COUNT NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF (The Founder of The Moravian Community) (Part 1)

Receiving a Large Inheritance

In 1722, Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf reported for duty at the court of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony. He was assigned as a king’s counselor, just as his mother, uncle, and grandmother had hoped. But Ludwig was discouraged; more than anything else, he longed to be a minister of the gospel. In the world of European nobility, it was not an acceptable choice. Yet Zinzendorf was certain that “winning souls for Christ and working in His spiritual kingdom was his real vocation.” Each Sunday afternoon and evening in Dresden, Ludwig and Erdmuthe welcomed Christians, both nobles and commoners, into their home for fellowship, Bible study, and prayer.

A Vision for a Christian Community

That same year, Ludwig came of age and received a large inheritance from his father’s estate. Since his days in Halle, he had dreamed of building a Christian community like the early church, where rich and poor could worship and work together. To make his vision a reality, he purchased the estate of Berthelsdorf from his grandmother, located just a few miles from her castle. At the time, all that existed on the estate was the small village of Berthelsdorf and a run-down Lutheran church. But Zinzendorf gazed at the empty acres with eyes of faith, envisioning the Christian community it could become. What God built on that land was greater than anything Ludwig von Zinzendorf could have imagined!

Christian Community Was His Passion

Berthelsdorf became Ludwig’s passion. The more he saw of court life, the stronger his desire became to devote his life to the gospel and Christian community. Although he was required to spend his winters in Dresden, in the summer months, he was free to fulfil his dream on his new lands. First, he appointed his Pietist friend John Andrew Rothe as the pastor of the Lutheran church on the estate. Zinzendorf commissioned him with these words: “I bought this estate because I wanted to spend my life among peasants, and win their souls for Christ. So go, Rothe, to the vineyard of the Lord. You will find me a brother and a helper rather than a patron.”

A Prophetic Word Over Berthelsdorf

At Rothe’s induction ceremony, a Pietist preacher from the nearby village of Görlitz spoke a prophetic word, saying, “God will light a candle on this place which will illuminate the whole land!” To be continued…

Tale Tuesday 105

Date:  19th November, 2024
Title: :  COUNT NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF (The Founder of The Moravian Community) (Part 1)
Source:  God’s generals- The Missionaries
Author: Roberts Liardon