(2) Denominational Form. Accordingly, the Moravian Church in America was compelled to recognize the leadings of Providence and assume definite denominational form. Its leaders chose to bring the groups of affiliated persons in seven of the original thirtcen states into as close an affinity as possible with the German congregations of the church in Europe, and to model their life after the pattern of the exclusive settlements of the Unity there, so as to constitute the Moravian villages spiritual retreats cut off from the rest of the world, where pious souls might cultivate their own Christian life and be mutually helpful in promoting growth in grace. In 1753 a tract was purchased in North Carolina, and here, too, the life in Pennsylvania vvas duplicated, the chief cen ters now being Bethlehem, Nazareth and Lititz in Pennsylvania, and after 1766 Salem in North Car olina.
(3) Moravian Villages. The following were the characteristics of the Moravian villages : "None but members were allowed to hold real estate, although others might lease houses. In each settlement there was a public inn and one or more mercantile establishments or trades, belong ing to the church, the profits of which went to wards its support. This arrangement did not ex clude private enterprise and trades, of which there were many. The settlements were governed by a council called the "Board of Overseers," elected by the adult male members of the church. At the head of a council stood a Deacon, who bore the title of 'Warden,' and was its executive offi cer. On business of importance a general meet ing of the adult male members was convened. The purpose of this exclusive system was to keep out of the congregation, as much as possi ble, the follies and sins of the world, and to pro mote sober, righteous and holy living. By the blessing of God this was accomplished in a great degree. The peculiar institutions belonging to a settlement were the Brethren's, Sisters' and Wid ows' Houses. In a Brethren's House unmarried men lived together, and carried on various trades and professions, the profits of which were applied to the support of the establishment and of the church in general. A Sisters' House was inhab ited by unmarried women who engaged in differ ent kinds of work. In each house there was a common refectory, dormitory and prayer-hall. Daily religious services were held. There was nothing monastic in the principles underlying these establishments, or in the regulations by which they were governed. The inmates were al most invariably such as had no other homes, and stayed in thcm at their own option, gaining an honest and decent livelihood, and enjoying the ad vantage of regular religious instructions. In many
instances they were training schools for mission aries. A Widows' House was a home for indi gent or other widows, supplying the inmates with all the comforts which they needed at moderate charges, and enabling the poorest to live in a re spectable manner. Each house had a spiritual and temporal superintendent—females in the case of Sisters' and Widows' Houses." (Moravian Manual, pp. 55 and 56.) (4) Independence of American Province. Up to the middle of the present century, when this whole system was abolished, the Moravian Church in America practically formed merely an outpost of the Moravian Church in Germany. Con stitutional changes were effected in 1857. Since then the American province of the church is in dependent so far as its own internal administra tion is concerned, and has pursued a natural pol icy of church extension. It now has congrega tions in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nlissouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, North Carolina, Virginia, Indian Terri tbry, and Alberta Territory, Canada. The entire membership in America numbers 22,345. There are two provincial synods in America, which elect "provincial elders" as the executive boards, hav ing headquarters at Bethlehem, Pa., and Salem, N. C. But the American Moravian Church forms an organic whole in union with the Moravian bodies in Great Britain and on the continent of Europe. The highest legislative body is the Gen eral Synod, meeting once in ten years, and con stituted of representatives of the three provinces and of the missions among the heathen which con stitute thc joint enterprise of the entire Nloravian Church. The General Synod reviews the life, regulates the statements of doctrine, orders the ritual—liturgical in form, elects bishops, receives a report of the entire management of the missions, and elects the mission board, which has its head quarters at Berthelsdorf.
(5) Missions. The missions amongst the hea then, with an entire membership of about 95,000, are divided into the following missionary prov inces : Greenland, Labrador, the Indian mission in North America, Alaska, Jamaica, the eastern islands of the West Indies, Nicaragua, Demerara, Surinam, Cape Colony, Kaffraria, German East Africa, Victoria, North Queensland, the Western Himalayan, and the Leper Hospital in Jerusalem. More than 400 missionaries, foreign and native. are employed. Last year tbe cost was $404,282.50. In addition a work of evangelization is carried on in Bohemia and Moravia, in which all the "prov inces" participate.