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The Moravian Church is one of the very few Protestant churches to antedate the Reformation. It had been in existence for 60 years when Martin Luther posted his famous thesis in 1517. The Moravian movement began in Moravia and Bohemia, now parts of the Czech Republic, when the Roman Catholic Church dominated all of Europe. John Hus, Rector of Prague University, recognized the excesses of the church and began using his pulpit and his brilliance as an orator to preach the abuse of church power. He looked to the Bible for the word of God rather than to the pope. He also held that individuals could talk to God without an intermediary, and that the Bible should be available to all in their own language. From its inception, the Moravian Church has emphasized a simple message, a liturgy accompanied by music, education, missions, and fellowship of believers. |
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The modern Moravian Church is a mainstream Protestant Church sharing a common body of beliefs with all Christians. The heart of that faith is that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and salvation comes by His grace, through our repentance for sins, and through our faith in Him.
Moravians understand that there may be doctrinal differences within the Church, and their guiding principle is: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love. Essentials relate to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity, the universal nature of sin, and the Bible as the sole standard for all our Christian beliefs. Moravians come from all walks of life, some are liberal and others are conservative. The nature of one's politics does not interfere with worshiping God together. Rather, the emphasis is on God's love for all people, fellowship, and understanding. |
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