Willow Hill Moravian Church

Willow Hill Moravian Church All are welcome to Worship with us in Sunday School each Sunday at 10:00 am and in Worship at 11:00 am! The windows were installed in November 1897.

There is something about Willow Hill Moravian Church that brings out the poet in people.

“At the foot of the Blue Ridge, in Virginia,” the June 1895 Wachovia Moravian rhapsodized, “by the side of the Volunteer Gap road, under the waving branches of great mountain chestnut trees, Bro. John McCuiston has been preaching, now and then, to an audience gathered in from the slopes around. And now a Sund

ay School is to be opened there, and a chapel to be built.”

Br. McCuiston’s first service at Willow Hill was on August 6, 1893, when he preached outdoors at Anderson Hiatt’s “at the foot of the mountain.” You know it was a glorious setting. Work on the chapel began in the autumn of 1895, and was renewed as farm chores, finances, and the weather permitted. The first Christmas celebration was on December 19, 1896. Following on the heels of the first revival in May 1898, Br. McCuiston on June 5, 1898, organized Willow Hill with 14 members. Finally, with construction completed and all debts paid, the little chapel was consecrated on October 14, 1900, by Bishop Edward Rondthaler, who declared it was “perhaps the most sublime location of any Moravian church in the world.”

Two decades later, in September 1918, Bishop Rondthaler again visited Willow Hill. This time the Bethania band was there too, “filling the whole circuit of orchard-country with their accurate and beautiful church music,” Br. Rondthaler wrote. Yet another two decades later, with help from throughout the Southern Province, Willow Hill built a handsome brick church to replace the old 1890’s wooden one. The new church was in use by January 1939. About this time Willow Hill began a custom that each spring draws Moravians Province-wide — the annual Apple Blossom Festival. With the mountains decked in blankets of white blossoms, it is a sight to behold. Or as Edward Rondthaler put it more than 80 years ago: “This is like Paradise!”



-Moravian Archives, 2005

Let’s go to the mountain for this Moravian Artisan event tomorrow, September 5 at Laurel Ridge Camp, Conference & Retrea...
09/04/2026

Let’s go to the mountain for this Moravian Artisan event tomorrow, September 5 at Laurel Ridge Camp, Conference & Retreat Center

We have many upcoming events in the next 3 months! Our Trunk or Treat/Fall Festival in October, our Annual Christmas Ba...
09/03/2026

We have many upcoming events in the next 3 months! Our Trunk or Treat/Fall Festival in October, our Annual Christmas Bazaar in November, and our Christmas Lovefeasts in December! Details are in the images. The following images also includes the quilt raffle for the bazaar. We hope to see you all there!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 19 for the Fall Festival at Bethania Moravian Church!
09/03/2026

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 19 for the Fall Festival at Bethania Moravian Church!

Join us for Sunday School at 9:45 am and for Worship at 11:00 am each Sunday. All are welcome!
09/02/2026

Join us for Sunday School at 9:45 am and for Worship at 11:00 am each Sunday. All are welcome!

08/30/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Back to School Ice Cream Party! 🍦🍦

We pray that all the kiddos and teachers have a wonderful year at school!! 🎉

Join us for Sunday School each Sunday at 9:45 am and Worship at 11:00 am. All are welcome! If you're unable to be with...
08/29/2026

Join us for Sunday School each Sunday at 9:45 am and Worship at 11:00 am. All are welcome! If you're unable to be with us in person, click below and be part of our Worship service from wherever you may be. Service will begin at 11:00 am Sunday, August 30, 2026.

Worship Service

Join us for Sunday School at 9:45 am and Worship at 11:00 am each Sunday. If you are unable to join us in person, you c...
08/23/2026

Join us for Sunday School at 9:45 am and Worship at 11:00 am each Sunday. If you are unable to join us in person, you can view the service for August 16 at 11:00 am Sunday morning by clicking the link below.

Worship Service & Holy Communion for August 13 Festival

Join us for our Annual Christmas Bazaar! Vendors, canned goods, baked goods, demonstrations, BBQ sandwich boxes, and mo...
08/22/2026

Join us for our Annual Christmas Bazaar! Vendors, canned goods, baked goods, demonstrations, BBQ sandwich boxes, and more! 9:00 AM-4:00 PM Saturday, November 14.

Join us for our Fall Festival activities along with Trunk or Treat Sunday, October 25. Trunk or Treating from 5:00-6:00 ...
08/22/2026

Join us for our Fall Festival activities along with Trunk or Treat Sunday, October 25. Trunk or Treating from 5:00-6:00 pm and festival activities from 6:00-8:00 pm. Hayrides, chicken stew, hotdogs, pumpkin decorating, and more. See you there!

Please join our Youth Group in a Back to School Ice Cream Party! Kids of all ages are welcome! Party will be held right ...
08/17/2026

Please join our Youth Group in a Back to School Ice Cream Party! Kids of all ages are welcome!

Party will be held right after Sunday church services on August 30th at the Pavilion.

Come out and join us! ✨️🍦✨️🍦

Address

577 Willow Hill Rd
Ararat, VA
24053

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Willow Hill Moravian Church posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to Willow Hill Moravian Church:

Shortcuts

Share

Category