For Christ is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall.
Ephesians 2:14
Each year on August 13, Moravians throughout the world take time to remember and give thanks for a significant moment in our church’s history, a moment that shaped the spirit and mission of the Moravian Church as we know it today. This date marks the spiritual renewal of the Moravian Church that took place in 1727 in Herrnhut, Germany, a small community gathered under the leadership of Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
Refugees from Bohemia and Moravia, descendants of the ancient Unitas Fratrum, had come to Zinzendorf’s estate seeking safety and religious freedom. But as more settlers arrived, divisions and disagreements grew. There were theological arguments, personality conflicts, and growing disunity that threatened the very existence of this community.
Yet, in the middle of this discord, something extraordinary happened. In the days leading up to August 13, 1727, the community entered a season of intense prayer, repentance, and reconciliation. And on that day, during a communion service at the Berthelsdorf church, the Spirit of God moved in a powerful and unifying way. People were overcome with a deep sense of Christ’s presence. Mistrust faded. Hearts were humbled. The experience was described as a “baptism of the Holy Spirit” that transformed the entire community.
This renewal didn’t just bring peace to Herrnhut, it ignited a fire that would soon spread across the world. Within five years, the Moravian Church launched a missionary movement that sent people to the Caribbean, Africa, the Americas, and beyond. August 13 became not just a memory, but a model, and a living reminder of what can happen when a church surrenders fully to Christ.
This month, as we observe August 13, we do more than look back—we ask ourselves: what would it look like for our congregation to experience such renewal? Are there divisions that need healing? Is there a movement of the Spirit we’ve been resisting? Let us pray that the spirit of August 13 — the spirit of humility, forgiveness, and a deep unity in Christ — might shape us once again today.
In Christ,
The Rev. John G. Rights
