David Christian

David Christian, one of the founders of Herrnhut, was born Dec. 31, 1690, at Senftleben, Moravia, and was bred a carpenter. In early manhood he became a Protestant. In 1722 he was sent to find a home for the persecuted Moravians, and secured one from Count Zinzendorf, at Bertholdsdorf, Lusatia. SEE MORAVIANS. When the church was organized at Herrnhut (their new abode), David was elected first of the twelve elders. His subsequent life was entirely devoted to missionary and Christian labors. In 1783 he led the first Moravian mission to Greenland. In 1738 Wesley had several interviews with David at Herrnhut. The after labors of David included two additional visits to Greenland, and eleven to Moravia; with others to Denmark, Holland, Wetteravia, Livonia, and England. In the beginning of 1750 he visited all the congregations in Germany, and almost immediately returned to London. In July he re-embarked for Germany, visited the churches in Wetteravia, and assisted at the synod held at Barby. From that period he resided at the church which his hands had founded. The toils of an honored and useful life were unexpectedly closed by his death, after a short illness, February 3, 1751. See Stevens, History of Methodism, 1:97; Wesleyan Magazine, March, 1852; Wesley, Works, 3, 86; v. 284.