Bishop Johannes de Watteville

Johannes von Watteville

• Born: October 18, 1718, Walschleben, Germany (near Erfurt).
• Died: October 11, 1788, Gnadenfrei, Silesia (now Piława Górna, Poland).

Born Johann Michael Langguth, Johannes was adopted by F. von Watteville. In 1746, he married Benigna Justina von Zinzendorf, daughter of Nicholas von Zinzendorf. De Watteville served as a Moravian bishop in Germany, and traveled widely, visiting North America, the West Indies and Greenland on inspection trips for the German Moravian Brethren.

from Wikipedia

A Christingle is a symbolic object, related to the pomander, used in the advent services of many Christian denominations. It has its origins in the Moravian Church.

At Christmas 1747, Germany, Bishop Johannes de Watteville thought about how he could explain the love of Jesus to everyone, and what Christmas really meant to the children in the church. He decided to make a simple symbol to express the message of Christmas in a fresh and lively way. Pastor Johannes de Watteville gave each child a lighted candle wrapped in a red ribbon, with a prayer that said "Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these dear children's hearts". This was the first Christingle service.

biography

From HIDDEN COLLECTIONS Johannes von Watteville Papers

Johannes von Watteville was born Johann Michael Langguth to Johann Michael Langguth and Anna Elizabeth Farbarius Langguth in Walschleben, Thüringen, Germany on October 18, 1718. He was educated at both the University of Erfurt and the University of Jena between 1734 and 1737. During this period, Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf (1727-1752), the son of Nikolus von Zinzendorf, introduced von Watteville to the Moravian Brotherhood. Upon leaving school, he joined the Brüdergemeine in Hernnhut sometime between 1737 and 1738 and settled into the Moravian community at Hernnhaag and Marienborn. He later travelled to Hernnhut to meet with Nikolus von Zinzendorf and developed a close relationship to the leader of the Unitas Fratrum. He was adopted by Friedrick von Watteville in 1744 and married Benigna von Zinzendorf in Ziest, Holland on May 20, 1746.

Upon his ordainment as a bishop on June 4, 1747 in Herrnhaag, von Watteville began to travel extensively to visit Moravian communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, France, Switzerland, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, England, Holland, and Germany, among others. Throughout his life, he would return to many of these sites. When Nikolus von Zinzendorf died in 1760, von Watteville succeeded him as the leader of the Moravian Church. He not only continued to travel throughout his life, but he also sat at many Synods and was a member of the United Elders' Conference. He died on October 7, 1788 in Gnadenfrei, Germany, present day Pilawa Górna, Poland.

• hymtime.com