Misplaced Pages

#76923

57-632: The town acts as a supply and commercial center for the Rukwa Region and some governmental agencies are to be found there, notably the transport department for the region. Sumbawanga has both Libori and Moravian conference centres. A modest-size market is in the town centre where local produce may be found. This includes maize, rice, fruit, poultry and fish (from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Rukwa). Many imported plastic goods and electronics are available as well as bicycles and spares. Although there are several fuel outlets, supply can be quite erratic because of

114-744: A Brüdergemeine that still exists today in Neuwied on the Rhine. Moravian historians identify the main achievements of this period as: Along with the Royal Danish Mission College , the Moravian missionaries were the first large-scale Protestant missionary movement . They sent out the first missionaries when there were only 300 inhabitants in Herrnhut. Within 30 years, the church sent hundreds of Christian missionaries to many parts of

171-570: A Unity Province. (The links below connect to articles about the history of the church in specific provinces after 1732, where written.) In the Czech Republic and Honduras splits occurred within the churches after charismatic revivals ; non-charismatic minorities formed their own bodies, but both sides remained connected to the international church. The minority communities are listed as "mission provinces". Other areas with missions but that are not yet established as Provinces are: Tanzania

228-913: A band of 241 Christianized Lenape . In 1771, Moravians established a settlement at Nain, Labrador , which became a permanent settlement and the Moravian headquarters in Labrador. The mission stations expanded to Okak (1776), Hopedale (1782), Hebron at Kauerdluksoak Bay (1830–1959), serving also Napartok Bay and Saeglek Bay , Zoar (1864–1889), Ramah (1871–1908), Makkovik (1896), and Killiniq on Cape Chidley island (1905–1925). Two further stations were added after this period at Happy Valley near Goose Bay (1957) and North West River (1960). Colonies were founded in North Carolina, where Moravians led by Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg purchased 98,985 acres (40,058 ha) from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville . This large tract of land

285-613: A congregation) usually meets twice a year and annually elects the Joint Board of Elders and Trustees that acts as an executive. In some provinces two or more congregations may be grouped into circuits, under the care of one minister. The Unity Synod meets every seven years and is attended by delegates from the different Unity Provinces and affiliated Provinces. The Unity Board is made up of one member from each Provincial Board, and acts as an executive committee between Unity Synods. It meets three times between Synods but much of its work

342-481: A decline in the population from over 3 million to some 800,000 people. By 1622, the entire education system was in the hands of Jesuits, and all Protestant schools were closed. The Brethren were forced to go underground, and eventually dispersed across Northern Europe as far as the Low Countries , where their bishop , John Amos Comenius , attempted to direct a resurgence. The largest remaining communities of

399-565: A legacy of the Unity of the Brethren . In order to preserve the succession, three Bohemian Brethren were consecrated bishops by Bishop Stephen of Austria , a Waldensian bishop who had been ordained by a Roman Catholic bishop in 1434. These three consecrated bishops returned to Litice in Bohemia and then ordained other brothers, thereby preserving the historic episcopate. In Berlin, 1735,

456-522: A mission in 1740 at the Mohican village of Shekomeko in present-day Dutchess County, New York . The converted Mohican people formed the first native Christian congregation in the present-day United States of America. Because of local hostility from New Yorkers to the Mohicans, the Moravian support of the Mohicans led to rumors of them being secret Jesuits , trying to ally the Mohicans with France in

513-609: A revolt with the unplanned Defenestrations of Prague . The Protestants were defeated in 1620 in the Battle of White Mountain near Prague, known as the first battle in the Thirty Years' War. As a consequence, the local Protestant noblemen were either executed or expelled from the country, while the Habsburgs placed Roman Catholic, and mostly German-speaking nobility in their place. The war, plague, and subsequent disruption led to

570-634: A series of Hussite Wars , initially between various Roman Catholic rulers and the Hussites. Then there was a Hussite civil war, between the more compromising Utraquists and the radical Taborites . In 1434, an army of Utraquists and Roman Catholics defeated the Taborites at the Battle of Lipany . The Utraquists signed the Compacts of Basel on 5 July 1436. Within 50 years of Hus's death, a contingent of his followers had become independently organised as

627-536: Is by grace through faith; that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers; and that Jesus Christ will return to judge the world and reward the faithful believers. The Unity practices two sacraments—water baptism and holy communion . Christian parents present their infant children for baptism. All Christians are invited to commune with them at the Lord's supper or communion. However, they do not regard full agreement on

