Building Wachovia: The Era of Spangenberg

Born on July 15, 1704, Augustus Spangenberg spent the first decade of his life raised by his father, a Lutheran minister. His father would pass in 1714, leaving him in poverty. During this time, he lost much of his faith and thought rather poorly of himself. The young Spangenberg went on to attend the University of Jena, where he was taken under the wing of Dr. Buddeus. Under his influence, Spangenberg decided to study theology instead of law like he had planned. While at the University of Jena, Spangenberg became associated with the Moravian Church and Count Zinzendorf. Spangenberg eventually began work with Count Zinzendorf in the Moravian Church. During his lifetime, he led the Moravian Church in expanding in North America, becoming the chief founder of the Moravian Church in the United States, and under his leadership, the church gained respect from universities in Europe. Commissioned by the Unity Elders’ Conference, he wrote an eight-volume work documenting the life of Count Zinzendorf and wrote Idea Fidei Fratrum or “Exposition of the Christian Doctrine,” the doctrine taught in the Moravian Church.   Bibliography & Further Reading: Ledderhose, Karl Friedrich. The Life of Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg: Bishop of the Unity of the Brethren. William Mallalieu and Co., 1855. Clewell, John Henry. History of Wachovia in North Carolina: The Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Church in North Carolina During a Century and a Half, 1752-1902. New York, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1902. Hutton, J.E., and M.A. Hutton,  A History of the Moravian Church. Moravian Publication Office, United States of America, 1909. Fries, Adelaide, ed. Records of the Moravians in North Carolina. Volume I: 1752-1771. Vol. I. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Print Company, 1922. Crews, C. Daniel, and Richard Starbuck. With Courage for the Future: The Story of the Moravian Church, Southern Province. Winston-Salem, NC: Moravian Church in America, Southern Province, 2002.   Music (Freemusicarchive.org): Allegretto (green pastures) by Dee Yan-Key (Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) Grand Piano Theme – Loopable by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) On my Way to Work by Lobo Loco (Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivatives: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)