The Moravians were the spiritual descendants of Jan Hus. Driven from their homeland during the Thirty Years’ War, they were scattered throughout Europe and lost many members. But a few remained to hold services in secret and pray for the rebirth of their Church of the United Brethren. In 1722, a little company of Moravians settled in Saxony, on Zinzendorf’s estate, to escape widespread persecution. The party was led by Christian David, a convert from Roman Catholicism, who is said to have "burned with zeal like an oven".
The Community on Zenzendorf’s land was named Herrnhut (The Lord’s Watch) and became a haven for Protestant refugees from all parts of Germany as well as from Moravia and Bohemia. Count Zinzendorf himself entered the community and played a major role in shaping the Moravian influence and growth.
There are clear links between the renewed Moravian community and the Evangelical Revival in England through James Hutton and John Wesley.
By 1740 the Moravians had sent missionaries to several countries, including the Virgin Islands, Greenland, Surinam, the Gold Coast, North America, and South Africa. Their self-sacrifice, love, and total commitment to evangelization are unparalleled in the history of missions. Despite the group’s small size, the Moravians sent out hundreds of missionaries in the eighteenth century — and inspired countless others.
[tags]BlogRodent, church-history, ChurchRodent, Evangelical, Herrnhut, history, James, John-Wesley, Moravians, Revival, John-Hus[/tags]