thrives in His presence, in support of one another and in the communities they serve.
The Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship began in the early 2000s as a gathering of just a few Moravian families who wanted to continue their worship traditions despite no longer living near a Moravian church. In 2007, they began worshipping in Transou United Methodist Church. Even when Transou UMC transitioned to Transou Community Church, Mountain Laurel was able to continue using their space.
Around when Transou transitioned from a Methodist Church to a Community Church, a Mountain Laurel fellowship member inquired about 2055 Peak Creek. The community got confirmation the church was vacant but didn’t move forward with the information at the time. But in April of 2022, Will Heyward, pastor at Mount Jefferson Presbyterian Church, reached out to Ted Burcaw, Mountain Laurel’s pastor, to ask if they were interested in the space.
Mount Jefferson had owned the deed for 2055 Peak Creek for around 20 years and was ready to let it go since the church had been vacant from 2015-2022. Ted Burcaw brought his congregation to visit in May of 2022 after Sunday worship. Burcaw says he remembers the sensation that washed over the small but mighty congregation of 14 as they stood in the sanctuary. The spirit moved them, and so they followed God’s call and swiftly began working towards the deed.
When they were using Transou’s building, Mountain Laurel was only able to use the space during their worship service. This meant they were extremely limited in any outreach events they could host. Rev. Ted Burcaw noted how amazing it is to now have a building they could not only worship in any time, but which has a kitchen, fellowship hall, and 2 accessible restrooms.
Mountain Laurel remains extremely grateful for their time at Transou Church and the welcoming support its members have always offered but were naturally eager to have more than just a sanctuary space for their use. So, when Mount Jefferson said they could have the building at 2055 Peak Creek for closing costs, the congregation was thrilled.
Since moving into the space, Mountain Laurel has begun offering Sunday School, community potluck dinners, support to the Alleghany Rock food bank, support to the Alleghany High School Food Pantry, and recently had their first putz for Christmas of 2023, a Moravian tradition of creating a highly detailed Nativity scene.
All of this came at a time of great transition in the Moravian church. The Moravian Church Southern Province elects a President of the Province every 4 years. 2022 was the year of the election, and Ted and his congregation needed Provincial approval and funding to make their dreams a reality. Rev. Chris Thore was acting president when this began and made it clear to newly elected president Rev. Dr. Neil Routh the importance of prioritizing the Mountain Laurel ministry. It was June of 2022 when Rev. Dr. Neil Routh began his role with the province, and by November of 2022, Ted Burcaw and his congregation were in their new home. Now, in March of 2024, the deal has been finalized, money has changed hands, and the deed to 2055 Peak Creek Road belongs to the Moravian Church Southern Province, and by extension Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship.
Mountain Laurel is so grateful for all this new space has allowed them to do and hopes to continue growing their ministry. They host worship every Sunday at 11 AM and stream all their services to the Mountain Laurel Facebook for those who can’t make it in person. They often have visiting Moravians from other communities thanks to their nearness to the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and the Moravian’s very own Laurel Ridge Camp and Conference Center, both just minutes down the road. However, many of the regularly attending congregation members drive as far as 20-30 miles one way every Sunday to attend service, so you don’t need to live close to feel like a member of this community. Come join them some Sunday soon to help celebrate the ownership of their building as they continue their mission of knowing Jesus and making Jesus known.
For more information about Mountain Laurel Fellowship, visit www.mountainlaurelmoravian.com and to learn more about the Moravian Church, visit www.moravian.org and www.moravianmission.org
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