What motivated families to migrate to the Wachovia, i.e., to the Moravians of old?

In 1768 families and individuals from Maine relocated in the Wachovia to a place they named Friedland. They had interlocking motivations for their decision to move. The settlers were convinced that moving to North Carolina was in their best economic and spiritual interest.

Consider these three quotes from the book, Hope's Promise by S. Scott Rohrer.

One family said: "Our children are going to ruin; we want to live near a congregation of the Brethren." (Moravians)  

Another family moved to the Wachovia because they were "desirous of seeking the salvation of their souls and mindful of the  everlasting happiness of their children."

The migrants to North Carolina, "honestly wished to be father from the tumult and temptations of the world, that in quiet they may learn more of Him."

Can you see why I believe the old Moravians have much to teach us?

Image - Home Moravian Church - (Old) Salem

Home Moravian Church was established in Salem on November 13, 1771.The sanctuary building itself, with its distinctive belfry, was completed in 1800, 

Moravian Food Blessing

* Old Woman in Prayer, known as ‘Prayer without end’

By Nicolaes Maes

Current Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Dated to 1656

Moravian Table Blessing

Come, Lord Jesus, our guest to be

And bless these gifts

Bestowed by Thee,

And bless our loved ones everywhere,

And keep them in Your loving care. 
_____________________

*Old woman in prayer, known as ‘Prayer without end’. An old woman is praying with folded hands while sitting at a table laid with bread, cheese, a jug, a bowl and a fish on a plate. To the right a cat pulls the tablecloth. On the wall a bunch of keys are hanging. In a niche in the same wall stand a funnel and an hourglass.

Image - Moravian Simplicity - Old Salem

3 Characteristics of Moravian mission.

Count Zinzendorf

In a letter to an English friend Zinzendorf wrote: 

"You are not to aim at the conversion of whole nations; you must simply look for seekers after the truth who, like the Ethiopian eunuch, seems ready to welcome the Gospel. Second, you must go straight to the point and tell them about the life and death of Christ. Third, you must not stand aloof from the heathen, but humble yourself, mix with them, treat them as Brethren, and pray with them and for them." 

(Zinzendorf 1732)

This quote shows the three basic characteristics of Moravian mission: 

1. The Holy Spirit guides both the seeker for truth and the missionary; 

2. Preaching Christ is the central task of the missionary; and 

3. The missionary imitates Christ’s example of humility. 

What is a Gemein Ort?

One of the several evidences of the organizational genius of Count Zinzendorf was the creation of Gemein Ort - congregational towns. The Gemein Ort  was distinct, different, from a traditional village - which usually had a church. But with the Gemein Ort, or congregational town, there was no distinction between the congregation and the government of the town. It was a coherent whole. 

Eventually there were more than twenty such communities in Germany, the Netherlands, England, Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland and North America. Salem in North Carolina was one of the last to be established. 

Bethlehem, Lititz and Salem were congregational towns in America. 

Image - God's Acre

God's Acre (1771) - Moravian burial ground - Old Salem
Winston-Salem
Click on image to enlarge.

Image - Colonial Games

The Public Room at the 1784 Tavern at Old Salem, NC

The Public Room at the 1784 Tavern in Old Salem is staged with the sort of things that were there in the last quarter of the 18th century. The inventory would include: newspapers, snacks, maps, Bibles, puzzles and games.

Most of the period games are recognized by current visitors to the tavern - dominoes, chess, and checkers. There are also games that are unfamiliar to most, such as The Royal and Most Pleasant Game of the Goose and Nine Mans Morris. It is to be noted that none of the games encourage gambling which was unwelcome in the tavern. 

The former game, Goose, is a precursor to Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders and may date back 2000 years. The latter game is a combination of checkers and tic-tac-toe.

You can find these games on the Internet. With the Internet as your resource you may learn, and perhaps purchase a two hundred plus year old game.

For Goose - click here.

For Nine Mans Morris - click here.

Image - Two Old Salem homes

Click on image to enlarge

Quote: Count Zinzendorf

“I am destined to proclaim the message, unmindful of personal consequences to myself.”  ― Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

Image - Historic home in Old Salem

Click on image to enlarge

Moravian Music from an underground wine cellar

Editorial Posture of the Blog

The editorial stance of this blog is that we Moderns have much to learn from the early Moravians - especially the Western church. 

Consider this quote to make my point:

"In all situations, the Unity (early Moravians) considered the needs of the community paramount over those of the individual."

--Hope's Promise by S. Scott Rohrer

A Positive Application Of The Concept Of A World Without Borders

“I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ.” 
― Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

Every coin has two sides

One side of the coin:

The 18th century Moravians turned upside down the existing social order with their radical spirituality and religion. There were four theological/moral positions the 18th century Moravians held that often put them sideway with the larger society. The four were:

• Pacifism, 
• The concept that all humans are of equal value and deserve equal opportunity,
• Living in community with shared responsibilities,
• And finally, the promotion of unity between Christian churches. 