SECTION 10

#1732791704077

684-550: Is divided into seven provinces because of the size of country and the numbers of people in the church. The "Moravian Church in Tanzania" co-ordinates the work in the nation. The lists above, except for some details given under 'Other areas', can be found in The Moravian Almanac . Each province is governed by a synod , made up of representatives from each congregation plus ex officio members. The Synod elects

741-564: Is done by correspondence and postal voting. The President of the Unity Board (who is elected by the Board for two years and not allowed to serve for more than two terms) works from his/her own Provincial office. The Unity Business Administrator is an officer appointed by the Unity Board to administer the day-to-day affairs of the Unity through the office of the Unity. Ordained ministry in

798-771: Is the Lamb of God ( Agnus Dei ) with the flag of victory, surrounded by the Latin inscription " Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur " ('Our Lamb has conquered; let us follow Him'). Apart from the Moravian Church, the more conservative Unity of the Brethren , based in Texas, as well as the Czechoslovak Hussite Church , based in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, are denominations in the same Hussite-Moravian theological tradition. The Hussite movement that

855-728: The Unitas Fratrum 's three orders of episcopal ordination, The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren and the Czechoslovak Hussite Church also continue the Hussite tradition in the Czech Republic and Slovakia today. They only account for 0.8% of the Czech population , which is 79.4% non-religious, and 10.4% Catholic. In 1722, a small group of the Bohemian Brethren, the "Hidden Seed", who had been living in northern Moravia , as an illegal underground remnant surviving in

912-528: The Americas and Africa , that is reflected in their broad global distribution. Moravians continue many of the same practices established in the 18th century, including placing a high value on a personal conversion to Christ, called the New Birth , and piety , good works , evangelism , including the establishment of missions, Christian pacifism , ecumenism , and music . The Moravian Church's emblem

969-676: The Biblical town in Judea . There, they ministered to the Algonquian-speaking Lenape . Bethlehem, Pennsylvania , is today the seventh-largest city in Pennsylvania, having developed as a major industrial city in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1772, the first European-Native American settlement of what later became Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania , occurred when Reverend John Ettwein, a Moravian missionary, arrived there with

1026-688: The Dano-Norwegian Empire . While attending the coronation of Christian VI of Denmark-Norway in 1730, Zinzendorf was profoundly struck by two Inuit converts of Hans Egede 's mission in Greenland and also by an African from the West Indies . The first Moravian mission was established on the Caribbean island of St Thomas in 1732 by a potter named Johann Leonhard Dober and a carpenter named David Nitschmann , who later became

1083-1030: The Lands of the Bohemian Crown , which included Bohemia , Moravia , Silesia , and previously the Hussite movement against several practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church . Its name is derived from exiles who fled from Moravia to Saxony in 1722 to escape the Counter-Reformation , establishing the Christian community of Herrnhut . Hence, it is also known in German as the [Herrnhuter] Brüdergemeine [ sic ] ("Unity of Brethren [of Herrnhut]"). The modern Unitas Fratrum has about one million members worldwide, continuing their tradition of missionary work , such as in

1140-847: The Moravian Brethren ( Czech : Moravská církev or Moravští bratři ), formally the Unitas Fratrum ( Latin : "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity , dating back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century and the Unity of the Brethren (Czech: Jednota bratrská ) founded in the Kingdom of Bohemia , sixty years before Martin Luther 's Reformation . The church's heritage can be traced to 1457 and

1197-533: The Moravian University and Seminary. The largest concentration of Moravians today is in Tanzania . The motto of the Moravian Church is: " In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love ". Some Moravian scholars point to a different formula as a guide to constructive debate about faith. This formula was first advanced by Luke of Prague (1460–1528), one of the bishops of

SECTION 20

#1732791704077

1254-588: The Protestant Reformation by a century, some historians claim the Moravian Church was the first Protestant church. The movement gained support from the Crown of Bohemia . However, Hus was summoned to attend the Council of Constance , which decided that he was a heretic. Hus was released to the secular authority, which sentenced him to be burned at the stake on 6 July 1415. From 1419 to 1437 were

1311-514: The Rhenish Missionary Society , was eventually transferred to the Moravian Church. The Moravians sought to unify the converts into "one people" living together with the same religious beliefs. Zeisberger, a significant Moravian missionary, implored the converts to remember that they were "one people not two." The modern Moravian Church, with about 750,000 members worldwide, continues to draw on traditions established during

