Who were those Moravians? (Part 1) 1

During the Southern Baptist Convention last week, International Mission Board President, David Platt, made reference to the Moravians in his message (see 1h 34m). I was very encouraged to hear him reference their model (The Moravians were referenced over the years when he was serving The Church at Brook Hills, too.).

But who were the Moravians? And why would a mission agency president make reference to them?

The Moravians were part of one of the greatest missionary movements in Church history. While many people mark the beginning of the Protestant Missionary Movement with William Carey at the end of the 18th century, the Moravians had been preaching the gospel for decades in some of the most remote places on the planet.

When I wrote Discovering Church Planting in 2009, I had to include a chapter on their work. The story of the Moravians and their church planting activities throughout the world is a story of perseverance, simple evangelical faith, and missionary methods that influenced generations of missionaries. A Moravian was once asked, “What was it like to be a Moravian?” to which he responded, “To be a Moravian and to further Christ’s global cause are identical” (Kenneth B. Mulholland, “Moravians, Puritans, and the Modern Missionary Movement,” Bibliotheca Sacra 156, April-June 1999, pg. 226).

The Moravians trace their beginnings to the 15th century group known as the Unitras Fractum (also known as the Brethren). The Brethren were followers of John Huss, who was eventually burned at the stake for his Protestant views. After Huss’ death, his followers (including the Brethren) became a scattered and persecuted group. During the 18th century, some of the Brethren and other Protestant groups fled persecution and found refuge on a Saxony estate owned by Count Ludwig Von Zinzendorf. These believers came to be known as the Moravians.

In order to understand the Moravians’ missionary work as well as their theological convictions, one must understand the movement known as Pietism. Strongly drawing from the works of Philip Jacob Spener, the Pietists were a group of individuals following a very simple evangelical way of life and belief. Zinzendorf was strongly influenced by Pietism, and this movement was extremely influential on his mission theology. Zinzendorf was a well-educated man, but not an academic. He was very much a missions organizer and missions thinker.

In the next post, I will share 6 Foundations for Zinzendorf’s theology of mission and how it shaped Moravian practices on the field.