Canaan Moravian Church (Brüder Gemeinde zu Canaan) was organized on October 23, 1881, by 32 German pioneers migrating west from Minnesota and Wisconsin to establish their homes along the Maple River. On August 20, 1882, Brother William Strohemeier was installed as the first full-time pastor.

The first parsonage was built in 1884 at a cost of $255.00. The first church was erected in 1886 and cost $700.00. The present day red brick church was dedicated on November 22, 1914, and the present parsonage was completed in 1946.

The Canaan Cemetery (AKA Canaan Moravian Cemetery, Canaan Moravian Church Cemetery, etc.), has its own unique history. The "choir system" has been used since the beginning for the arrangement of burials in the cemetery. Men are buried on one side (north section) and women on the other (south section), with the children buried in the back. This arrangement, like the flat gravestones, shows that all believers are of one family, with no regard for wealthy or poor, learned or illiterate, honored or humblest. Members are buried in order of death, and there is no reservation of graves of any kind. The first member of the pioneer congregation to be buried in the cemetery was Carl Liebenow, in June, 1884. His wife, Marie Liebenow, was the first woman buried here in February, 1885. Agnes Maria Lebus was the first child buried in the cemetery in November, 1884.

A plaque chronicling the history of the church and cemetery was erected to the memory of Charlotte (Discher) Matthews in 1992.

In 1985, the large "ledger" type grave markers were banned from future installation in the cemetery, as their cost had become too great for many families to bear when burying a loved one. Nowadays, raised "footstones" are almost exclusively used.

The Canaan Church maintains the cemetery through special funds designated for its upkeep and perpetual care.