Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf One of the greatest missionary statesmen of all times and the individual who did the most to advance the cause of Protestant missions during the course of the eighteenth century was a German-born nobleman, Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf had a powerful influence on early protest christianity that in many respects equaled or excelled that of his personal acquaintances, John Wesley and George Whitefield He pioneered ecumenical evangelism, founded the Moravian church, and authored scores of hymns but above all else he launched a world-wide missionary movement that set the stage for William Carey and the "Great Century” of missions that would follow. Zinzendorf was born in 1700 into wealth and nobility. The death of his father and the subsequent remarriage of his mother left him to be reared by his grandmother and aunt. It was their warm evangelical Pietism that turned his heart toward spiritual matters. ...