1368-523: The Saxon rulers and enjoyed great autonomy, especially in religious questions. The refugees established a new village called Herrnhut , about 2 miles (3 km) from Berthelsdorf. The town initially grew steadily, but major religious disagreements emerged and by 1727 the community was divided into factions. Count Zinzendorf worked to bring about unity in the town, and the Brotherly Agreement

1425-745: The forced removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma, this mission was replaced in 1842 by New Springplace in Oaks, Oklahoma . Due to Civil War -related violence, New Springplace closed in 1862 and resumed during the 1870s. In 1898, the Moravian Church discontinued their missionary engagement with the Cherokees and New Springplace, now the Oaks Indian Mission, was transferred to the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church . The start of far-flung missionary work necessitated

1482-700: The "Bohemian Brethren" ( Čeští bratři ) or Unity of the Brethren ( Jednota bratrská ), which was founded in Kunvald , Bohemia, in 1457. A brother known as Gregory the Patriarch was very influential in forming the group, as well as the teachings of Peter Chelcicky . This group held to a strict obedience to the Sermon on the Mount , which included non-swearing of oaths, non-resistance, and not accumulating wealth. Because of this, they considered themselves separate from

1539-405: The 18th-century renewal. In many places it observes the convention of the lovefeast , originally started in 1727. It uses older and traditional music in worship. Brass music, congregational singing and choral music continue to be very important in Moravian congregations. In some older congregations, Moravians are buried in a traditional God's Acre , a graveyard with only flat gravestones, signifying

1596-511: The Brethren was adopted. This body accepts the Apostles' Creed as a valid expression of their beliefs, and stresses the ancient motto, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love." They believe the Bible is God's revelation to man, the sourcebook for all spiritual truth; that one God is revealed in three persons; that Christ is the only way of salvation; that salvation

1653-746: The Brethren were located in Leszno ( German : Lissa ) in Poland , which had historically strong ties with the Czechs, and small, isolated groups in Moravia . The latter are referred to as "the Hidden Seed", which John Amos Comenius had prayed would preserve the evangelical faith in the land of the fathers. In addition to the Renewed Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Church, which preserves

1710-578: The Catholic Habsburg rulers, to come to the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and establish a number of Roman Catholic educational institutions. One of these was the university in the Moravian capital of Olomouc . In 1582, they forced the closure of local Protestant schools. In 1617, Emperor Matthias had his fiercely Roman Catholic brother Ferdinand of Styria elected as King of Bohemia. In the year that followed, Protestant Bohemian noblemen, in fear of losing their religious freedom, instigated

1767-897: The Catholic setting of the Habsburg Empire for nearly 100 years, arrived at the Berthelsdorf estate of Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf in present-day Saxony in the eastern part of modern-day Germany . Out of a personal commitment to helping the poor and needy, von Zinzendorf, a nobleman who had been brought up in the traditions of Pietistic Lutheranism , agreed to a request from their leader, Christian David , an itinerant carpenter, that they be allowed to settle on his lands in Upper Lusatia in Saxony. The Margraviates of Upper and Lower Lusatia were governed in personal union by

Sumbawanga - Misplaced Pages Continue

1824-528: The Church is organised into Unity Provinces, Mission Provinces and Mission Areas and four regions of Africa, Caribbean and Latin America, Northern America, and Europe. The categorisation is based on the level of independence of the province. Unity Province implies a total level of independence, Mission Province implies a partial level of supervision from a Unity Province, and Mission Area implies full supervision by

1881-472: The Deacon may be consecrated as a Presbyter. Presbyters function in the local congregation in the same manner as deacons, but may also serve to mentor deacons and may be assigned to other leadership roles in a particular province. An acolyte is a layperson who has received approval to assist the pastor in a specific local congregation. The acolyte may assist in the serving of Holy Communion but may not consecrate

1938-507: The Moravian Church emphasizes the pastoral role. A candidate for ministry who has been approved by their home province and has completed the prescribed course of study, usually a Master of Divinity degree in the US and Europe, may be ordained a Deacon upon acceptance of a call. Deacons may serve in a pastoral office and administer sacraments. A deacon is normally supervised by a presbyter who serves as mentor. After several years of satisfactory service,

