Thomas Martin Lindsay

“ Ministers and Worship.—The ministers are bishops, presbyters, and deacons. The bishops alone can ordain, but they are not diocesan. They are appointed by the general synod, or by the elders' conference of the Unity, and have official seats both in the synods of the provinces where they preside, and in the general synod. Unordained assistants in the ministry, whether men or women, are formally set apart as acolytes. ”

“ It seeks to excite and foster spiritual life by means additional to those provided by the established churches, and docs not make proselytes nor strive to draw members from other Protestant churches. The work is carried on in Denmark, in Norway and Sweden, in the various parts of Germany, in the Baltic provinces of Russia, in Poland, and in Switzerland. In the English province home mission work is conducted on the principle of establishing preaching-stations in populous places, which may ultimately become congregations connected with the church. ”

“ There is also a society for propagating the gospel in Ireland. The work in the American province is of the same kind. (2) The Brethren have always paid special attention to education. Each province has a theological college, and there are in the three provinces forty-seven boarding-schools for boys and girls not connected with the Moravian Church. At these schools nearly 2500 pupils are educated.
(b) Foreign Missions.—The Moravian Church since its reorganization by Zinzendorf has been the missionary church par excellence. The third jubilee of missions was celebrated in 1882. ”