Our Savior's Moravian Church

OUR SAVIOR’S MORAVIAN HISTORY

Our Savior’s Moravian Church in Altura, Minnesota was officially incorporated April 21, 1976.  The congregation formed as a result of a merger of the Bethany Moravian Church located about five miles south of Altura and the Hebron Moravian Church located about two miles to the north of Altura.  It was a merger which almost did not happen.

Brother Henry Reusswig was sent to Minnesota to minister to four Moravian families from the Ebenezer Moravian Church near Watertown, Wisconsin who had moved to Winona County in March of 1864.  In May of 1867, Br. Reusswig organized these families and on August 7, 1867 the Bethany Moravian Church was established. With Br. Reusswig doing the majority of the work a small parsonage was built with an adjoining meeting hall for the congregation. There the congregation worshipped until July 29, 1872 when the first church building was dedicated. This edifice served the congregation until September 20, 1903 when a much larger building was completed.  German was the main language spoken during these years and was used for worship until 1927 when English began to be used as the prevailing language.  Two of the present congregation’s oldest members, Pearl Prudoehl and Walter Schubert, were part of the last confirmation class confirmed in German.  Hilbert Wollin, just a little younger, was a member of the first confirmation class confirmed in English.

Throughout the years the Bethany congregation was served by their own pastor. Sometimes they shared a pastor with the Hebron congregation and at others time with St. Paul’s Evangelical Reformed in Lewiston.  A number of members have served the greater Moravian Church: Lydia Lebus-Schoechert, wife of The Rev. John Schoechert, The Rev. Augustus Martin, Grace Martin-Brandauer, wife of The Rev. Fred Brandauer, Elizabeth Mewaldt-Gierke, wife of Missionary Robert Gierke, The Rt. Rev. I.R. Mewaldt, Amanda Schwager-Wesenberg, wife of The Rev. Walter Wesenberg, The Rev. Joseph Schwager, The Rev. Clement Suemper.

The Bethany congregation enjoyed a fruitful ministry for over 100 years. But due to a continued decline in membership and the age profile of the congregation by 1975 it was apparent the congregation would not survive much longer as a separate congregation.  A church council was to be held in January, 1976 to discuss merging with the Hebron Moravian Church.

Established as a preaching place by Br. Reusswig soon after his arrival at Bethany, the Hebron congregation was originall called “The Church at Oak Ridge”. It was located eight miles north of Bethany. The congregation was organized October 1, 1868 and given the name Hebron. Members were made up of those who had left the Ebenezer congregation in southern Wisconsin and those from Europe who were connected with the Moravian Diaspora activities.

The first church building was dedicated on November 1, 1870, with a parsonage built four years later.  In 1893 this first building was torn down and a new one built and dedicated on October 8, 1893.  This original building had two Sunday School rooms added onto the back and in 1945 a full basement was added as well. These additions took the place of an old school building which had been beside the church.  In 1927 a new parsonage was built in Altura and the old one sold.

For many years Hebron had an affiliated congregation in the small town of Altura. The Altura congregation was established September 12, 1905 due to the desire of some members to have worship services in the English language. A church building was dedicated on September 17, 1905. By 1925 language was no longer an issue and the Altura congregation merged with Hebron.

The Hebron congregation flourished throughout the years. The Rev. Emil Simon, Dorothy Simon-Suemper, wife of The Rev. Clement Suemper, and The Rev. Earl Stephan all have served Christ’s church as faithful laborers and count Hebron as their home congregation. At times Hebron was able to support a resident pastor depending on the economics of the time and the availability of pastoral leadership. But often, like Bethany, they shared a pastor with the Bethany congregation or the Berea congregation north of St. Charles. By 1975 the Hebron church building was no longer adequate for the congregation. Membership had grown to the point additional facilities were needed for worship, education, and fellowship. It was considered unadvisable to add on to the present church building. The Hebron congregation also gathered for a church council in January of 1976 to discuss merging resources and ministry with the Bethany congregation.

On Sunday, March 28, 1976, church council meetings were held at the same time at Bethany and Hebron to vote on the proposed merger. The desire to merge was apparent in Bethany’s vote, but not at Hebron, falling just short of the two thirds majority needed. The Rev. Bill Gerber, pastor of Hebron was disappointed until a few hours later. It was realized 60 members were eligible to vote, but only 32 ballots were counted. It was discovered ballots had been counted in both the front and rear of the church, but the ballots counted at the rear were never added to those counted at the front. A recount showed the issue had indeed passed and plans were begun to merge the congregations.