1995-474: The Provincial Board (aka Provincial Elders' Conference or PEC ) to be responsible for the work of the province and its international links between synods. Many, but not all, of the provinces are divided into districts. Each congregation belongs to a district and has spiritual and financial responsibilities for work in its own area as well as provincially. The Congregation Council (all the members of

2052-727: The Renewed Unity, i.e. the Moravian Brethren in Herrnhut , received the historic episcopal ordination from the two surviving bishops of the Ancient Unity: Bishop John Amos Comenius' grandson Daniel Ernst Jablonski and Christian Sitkovius. This bishop's consecration continues today. Unity of the Brethren (Texas) The Unity of the Brethren is a Protestant church formed in the 1800s by Czech immigrants to Texas , where

2109-626: The ancient Unitas Fratrum. Luke taught that one must distinguish between things that are essential, ministerial or incidental to salvation. The essentials are God's work of creation, redemption and sanctification, as well as the response of the believer through faith, hope and love. Things ministerial are such items as the Bible, church, sacraments, doctrine and priesthood. These mediate the sacred and should thus be treated with respect, but they are not considered essential. Finally, incidentals include things such as vestments or names of services that may reasonably vary from place to place. For its global work,

2166-444: The centre of a major movement for Christian renewal and mission during the 18th century. The episcopal ordination of the Ancient Unitas Fratrum was transferred in 1735 to the Renewed Unitas Fratrum by the Unity's two surviving bishops, Daniel Ernst Jablonski and Christian Sitkovius. The carpenter David Nitschmann and, later, Count von Zinzendorf, were the first two bishops of the Renewed Unity. In 1756, Zinzendorf founded

2223-409: The chalice holds special significance for Brethren: not only is it a symbol of the Lord's Supper, but it is also a reminder of the pre-Reformation insistence of John Hus and the early Brethren upon receiving wine as well as bread in Holy Communion." Currently the church is made up of 28 congregations with an estimated membership of 3500, with all except one located in the state of Texas. The location of

2280-476: The church is still based, in the tradition of Moravian Church . From about the middle of the 19th century until the outbreak of the First World War, a number of Czech Protestants immigrated to the United States. In many parts of the U.S. they formed Czech congregations within the Presbyterian Church. Some who settled as farmers in the state of Texas decided to form their own denomination. Jindřich Juren (1850–1921) came to Texas in 1876, and from 1881 to 1888

2337-419: The difficulties of transport from the coast. The local economy is largely dependent on agriculture and small locally owned businesses. There is very limited industry or production in the town. Significant improvement has been made on the road to Mbeya as it is sealed to enable reliable all-weather access year round. This road, and its continuation north to Mpanda and Tabora or Kigoma, is now passable throughout

Sumbawanga - Misplaced Pages Continue

2394-463: The elements, methods and modes of the sacraments as essential. They believe that love is the supreme evidence of Christian disciples. The Unity of the Brethren church has adopted a church emblem having an open Bible, with a cross behind in the center, and a chalice in front to the left. According to the church, the "cross represents Christ as the resurrected and living Lord, the Bible is the sourcebook of all Christian truth, open for all to explore, while

2451-451: The elements. The highest order of ministry is that of a bishop. Bishops are elected by Provincial Synods usually through ecclesiastical ballot without nomination. In the Moravian Church, bishops do not have an administrative role but rather serve as spiritual leaders and pastors to the pastors. Bishops serve the worldwide Unity. The Moravian Church teaches that it has preserved apostolic succession . The Church claims apostolic succession as

2508-581: The equality of the dead before God and organized by sex, age and marital status rather than family. The Moravians continue their long tradition of missionary work, for example in the Caribbean, where the Jamaican Moravian Church has begun work in Cuba and in Africa where the Moravian Church in Tanzania has missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. This is reflected in their broad global distribution. The Moravians in Germany, whose central settlement remains at Herrnhut , are highly active in education and social work. The American Moravian Church sponsors

2565-465: The establishment of independently administered provinces. So, from about 1732, the history of the church becomes the history of its provinces. Eventually, the Moravian missions in Australia and Greenland were transferred to the local Presbyterian and Lutheran Churches, respectively. The first mission station in present-day South Africa was established by the Moravian Georg Schmidt at Genadendal in 1738. The mission at Wupperthal , established by

