The Moravian Church

Moravians are a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ. The denomination is a part of "mainstream" Protestant Christianity. The roots of the Moravian Church Stem from the earliest Protestant movement originated by the followers of John Hus. In 1457 the church was organized, 60 years before the Reformation begun by Martin Luther in Germany, in what is now the Czech Republic, with the same name "Moravian" coming from the region of that country called "Moravia."

Moravians first came to America as missionaries to the Indians. They came to Georgia in 1735, settled in Pennsylvania in 1740, and in North Carolina in 1753. The close of the Colonial period marked the end of the Indian missions, but by that time the Moravian Church had become established in several areas of America.

The Moravian Church accepts the Apostle's Creed and other evangelical teachings generally held by most Protestants. We believe that personal salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and that the Christian Church is the fellowship of believers who share this experience. Moravians accept the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments as the source and the rule of their doctrine, faith, and practice.

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Much of the sprit of the Moravian Church is conveyed by its motto, "in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love." This means that in certain essential Christian doctrines (the Trinitarian nature of God, the Deity of Jesus Christ, the universality of human sin, and the Scriptures as the ground of our faith and practice) we must stand united. On the other hand, in non-essentials (such as how Christ is presented in the elements of the Holy Communion, or what mode of baptism should be followed) there have always been differences of interpretation among Christians. Moravians believe these non-essentials should not divide those who love Jesus Christ. Finally, the Moravian Church teaches that whether or not we agree entirely on some of the less essential doctrines of the Christian Church, we can live and work together because of our common love for Christ as Lord and Savior.