Located at Third and Adrian Streets, Emmaus, PA
Moravian Church / God’s Acre – 1742
The first community structure, on what was referred to as God’s Acre, was a small log church built on land donated by Jacob Ehrenhardt. In this simple log church, people with various religious backgrounds worshiped and were served by visiting preachers from as far away as Philadelphia. Religion was a very important part of daily life then.
God’s Acre was the burial ground for residents in the village from 1743-1868. Except for the first three burials, people were buried in rows according to age and gender, reflecting the Moravian choir system. A choir consisted of people of the same gender and age. They ate, slept, prayed and worked within their choir.
Moravian Church: Community
- Moravians are people whose faith influenced how they lived
- The Settlement was to raise families devoted to God, for safety and livelihood
- They worked together for the greater good. Every person had something of value to contribute
Moravian Church: Uniqueness
- Moravians were compelled to serve others
- Education played an important role in Moravian life – they had the first school in the area
Moravian Church: Conflicts and Cooperation
- Moravians were ahead of their time. They had women in leadership roles.
- The first church on God’s Acre site was for all the villagers. They believed faith was more important than differences.
- Relationship with Native American Indians