The foundation of unity within the Unitas Fratrum is Jesus Christ himself. In him, all believers are one. He is the sovereign head of the church (Col. 1:18). The author of the letter to the congregation at Ephesus writes: “Speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love” (Eph. 4:15-16).
As Moravians we have the special tradition of honoring Christ as the “Chief Elder” of the Moravian Church. Behind this stands the insight that the risen Christ is the living Lord of all who belong to him. It is important to note that we, as Moravians, do not claim Christ exclusively for ourselves. We believe that Christ is the head of all churches. When we affirm that Christ is the “Chief Elder” of the Moravian Church we say that for us the highest authority and the ultimate source of leadership is found in Christ. “Jesus Christ is the one Lord and Head of His body, the Church. Because of this, the Church owes no allegiance to any authority whatsoever which opposes His dominion” (COUF #11).
Historical background
The understanding of Jesus Christ as the “Chief Elder” grew out of the experience of a leadership crisis. Soon after Herrnhut was established, the members of the congregation elected several elders because they realized that the community needed good leaders. As the Moravian movement grew, one person among the elders was elected “chief elder” in order to oversee the whole organization. In 1736, this office was given to Leonard Dober (the first Moravian missionary), but he soon found that the task was too big for him. When Dober wanted to resign from this position, no other person could be found to replace him. As Zinzendorf and other Moravian leaders pondered the situation, they realized that only Jesus Christ could shoulder this responsibility. In order to express their submission to his rule, the Moravian leaders formally elected him to be their Chief Elder on September 16, 1741. The information was made public in Moravian congregations on November 13, 1741.
Tradition
There are two festival days associated with Jesus Christ as “Chief Elder”. First, September 16, known as “ministers’ covenant day,” is celebrated as a day to remember all who carry pastoral responsibilities. In some provinces, the ministers gather together on this day to celebrate the Cup of Covenant.
Second, there is the festival day of November 13, which is the day when all Moravians honor Jesus Christ as their Chief Elder. Often this day is celebrated with a special Holy Communion service. Another tradition, which has sometimes been observed in connection with Christ’s office as Chief Elder, is the practice of keeping an empty chair at church conferences to symbolize the invisible presence of Christ.
Spiritual Relevance
Leadership is an important ministry in the church, but whenever people assume a leadership position of great authority, they face two dangers. The first danger is that they will feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of their office and become fearful and paralyzed. The other danger is that they forget that leadership is a form of service and thus may begin to rule in a way that is overbearing and self-serving. Honoring Jesus Christ as the “Chief Elder” helps us to remember that in all forms of ministry, including ministries of leadership and oversight, we are standing under his headship. This helps us to know that we don’t have to carry the burden alone. It also helps us to exercise leadership with a humble heart and to seek Christ’s honor rather than our own.
Reprinted from Our Moravian Treasures: A Manual of Topics for Theological Education of the Unitas Fratrum, edited by Peter Vogt on behalf of the Task Force on Theological Education of the worldwide Moravian Church. Copyright © 2019 by worldwide Moravian Church Unity Office, Christiansfeld, Denmark. All rights reserved
