Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), a German-born clergyman of the Moravian denomination, tried to unite the German religious groups in Pennsylvania into one spiritual community.

Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf was born in Dresden on May 26, 1700. He was a godson of Philipp Jacob Spener, the founder of German Pietism. Zinzendorf was brought up under strong Pietistic influences. As a student at the University of Halle, he joined in organizing the Order of the Grain of Mustard Seed, whose members were pledged to the Pietistic ideal of a life of religious devotion and Christian service instead of belief in a creed.

In loyalty to this pledge, in 1722 Zinzendorf opened his estate at Berthelsdorf to a company of Moravian and Lutheran exiles who became the nucleus of the community of Herrnhut, which was one of the most active centers of missionary activity in the world in its time. After a...