Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, born in 1700 and his exiles from Moravia were the true founders of modern day missions, 50-75 years before William Carey. The descendants of the Behemian martyrs John Huss and Jerome, they emphasized personal pietism and evangelism.

The Moravians are famous for their 100 year prayer meeting, with at least one member of the community praying for 100 straight years.

Zinzendorf emphasized the authority of scripture. He believed that "personal religion was a matter of the heart and not the head with the center their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It stressed religious feeling and experience over dogma and doctrine. Zinzendorf believed that assent to theory was no substitute for experiencing God personally. Salvation was based on a loving comprehension of Christ whose sufferings on the Cross had atoned for human sin."

Hoping to reform the Lutheran church, the Brethren sought refuge at Herrnhut where prayer and Bible study were required with daily meetings at 5 A.M., 7:30 A.M., and 9:00 P.M.

While in Sweden Zinzendorf heard of the plight of black slaves in the West Indies. A former slave told him the only way to reach the slaves was to become one. 19 Moravians volunteered to go into slavery in the West Indies to present the gospel to the slaves.

Moravians became missionaries all throughout Africa, the West Indies, Lapland, to American slaves in the Carolina's, Jews in Amsterdam, and Greenland.

Perhaps the most famous contribution the Moravians made was their influence on John and Charles Wesley, who were visitors to Herrnhut, and were greatly moved by the faith of the Moravians during a storm at sea that nearly wrecked the ship.

From about 1722 to Zinzendorf's death in 1760 226 Moravians were sent out as missionaries. Zinzendorf believed that support was necessary for the missionaries and frequently visited them, or sent Moravian leaders to also visit them and encourage them. Half of all Protestant missionaries in the 1700's came from the tiny group of Bohemian brethren called the Moravians.

Perhaps the ultimate compliment came from William Carey after reading of them -"See what the Moravians have done! Cannot we follow their example in obedience to our Heavenly Master and go out into the world, and preach the gospel to the heathen?["

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