A Historical Perspective, setting a context for Evangelism and Discipleship—Part 1

April 11, 2010

March 1, is an important date in the minds of conscious Moravians as it was on that day in 1457 when The Unitas Fratrum came into being.  This was not a body looking for power and prominence but a group of people who were zealous for the purity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for sharing the faith they had personally embraced.  The Moravian Church, as it was later called, is the oldest surviving Protestant church – now 553 years old.  It is worthwhile to note that the birthing of the church came 42 years after the death of John Hus the initiator of this puritan movement, 60 years before Martin Luther began the Great Reformation in Germany, 131 years before the Church of England (The Anglican Church) separated from the denomination of Rome and 281 years before the conversion of John Wesley which is traced back to the Moravians and particularly Bishop Peter Bohler.

April 25, 2010

Ten years after the first emigrants arrived in Herrnhut the mission work of the Moravian Church began. The congregation had been preparing for several years and an opportunity presented itself in this way. In 1731 Count Zinzendorf was invited to attend the coronation of King Christian VI of Denmark. Whilst there he met Anthony, a slave from the West Indies and valet to Count Laurwig, from whom he learned the conditions under which the slaves lived and their lack of any Christian teaching. Returning to Herrnhut he told of his experience and shortly afterwards Anthony himself came to Herrnhut and was introduced to the congregation.