MORAVIAN HERITAGE
Renovations preserve link to missionary past One of the treasures of the Moravian Museum in Bethlehem, Pa. is the Nain-Schober House. It is the only surviving structure from an important, but little known, chapter in American history. And this month, recent renovations to help restore its original appearance will be unveiled, helping the building continue to tell its story.
The Rev. Dr. Craig Atwood is director of the Center for Moravian Studies and a professor at Moravian Theological Seminary. Below: the Nain-Schober House in Bethlehem following renovations this year.
A link to the past The Nain-Schober House in Bethlehem is a direct link to the heroic and tragic history of the Moravian mission to Native Americans and serves as a reminder of a fleeting glimpse of a different possible outcome for the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers in American history. One of the major reasons the Moravians came to America in the 1700s was to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Native Americans. This was dangerous work. Not only were many of the native peoples justifiably suspicious of all white people, especially preachers, but also colonists were upset (continued on next page)