www.moravian.org

Basic History
The Moravian Church was organized in 1457 by the followers of the martyr John Hus, as the Unity of Brethren. The denomination came to be known as the "Moravian" Church many years later, in the eighteenth century, because most of its members came from the province of Moravia, now the Czech Republic.

Hus, a Roman Catholic priest and professor at the University of Prague, taught that the Gospel should be available in the common language rather than in Latin. He held services in Czech at the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague. He also preached that the communion bread and wine should be freely available to all believers, and objected to abusive practices of the Roman Catholic Church of the fifteenth century. He was burned at the stake as a heretic at the Council of Constance in 1415.

By the end of the Thirty Years' War, in 1648, when Bohemia became a Catholic nation, a small band of Moravians fled to Poland, where they established a flourishing community. Then, in the early 1700's, a group of Moravians crossed the border into southern Germany to seek refuge and religious freedom on the estates of the Lutheran Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a leader of the Pietist movement.

Largely due to his leadership in daily Bible studies, the group came to formulate a unique document, known as the "Brotherly Agreement," which set forth basic tenets of Christian behavior. There followed an intense and powerful experience of renewal, often described as the "Moravian Pentecost." During a communion service at Berthelsdorf, the entire congregation felt a powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, and felt their previous differences swept away. This experience began the Moravian renewal, and led to the beginning of the Protestant World Mission movement. Today, the Moravian Church continues to have a strong influence in the world mission movement.

In 1735, German Moravian missionaries came to Georgia, in 1740 to Pennsylvania and in 1753 to North Carolina. The Moravians founded Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1741. Many of the original 18th and 19th century buildings built by the original settlers have been preserved or restored by the Moravian Church.

The Moravian Church was among the first to publish the Bible in the common language, and the first to print common language hymnals.

They were early in their emphasis on educating women as well as men; and they were pioneers of the Protestant mission movement. Moravians have worked for Christian unity throughout their history, and are founding members of the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches.

Basic Beliefs
The Moravian Church preaches the basics of the faith which all Christians share in common. Moravians are encouraged to live out their faith through service to those in need. Web site information states their mission work has concentrated on the poor and the powerless, and groups largely unreached by other denominations.

Congregations are challenged to be involved in ministry to "the least of these" in their own communities. This focus on ministering to non-members is an essential part of the Moravian identity.

Moravians believe that communion bread and wine should be freely available to all believers.

Leadership
Northern Province, Provincial Elders' Conference
President - The Rev. David Wickmann
Vice Presidents - The Rev. Gary Straughan (Eastern District), The Rev. Lawrence Christianson (Western District), The Rev. Stephen Gohdes (Canadian District)

Southern Province, Provincial Elders' Conference
President - The Rev. Dr. Robert Sawyer
Vice President - Betsy R. Bombick

Basic Facts
Churches in the US are concentrated in Winston-Salem, NC and Bethlehem, PA, with scattered groups of congregations in other parts of the country.

Location
Moravian Church Northern Province
1021 Center Street /or
P.O. Box 1245
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18016
Phone (610) 867-7566
Fax (610 866-9223

Moravian Church Southern Province
459 Church Street
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101
Phone (336) 725-5811
Fax (336) 723-1029