Contact us!
office@chaskamoravian.org
952-448-4000
115 E 4th Street
Chaska, MN, 55318
M-F 9am-2pm
What’s a Moravian?
The Moravian Church traces its roots back to 1457 from the original Czech Unity of the Brethren. We are one of the oldest Protestant Denominations in existence, and we exist all over the world in small pockets, the largest of which is on the Swahili coast in Africa. We have always claimed simplicity in our theology, and placed great emphasis on the fellowship of the body of Christ. We affirm most if not all of the same creeds as other Christian denominations. We also have affirmed Jesus Christ as the Chief Elder of our Church since 1741, essentially proclaiming that no one person can govern the Church alone, and that our Savior is the only one worthy of that title. The modern Moravian Church organizes itself into a Unity of Provinces, all governed by individual synods. Each congregation is governed by its own yearly synod we call Church council. The Moravian motto you see in the seal adjacent, reads: “Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow him” in English. Another motto the Church has adopted through the years is: In essentials, Unity; In nonessentials, Liberty; In all things, Love” Overall, we recognize ourselves as a Church in need of God’s grace on a daily basis, and strive to serve the Holy Trinity alongside our siblings in Christ, and Interfaith partners until He comes. If you’d like to learn more, try: https://www.moravian.org/what-we-believe/
Serving Christ since 1858
Chaska Moravian Church was established on January 1st, 1858, and is the oldest church in Chaska. The Church was founded at the request of a few members of the Hopedale Moravian Church (1837-1912) in Pennsylvania. In the winter of 1857, Pastor and Missionary Martin Erdmann was called to establish the church and arrived in what was then still known as “Shaska” at one of the home’s of the founding members just before Christmas. The first building built was a parsonage, and soon the church building would follow. Until a church building was built the congregation continued to meet in this home. After establishing several preaching plots through the area, including where Lake Auburn and Zoar Moravian Churches now stand, Rev. Erdmann moved on. After its founding, the Chaska congregation tried its hand in education and after a short run moved its focus towards ministering to the english speaking population of the area, as most of the population was German speaking at the time. Chaska Moravian Church was the first Moravian congregation to be established in the state of Minnesota, and in the same spirit of our predecessors, we seek to share the love of Jesus Christ with all people, regardless of what circumstances of life they come from.
Who We Are
Pastor Charlie McDonald
Pastor Charlie is a Maine native who fell in love with the Moravian Church in Pennsylvania where he attended university. He received a Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science in 2017, and his Master’s of Divinity in 2021 through Moravian University and Theological Seminary. This is his first call serving as an ordained minister in the Moravian Church.
Feel free to reach out: pastorcharlie@chaskamoravian.org