In the early days of the Moravian community of Herrnhut there was a danger that the fledgling community would collapse because of conflict. People were divided over theological opinions, religious ceremonies, organizational matters, and ethnicity.

Under the leadership of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, the residents of Herrnhut discussed their many differences and began to recognize that what they had in common as followers of Christ was more important than their divisions. They also saw the need for some guiding principles to help organize their life as a community.

The result of this discussion and prayer was the Brotherly Agreement that was signed on May 12, 1727. This agreement outlined his vision of Herrnhut as a community based on Christian love.

Zinzendorf’s “Brotherly Agreement” has been adapted over the centuries into what is now known as The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living. That such a revision of the Agreement should have been made is entirely in harmony with the spirit of the early Moravian Church, which believed that all forms should be updated and made relevant to the present life of the Church.

The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living is the precepts of our faith and practice in written form. This document is meant to be a clear and concise statement of faith, and a guide to living the Christian life from the Moravian perspective. Such a document can become an invaluable aid in the instruction of both new and present members and a meaningful guide in the expression of the Christian life. The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living was most recently revised in 1998 and approved and adopted in 2001.

We encourage you to read the Moravian Covenant for Christian Living.

The Ground of the Unity is the official doctrinal statement for the worldwide Moravian Church (the Unitas Fratrum). The first draft was written in the mid-1950s in Germany, and it was officially adopted as the doctrinal statement of the Moravian Church by the Unity (or General) Synod in 1957. This was the first Unity Synod to be held in the United States (Bethlehem, PA.) and in the English language.

Although first written in German, the official version adopted by the Unity Synod was in English. Much of the discussion of the Unity Synod was about The Ground of the Unity, but very few changes were made by the Synod before it was adopted.

Although written as a single document, it was officially adopted paragraph by paragraph so that the Synod could carefully discuss the wording of each section. The title was a translation of the German word Grundsätze, which means “basic principles.” In English, “Ground” also brings to mind the idea of a fertile field. Thus, the Ground means the basis for our spiritual growth.

The most recent Ground of the Unity was adopted by the Unity Synod of the Unitas Fratrum in 1995. This document is a revision of the statement prepared and approved by the Unity Synod of 1957.

To read The Ground of the Unity, please click here.

In November 2011, the Interprovincial Faith and Order Commission of the Moravian Church developed a statement of Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation. This statement, which includes an extensive historical review of how the Church has viewed biblical interpretation, “offers some guiding principles of scriptural interpretation” for clergy, lay members and agencies of the Church in North America.

The statement was amended and adopted by the Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference on March 5, 2012 and the Northern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference on April 12, 2012.

As Moravians, proclaiming Christ and Him crucified as our confession of faith, and believing that the Triune God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only source of our life and salvation, we do not believe that Jesus points us to Scripture so that we can find the answers there, but rather that Scripture points us to JESUS so that we can find the answers in HIM.

Our hopes for the Moravian Church as we interpret Holy Scripture:

• That our efforts be grounded in faithfulness to the centrality of Christ, the way of the cross, and obedience to the word of God.
• That we proceed with openness to the leading and grace of the Triune God, not presuming in advance the outcome of our study and discernment together.
• That understanding a Moravian way of interpreting Scripture is of value to our life and work and the Moravian church every day, in every situation. More specifically, understanding how we interpret Scripture is critical when disagreement arises among us.
• That such understanding and work strengthen our Christian fellowship with each other as Moravians (individuals, congregations, provinces), grounded in a recognition that, ultimately, our unity as Moravians is rooted in our affirmation of Christ, our crucified and risen Lord.
• That we have strength, patience, and love as we live, work, and worship together in community.

As Moravians, we understand that Scripture:

• Points us to Christ so that we can find our answers in Him.
• Ministers (along with the Sacraments, preaching, etc.) to the divine and human essentials of our faith — that the
• Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, creates, redeems and sanctifies us; and we respond in faith, love and hope.
• Scripture, as a whole, is the sum of many parts.
• Scripture includes the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament

We affirm that not all texts are equally clear. With Zinzendorf, we affirm that scriptural passages have varying degrees of clarity:

• Basic truths about salvation (that are clear)
• Matters of knowledge that require historical understanding
• Mysteries that remain uncertain (even for those with the tools)

We note considerations for interpretation:

• Given our human contexts and experiences, we affirm that every reading of Scripture is an act of interpretation.
• Scripture is interpreted in a variety of ways: literal, metaphorical, historical, contextual, rhetorical, etc. We affirm that no one way is the prescribed way.
• Given the diverse witness of Scripture, we believe that any particular scriptural text must be interpreted in light of all Scripture.
• Our interpretation of Scripture is guided by heart and mind, piety and rationality, doing and thinking.

Faithful interpretation acknowledges:

• The historical context out of which the texts arose.
• The contemporary cultural and global contexts out of which questions of interpretation arise (including scientific, archeological, and other forms of knowledge).
• In this work, we affirm the importance to Moravians of relationships to each other and God, and assert that biblical interpretation happens most faithfully in conversation and fellowship with one another, not as individuals (or even as individual congregations or provinces).

As we interpret Scripture together, we acknowledge that:

• Given the mystery of God, we cannot predict in advance the final result of our search for truth. Refraining from starting with a specific end in mind is aided by acknowledging that we come to the text and task with presuppositions. By naming our presuppositions, we deepen our ability to discern meaning and truth in the Holy Scriptures.
• Even with shared principles of interpretation, we realize that individuals, congregations and provinces of the Moravian Church may draw different conclusions.”

For the complete Guiding Principles of Biblical Interpretation, including historical background and sources, click here.