Moravian Church

From Bohemia and Moravia the story passes to Germany , then on to Denmark , Holland , England , North and South America , and to many other distant parts of the world. The story of the History of the Moravian Church is, in fact, the story of the origin and development of the first international Protestant Church in the world.

This enthusiastic missionary activity, which henceforth remained a dominant feature of Moravian church life, led to an important development in the life of the Church. The question arose whether they ought not to restore the ancient episcopal order of their own Church, so that they might be able to have ordained ministers of their own. It seemed unsafe to depend upon a succession of properly qualified Lutheran ministers to initiate and to man the missions which they felt called upon to undertake. They felt that they needed ordinations which the most rigid Episcopalians in the English colonies must acknowledge, in order that the administration of baptism and Holy Communion, and other ecclesiastical functions might be deemed valid.

For some time Zinzendorf had designed to visit England . On his way thither he passed through Holland . At the Hague he had many discussions with important personages. He arrived in London on January 20th, 1737. His main desire was to confer with Dr. John Potter, who, after being Bishop of Oxford, had just been promoted to be Archbishop of Canterbury, on the question of the Moravian Church, and, particularly, on the ordination which he himself was shortly to receive. Several years previously he had written to him on this subject; though through some miscarriage the letter had not been answered.

The count and the Brethren took the lead in trying to establish more agreement among the various German sects in Pennsylvania , though not with the idea of getting them to join the Moravian Church . A circular letter was sent out on December 15th, 1741, desiring them to send deputies to a General Meeting at Germantown , in order to see how near they could come together on fundamental points, and to establish what was called a 'Congregation of God in the Spirit.' Several such conferences were held. After a promising beginning, however, they came to nothing.

Expressions of sorrow followed; but on going to meet the bands in the evening the door was shut against him, and proceeding to Mr. Bray's, one of the members, he was threatened with expulsion from the Moravian society. In a society meeting at the Foundery J. Bray declared that it was 'impossible for anyone to be a true Christian out of the Moravian Church .'

As the years passed by other things happened to exacerbate the feelings of bitterness that were engendered in the way that has been indicated. Into these we shall not enter here. It is important, however, to note that Wesley saw quite clearly at this time that the whole Moravian Church should not be held responsible for these lamentable and tragic divisions. On September 29th, 1740, Wesley, having stated what the errors were, and affirming that a man may use the ordinances of God, the Lord's Supper in particular, before he has a perfect faith, says, 'I further assert, that I learned this, not only from the English, but also from the Moravian Church; and I hereby openly and earnestly call upon that Church, and upon count Zinzendorf in particular, to correct me, and explain themselves, if I have misunderstood or misrepresented them.' Tyerman says with truth that Wesley puts the blame on the right shoulders. 'It was not the Moravian Church , but a few of its foolish ministers and members, at Fetter Lane , that circulated these heresies.'