2622-401: The first bishop of the Renewed Unity in 1735. Matthaeus Stach and two others founded the first Moravian mission in Greenland in 1733 at Neu-Herrnhut on Baal's River , which became the nucleus of the modern capital Nuuk . Moravians also founded missions with the Mohicans , an Algonquian -speaking tribe in the colony of New York in the Thirteen Colonies . In one instance, they founded

2679-413: The majority Hussites that did not hold those teachings. They received episcopal ordination through the Waldensians in 1467. These were some of the earliest Protestants , rebelling against Rome some fifty years before Martin Luther . By the middle of the 16th century as many as 90 percent of the subjects of the Bohemian Crown were Protestant . The majority of the nobility was Protestant, and

2736-430: The majority of churches is roughly the area from West, Temple, to Austin to Houston . The synod meets every two years. The Unity of the Brethren maintains several ministry organizations, including the Board of Christian Education; Brethren Youth Fellowship; Brethren Bookstore, operated in Caldwell, Texas ; Brethren Journal (founded 1902); Christian Sisters Unity; Friends of the Hus Encampment; Grants and Bequests Board;

2793-422: The ongoing French and Indian Wars . Although supporters defended their work, at the end of 1744, the colonial government based in Poughkeepsie, New York , expelled the Moravians from the Province of New York . In 1741, David Nitschmann and Count Zinzendorf led a small community to found a mission in the colony of Pennsylvania . The mission was established on Christmas Eve , and was named Bethlehem, after

2850-503: The schools and printing-shops established by the Moravian Church were flourishing. Protestantism had a strong influence in the education of the population. Even in the middle of the 16th century there was not a single town without a Protestant school in the Bohemian Crown Lands . Many had more than one, mostly with two to six teachers each. In Jihlava , a principal Protestant centre in Moravia, there were five major schools: two German, one Czech, one for girls and one teaching in Latin, which

2907-426: The world, including the Caribbean , North and South America , the Arctic , Africa , and the Far East . They were the first to send lay people as missionaries, the first Protestant denomination to minister to slaves, though some communities also owned slaves, and the first Protestant presence in many countries. Owing to Zinzendorf's personal contacts with their royalty, the first Moravian missions were directed to

SECTION 50

#1732791704077

2964-597: The year. The Tanzanian government has had contracts in place for upgrading large sections of these roads. The town can be reached by flights operated by Auric Air or by bus from Mbeya which lies to the south with train links to the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia, to Dar es Salaam . Rail is also available through Tabora from Mpanda in the north. Mpanda also has an airport with a 2 km sealed runway. Sumbawanga has many schools and colleges, including: [REDACTED] Media related to Sumbawanga at Wikimedia Commons Moravian Church The Moravian Church , or

3021-447: Was adopted by the community on 12 May 1727. This is considered the beginning of the renewal. On 13 August 1727, the community underwent a dramatic transformation when the inhabitants of Herrnhut "learned to love one another", following an experience that they attributed to a visitation of the Holy Spirit , similar to that recorded in the Bible on the day of Pentecost . Herrnhut grew rapidly following this transforming revival and became

3078-409: Was at the level of a high/grammar school , lecturing on Latin, Greek and Hebrew, Rhetorics, Dialectics, fundamentals of Philosophy and fine arts, as well as religion according to the Lutheran Augustana . With the University of Prague also firmly in hands of Protestants , the local Roman Catholic Church was unable to compete in the field of education. The Jesuits were invited, with the backing of

3135-427: Was named die Wachau , or Wachovia , after one of Zinzendorf's ancestral estates on the Danube River in Lower Austria . Other early settlements included Bethabara (1753), Bethania (1759), and Salem, now referred to as Old Salem (1766) in Winston-Salem , North Carolina. In 1801, the Moravians established Springplace mission to the Cherokee Nation in what is now Murray County , Georgia . Coinciding with

3192-400: Was the only minister to these Brethren congregations. Representatives of these congregations met in 1903 and formed the Evangelical Unity of the Bohemian-Moravian Brethren in North America. The early churches reflected their origin and worshipped in Czech. By the 1940s, most of the churches reflected assimilation into the surrounding culture and worshipped in English . In 1959, the name Unity of

3249-409: Was to become the Moravian Church was started by Jan Hus (English: John Huss ) in early 15th-century Bohemia , in what is today the Czech Republic . Hus objected to some of the practices and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church . Specifically, he wanted the liturgy to be celebrated in Czech , married priests, and eliminating indulgences and the idea of Purgatory . Since these actions predate

#76923