Moravian, << maw RAY vee uhn, >> Church is a Protestant denomination that was formed after the death of religious reformer John Hus in Bohemia. In 1457, some supporters of the martyred Hus organized themselves as the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren). They stressed the sole authority of the Bible; simplicity in worship; receiving the Lord’s Supper in faith without authoritative human explanation; and disciplined Christian living. In 1467, the group established its own ministry. Despite suppression, the Brethren flourished and were an important religious force by the time of Martin Luther. See Brethren ; Hus, John .
The Brethren suffered great persecution during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). The group revived during the Pietist movement in Germany in the early 1700’s. Pietists were Christians—mainly Lutherans—who wanted to return to the simple life of the early Christians. Beginning in 1722, refugees from Moravia under the leadership of Count von Zinzendorf reorganized the church. It then became known as the Moravian Church. The group built Herrnhut, a town located on Count von Zinzendorf’s estate in Saxony. Herrnhut became the base for the missionary activity of the Moravian Church throughout the world, especially among developing countries. The Moravian Church has always been noted for its missionary work. As a result, most Moravians live in Africa or the Caribbean area. Today, the denomination has hundreds of thousands of members.
Moravians first immigrated to America in 1735. The church in North America has two headquarters—in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The church has three orders of the ministry—bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Provincial and district synods (conferences) of ministers and the laity administer the church.