Truth to be told things went beyond criticism. Count Zinzendorf, the father of the renewed Moravians, was exiled from his homeland for a decade. There were riots in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and England. Missionaries were banished from their foreign work. Great men such as George Whitefield and John Wesley inveighed against them through tracts. 

One of the several reasons the Moravians purchased land in North Carolina was to have a place of sanctuary.

On the other side of the coin.

Indeed the 18th century Moravians were radical and maligned. The irony is that all the negativity toward the Moravians did not negate their growth. In fact, the church grew fastest during its most radical period. Additionally, the message of peace and harmony inspired many - hundreds - to carry the message of Jesus Christ around the world in search of the lost. This radical period contributed to the inspiration to build communities, such as Salem, in the wilderness of North Carolina. 

Our culture could not be more diametrically opposed

The editorial stance of this blog is that we Moderns have much to learn from the early Moravians - especially the Western church. 

Consider this quote:

"In all situations, the Unity (early Moravians) considered the needs of the community paramount over those of the individual."

--Hope's Promise by S. Scott Rohrer

Moravian Rituals (click here)

Ritual is important to all groups - especially Christian groups. For the older Moravians of the 18th century they knew their world-wide traditions served at least two purposes.

First, it provided stability and cohesion in individual Moravian settlements. The rituals brought the people of a Moravian village together to worship, to gossip, talk politics and to support one another. Thus the universally practiced Moravian rituals unified the sprawling  communities.

Second, the rituals connected individual Moravians to the larger communities - the congregational community, the Moravian inhabitants of North America and around the world. The individual was reminded that he or she belonged to a movement much larger than themselves. 

Examples of distinctly Moravian rituals and traditions would include:

• The lovefeast,
• The playing of trombones signaling a birth or death in the community,
• The choir system,
• The lots used in decision making.

Quote: Count Zinzendorf

“These wounds were meant to purchase me. These drops of blood were shed to obtain me. I am not my own today. I belong to another. I have been bought with a price. And I will live every moment of this day so that the Great Purchaser of my soul will receive the full reward of His suffering.” 

Image - Bethania and the Civil War

Bethania Moravian Church, a few miles from Salem, was a cradle of Confederate sentiment during the War Between The States. 

The minister during the war years, Jacob Siewers, was decidedly a Union sympathizer. During his pastorate one third of the members left. It took seven years to build it back. 

His historic home in Salem is pictured below. 

Early Moravian Creativity

The early Moravians made a number of significant  contributions to Colonial America. Consider ...

-- The early Moravians created the first pumped municipal water system in America. 

-- They created the first school to teach Native American languages.

-- They created the first girls’ boarding school with the same curriculum as the boys’ school.

-- They created one of America’s first orchestras.

-- They celebrated the first public Fourth of July in Salem.

Image - The 1784 Salem Tavern

The Salem Tavern as it exists today was built in 1784. The 1784 tavern was built to be as fire proof as an 18th century building could be. A hard lesson and experience with fire was had when the earlier wooden tavern burned to the ground. With fire prevention in mind the replacement tavern was the first all brick building in Salem. Parts of the basement walls are from the original 1775 Tavern building.

In the late 18th century all who worked and lived in Salem were Moravians. Because Salem was a trade town, as contrasted with the Moravian farming communities, it was necessary to attract non-Moravians or “strangers” as they were called. Strangers were needed to purchase what the tradesmen of Salem made. The tavern housed only non-Moravian men coming to Salem to purchase goods. 

The tavern back in the day would be considered 4 Star by the standards of the day. 

The Strangers coming to Salem were a mixed blessing. They were needed for commerce but not for an exchange of ideas. The Moravians to put it bluntly did not wish to hear the latest trendy Christian idea. They were rightly satisfied with their corporate spiritual life. With that in mind the leaders of Salem decided to place the Tavern on the outskirts of town to avoid the influence of “strangers” as much as possible. 

The Tavern was built, owned and operated by the Moravian Church. It was the church that selected a married couple to run the facility. It was important that the couple could run a successful business as well as set a good example of the Moravian community. In addition to the tavern keeper and his wife, the Tavern required several workers. A hostler (horse boy) and female workers were usually part of the workforce. An enslaved African American family also lived and worked in the Tavern in 1791.

Several consequential Strangers or guests stayed at Salem’s tavern. The most famous visitor, President George Washington, stayed two nights in 1791.  

This was also the first building by mason Johann Gottlob Krause, who built most of Salem’s largest and most important masonry buildings in the subsequent 20 years.

Controversy - Methodist verses Moravian

In 1741 at Gray’s Inn Walks in London controversy erupted.

A dispute was debated by John Wesley representing the Methodists and Count Zinzendorf of the Moravian point-of-view. The argument was carried out in Latin.  

