Moravian Church

Definition and Meaning

The Moravian Brethren is a Protestant denomination that originated among the followers of Jan Hus, the fifteenth-century reformer of Bohemia (present-day western Czech Republic). Its official name is the Latin Unitas Fratrum ("Unity of the Brethren"). Because refugees from Moravia (present-day eastern Czech Republic) refounded the church in the eighteenth century, it is commonly called the Moravian Church. In Germany it is also known as the Herrnhut Brethren (Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine), after the village where the refugees settled. Today its 19 provinces (regional church units) are each self-governing under a common church order. As of 2016, membership was reported at approximately 1.11 million.

Biblical and Historical Background

• Origins: After Hus was burned at the stake in 1415, those who followed his teachings organized a church in 1457 in the Bohemian village of Kunvald. This was roughly sixty years before the Reformation of Martin Luther. They emphasized living according to the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. They were later scattered by the Thirty Years' War and by persecution. The most prominent leader of the Brethren during this period was Bishop John Amos Comenius (1592–1670).
• Renewal: In 1722, refugees from Moravia settled on the estate of Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760), a Lutheran nobleman in Saxony. The village they founded was Herrnhut ("the place under the Lord's protection"). In May 1727 the community adopted the "Brotherly Agreement," which resolved its internal conflicts. On August 13 of the same year, while sharing in Holy Communion together, the community experienced a profound spiritual awakening. The Moravians commemorate this day as their second beginning.
• Missions and Devotional Life: Foreign missions began in 1732, when Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann were sent to the island of St. Thomas in the West Indies. Missionaries were subsequently sent to Greenland, Suriname, Africa, and elsewhere, and the church is regarded as a pioneer of Protestant foreign missions. The Losungen (Daily Texts), which provide Scripture verses for daily meditation, have now been translated into more than fifty languages. The Moravians also revived early church practices such as foot washing and the love feast.
• Influence: John Wesley is known to have been influenced by his contact with the Moravians. For this reason, they are frequently cited as part of the background of the Methodist revival.

In the Korean Church

A Moravian denomination is not widely known to be organized and active in Korea. In the Korean church, the Moravians are presented mainly as a historical model of missions and communal spirituality.

• Methodist: Interest is strong because of the Moravians' connection with Wesley. In 2022 the Methodist news outlet KMC News serialized an account by the Class Meeting Research Institute of its "John Wesley Herrnhut Journey" study tour.
• Presbyterian: Shinhak Jinam (Theological Guide), the academic journal of Chongshin University, published a paper analyzing Moravian mission strategy. The paper addressed topics such as the establishment of indigenous churches and self-supporting missions (missions in which missionaries earn their own living).
• Baptist: A column in the Baptist newspaper Chimrye Sinmun presented the Moravians as the first Protestant missionary body and as a model for business as mission.