West Side Moravian Church

Following Christ with Faithfulness, Love and Hope

The Moravian Church

For more than five centuries the Moravian Church has proclaimed the gospel in all parts of the world. Our influence as a visible part of the body of Christ far exceeds our numbers, due to our cooperation with religious faiths on every continent.

Grateful for our heritage and firm in our faith, the Moravian Church ministers to the needs of people wherever they are.

The Moravian Church is part of a worldwide Protestant denomination serving Christ since 1457, continues a long-standing heritage of Christian faith, mission outreach, service to the community and the world, ecumenical cooperation, and rich musical worship.

The world wide Moravian Church (known as the Unity or Unitas Fratrum) consists of 24 provinces with more than 1 million members, the majority of whom live in Africa.

The Moravian Church is Christ-centered, emphasizing community, the person and teachings of Jesus, and simplicity in doctrine and lifestyle. Our relationship with Jesus Christ provides the basis for our relationship with each other and inspires us to serve. We also look to the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide out daily lives.

The Moravian Churchs official motto is Our Lamb has conquered. Let us follow Him.

In addition, Moravians are guided by these words: In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love.

Todays Moravian Church strives to live the essentials of a Christian life: God creates, God redeems, and God sustains. We respond to Gods actions with faith, love and hope.

The Moravian Church recognizes the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Moravians also share The Daily Texts, a daily devotional published since 1731, around the globe.

Moravian Christians

• believe in one God: Creator, Son and Holy Spirit.
• believe that Jesus Christ is the way to God and Gods way to us.
• believe that a personal, heart-felt relationship with God through Jesus Christ is an essential part of faith.
• hold that faith in Jesus Christ must also be a community experience.
• believe the Church is called into existence by Jesus Christ to serve him and follow him.
• find guidance for doctrine and faith through the Bible.
• subscribe to the major creeds of the Church, including the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.
• share Gods love in word and deed with all people around the world.
• have a rich heritage of creativity in our music and worship.
• believe that discerning Gods will is a task to be shared among many leaders rather than vested in a single person or office. Thus, there is a conferential form of government that shares this responsibility.
• place great value on their ties with Christians of other denominations and people of other faiths throughout the world. The Moravian Church in American share full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church, and the United Methodist Church, and are in a covenant partnership with the Presbyterian Church USA. In addition, the Moravian Church is a member of the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, Churches Uniting in Christ and Christian Churches Together.

To learn more about the Moravian Church in America, visit www.moravian.org

Summary from the Interprovincial Board of Communication
Moravian Church in America
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 2019