1718–1788
Johannes von Watteville

Introduction

Born: Oc­to­ber 18, 1718, Walsch­le­ben, Ger­ma­ny (near Er­furt).

Died: Oc­to­ber 11, 1788, Gna­den­frei, Si­lesia (now Pi­ła­wa Gór­na, Po­land).

Biography

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.

In 1747, de Watte­ville be­gan the Christ­ingle tra­di­tion, giv­ing each child in his church a light­ed can­dle wrapped in a red rib­bon with a pray­er that said Lord Je­sus, kin­dle a flame in these dear child­ren’s hearts.

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