Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-27
MEMORY OF CHURCHLEADER
ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH CELE
DRAFTED.
Count Zinsendorf, a Founder of the
MOravian Church-Zeal of
the Believers.

The 201st anniversary of the birth of
Count Nicholas Lewis Won Zinsendorf, sec
ond in the list Of founders Of the Moravian
Church. was celebrated throughout the
world yesterday. Count Zinzendorf was
born in Dresden, Saxony, at a time when
the persecution of the Moravians was
fierce. He aspired from his boyhood to
form society Of believers, and when he
became of age he settled on his estate at
Berthelsdorf, then in the province Of Luz
satia, where he was joined by several pros
elytes Of Bohemia. By 1882 the community
had grown until it contained 600 persons,
bound to their leader in a sort Of eccle-
siastical discipline. From this time his
missionaries began to spread, not alone
over Europe, but in Greenland and North
America, and even China and Africa were
visited by them. A number of reformers
have held that Wesley was indebted, both
for his religious organize ton and his mis-
slonary plans, to Count Zinzendorf with
whom he had spent some time.
Count Zinzendorf became a bishop, being
ordained in 1887, and four years later came
to America with his daughter, and tried to
unite the Germans into a Christian alli-
ton Of God in the Spirit" but was not
successful. He is said to have been the
first white man to pitch his tent In the
beautiful Wyoming valley, in northwest
pennsylvania. he gave the MOraV1an col
ony the name Of Bethlehem. by which 1t
Is still known He went back to Europe
In 1749. where he died In 17GO.
The Moravians have been famous for
their missionary zeal. They have gone to
the most remote and neglected regions and
to the most oppressed peoples. They are
said, too. to raise more money for mis-
slonary purposes IN proportion to their
number than any other denomination in
the United States. During the first half
TO h Itch
villages. the people Of which were to be
exclusively Moravisns, but this proved to
be impracticable, and hindered their prog
ress. The plan was abandoned in 1874,
and their numbers have increased to more
than double what they were at that time.
Simple Creed.
The Moravtan creed is simple and brief
They accept the Bible as the Word of God,
and the great theme of their preaching Is
Jesus Christ. They are peace-lovtng peo-
pie and try to avoid all controversy. The
affairs Of the church are conducted by
boards, and as a body it is governed by a
synod, which meets every ten years at
Hernhut, Germany, and legislates on mat
tiers common to the whole church For adj
illustrative purposes the church is divided
into three provinces-German, English and
American. which are governed by pro-
vincial synods, respectively. The people
are quiet, earnest and pious, but cheerful.
Their ritual, like their creed, is simple
There Is prescribed litany for the morn
ing service on the Lords day, but at all the
other services Of the week extempore pray
ers are offered.
The Christmas, New Year and Easter Gus
toms of the Moravians are beautiful and
interesting On Christmas eve there ia an
elaborate service. Anthems are sung al
ternately by a chorus, with a full orches-
tral accompaniment, and by the congrega-
ton. The music 10 followed by a love
feast, the materials Of which are cakes
and coffee, which are distributed among
all present. portion Of Gounod's mass
Is often sung during this, and large trays
Of lighted tapers are brought in and dis
tributed among the children The homes
of the people are lavishly decorated with
greens, and unlimited quantities Of yellow,
red and blue tapers are burned
The New Years services are no less I'M
portant than those of Christmas eve, In all
the Moravian villages congregational dia-
ries are kept, in which are recorded the
most important happenings of the year.
During the New Year eve service a synop-
sis Of this Is read, with a list Of the mem
bers of the congregation and a record Of
departures, births and marriages. The mo-
ment the midnight hour Is announced nv
the clock in the belfryzthe reader is ont
short by the tones of the, trombones. which
announce the arrival OF the new YEAR
On Easter morning the members of the
congregation form procession and 20 to
the cemetery, starting In time to arrive by
sunrise. : Ccf