A number of names for the new congregation were put to a vote, with Our Savior’s Moravian Church being selected. On April 21, 1976 the new congregation incorporated. Moving the Bethany building into Altura was considered, but eventually thought unfeasible. It was decided a new building located in Altura needed to be  constructed for the joint ministry to truly flourish and the congregation to truly be one. On Sunday, March 6, 1977 ground was broken for the new church building on the west side of Altura. The first service was held on December 11, 1977, with the cornerstone being laid that afternoon. As long as the congregation had been yoked with Berea the pastor had lived in their parsonage in St. Charles. In 1999 Our Savior’s built a parsonage was next to the church and also started building a Christian Education wing onto the present church building, which was completed in 2000.

Seventeen pastors had served the Bethany congregation through its history and twenty four served Hebron. Since the formation of Our Savior’s six have labored for the sake of Christ’s church in the Altura area. From 1976 until 2004 Our Savior’s pastor also served the Berea congregation. In 2004 Our Savior’s placed their trust in God’s hands and began ministering to the people of the Altura area with their own pastor.

For over five centuries the Moravian Church has proclaimed the gospel in all parts of the world. Its influence has far exceeded its numbers as it has cooperated with Christians on every continent and has been a visible part of the Body of Christ, the Church. Proud of its heritage and firm in its faith, the Moravian Church ministers to the needs of people wherever they are.

The name Moravian identifies the fact that this historic church had its origin in ancient Bohemia and Moravia in what is present-day Czech Republic. In the mid-ninth century these countries converted to Christianity chiefly through the influence of two Greek Orthodox missionaries, Cyril and Methodius. They translated the Bible into the common language and introduced a national church ritual.  In the centuries that followed, Bohemia and Moravia gradually fell under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Rome, but some of the Czech people protested.

The foremost of Czech reformers, John Hus (1369-1415) was a professor of philosophy and rector of the University in Prague. The Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, where Hus preached, became a rallying place for the Czech reformation. Gaining support from students and the common people, he led a protest movement against many practices of the Roman Catholic clergy and hierarchy. Hus was accused of heresy, underwent a long trial at the Council of Constance, and was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.

The reformation spirit did not die with Hus. The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), as it has been officially known since 1457, arose as followers of Hus gathered in the village of Kunvald in eastern Bohemia and organized the church. This was 60 years before Martin Luther began his reformation and 100 years before the establishment of the Anglican Church.

Some Moravian families fleeing persecution in Bohemia and Moravia found refuge on the estate of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a pietist nobleman in Saxony in 1722 and built the community of Herrnhut. The new community became the haven for many more Moravian refugees. Count Zinzendorf encouraged them to keep the discipline of the Unitas Fratrum, and he gave them the vision to take the gospel to the far corners of the globe. August 13, 1727, marked the culmination of a great spiritual renewal for the Moravian Church in Herrnhut, and in 1732 the first missionaries were sent to the West Indies.

The Moravian Church came to America and settled in Pennsylvania on the estate of George Whitefield. Moravian settlers purchased 500 acres to establish the settlement of Bethlehem in 1741. Other settlement congregations were established in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. All were considered frontier centers for the spread of the gospel, particularly in mission to the Native Americans.

Bethlehem in Pennsylvania and Winston-Salem in North Carolina became the headquarters of the two provinces (North and South), which developed as the Moravian Church in North America became established as an autonomous church body after the Unity Synod of 1848. The church spread out from the geographical centers of Bethlehem and Winston-Salem, following German emigrants to the Midwest. The Moravian Church today has congregations in 16 states, the District of Columbia, and two provinces of Canada.

One of the hallmarks of the Moravian Church has been its music. The Unitas Fratrum published its first hymnal in 1501. Since that time more hymns have been written than could ever fit into a hand held book! While the Moravian’s are well known in the eastern part of the United States for their Advent & Christmas Singing and Brass and Trombone Choirs the music of the Church encompasses all types and styles.

The value of the music program in our church does not depend upon numbers. It depends upon the hearts of those involved. And the most significant part of the music program of any congregation is not its choir, or band, or even its music staff – it’s the congregation itself. The congregation itself is the “first choir”. The richness of Moravian music arises from the hearts of those who practice it, and in their connection to the Lord. Visitors to Moravian congregations feel this and are moved by it.