John Wesley claimed that the Moravians overly emphasized Luther’s justification by faith and neglected real holiness, not teaching correctly the goal of the Christian life which was “Christian perfection.” 

Zinzendorf disagreed: “I know of no such thing as inherent perfection in this life. This is the error of errors. I pursue it everywhere with fire and sword! I stamp it under foot! I give it over to destruction! Christ is our only perfection. Whoever affirms inherent perfection denies Christ.” 

In reply to Wesley’s argument that it was “Christ’s own Spirit that works in true Christians to achieve their perfection,” the Count replied: “By no means! All Christian perfection is simply faith in Christ’s blood. Christian perfection is entirely imputed, not inherent. We are perfect in Christ; never in ourselves.” 

John Hus the progenitor of the Moravians

John Hus at the Council of Constance where he was condemned to death

The Moravian Church was first called The Hussite movement. honoring the name of martyr John Hus who began the movement in early 15th century Bohemia, in what is today the Czech Republic.

John Hus objected to some of the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church of which he was a priest. 

— Specifically, he wanted the liturgy to be celebrated in Czech; 

— He wanted lay people to receive both the consecrated bread and wine;

— He wanted married priests;

— He wanted the eliminating indulgences and the concept of Purgetory.  

Since these actions predate the Protestant Reformation by a century, some historians claim the Moravian Church was the first Protestant church.

The Council of Constance declared him a heretic and had him burned at the stake on 6 July 1415. 

The Singstunde

The Singstunde is a form of Moravian worship comprised primarily of singing by the congregation. Singing has a long and venerable history in the Moravian church.

There is a legend that Count Zinzendorf composed a hymn of sixty seven verses one evening. As the congregation was singing verse one, he was composing verse two and at the same time writing so that they were able to see to sing until he stopped at verse sixty seven. If true this was a monumental accomplishment. 

What is certainly true is that the Count impacted the community in such a way that hymnody and other sacred music are planted deep in the Moravian soul. 

Image - A Sturdy Lock

The study lock on the 1784 Moravian Tavern in Old Salem, NC. 

This is not a Tall Tale

In Moravian circles it is said that Count Zinzendorf died as a result of a decision that was made in Bethany, North Carolina.  It is not a tall tale.

Bethabara, North Carolina, was the first Moravian settlement in the Wachovia (1753). All of the residents were Moravians - no exceptions.  

Bethania was the second Moravian settlement (1759). Into this village the Moravian bishop, August Gottlieb Spangenberg (b. 1704) permitted non-Moravians to settle.  

Eight Moravian families were selected to move from Bethabara to Bethania - three miles away. The bishop augmented that number with eight non-Moravian families. 

It took more than a year for this news to cross the Atlantic and land on the desk of Count Zinzendorf in Saxony. 

The Count was not happy - not at all! He vented! The scribe that took down the venting noted, “those who heard his words will never forget them in their whole life long.”

In the Diary for May 3, 1760 are recorded some of the Count's words. He said, “It is against our plan to mix ourselves with people who we do not know. It must absolutely and to eternity not happen that Brethren and stranger people build a settlement where they are going to live together.”

Six days later - the Count was dead. Bethania lives on.

There are a number of implications to this narrative. Do any jump out of you?

Excursus: The Story Behind the Hymn All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name

Moravian Lovefeast

The first worship service in Home Moravian Church, Salem, was Sunday November 9th, 1800. The number of people that arrived for the inaugural liturgy was far beyond the seating capacity. The overflow went to the town square with men on one side and women on the other - just as they sat in the church itself. The trombones separated the two groups.

At days end there was a lovefeast. Beer and buns were served (remember they are Germans). One thousand buns were baked. They had to be halved to provide for all those that attended. 

As a side note there is no hard and fast rule about the refreshments served at a lovefeast. The Congregational Council, however, in 1789 determined that coffee shall be served. So it has been ever since. 

International Reach of this Blog - August 28 to September 2, 2016

Page views from August 28 to September 2. Nations that have check in are ranked in descending order based on the number of hits:

USA

France

Poland

Brazil

Canada

Moldova

Ukraine

Thanks for all your visits.

Brick

In 1797 serious discussion began in Salem about the building of a church. I have researched the brick used and came up with two results.

It does seem that Joseph Essic was contracted to make brick for the building project in 1797.

In one account it was estimated that 50,000 brick would be needed. Three years later the brick making was finished. He had made a total of 117,000.  

In a second account in the literature of Home Moravian Church I found the following: "In 1799, the walls 2'6" thick were laid up. This took over 300,000 bricks, which were made in the valley behind the church." 

Despite the disparate numbers the brick making is impressive. The making of the brick, whatever the number, is one more way the Moravians of old had grit and a "can-do" spirit. 

Ground was broken and the foundation was laid for the Salem Church in 1798. Today it is known as Home Moravian Church. All this to the glory of God.