Fetter Lane Society facts for kids
The Fetter Lane Society was a very important group for the Moravian Church in Britain. It also helped prepare the way for Methodism, another Christian movement. This society started in 1738. Even though its first meeting place was destroyed in the middle of the 1900s, the group still meets today in London. It is part of the British Province of the Moravian Church.
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History of the Fetter Lane Society
Before the big Methodist movement began in England, Moravians were already working in London. A German leader named Peter Boehler and his followers started the Fetter Lane Society in May 1738. Their goal was to help people grow in their faith and support each other.
They planned to meet once a week for prayer and friendship. Most of their members were Anglicans, including famous people like John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield.
John Wesley wrote in his diary about a special meeting on January 1, 1739:
"Mr. Hall, Hinching, Ingham, Whitefield, Hutching, and my brother Charles were present at our love feast in Fetter Lane with about 60 of our brethren. About three in the morning, as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us insomuch that many cried out for exceeding joy and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of His majesty, we broke out with one voice, 'We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.'".
The Moravians in London believed that true faith meant having complete certainty about your salvation. They thought faith should be strong and free from sin, fear, or doubt. For them, fear and doubt showed a person might not have true faith yet.
John Wesley's Journey
John Wesley had a powerful spiritual experience on May 24, 1738. This happened at a meeting house on Aldersgate Street. He was listening to a reading from Martin Luther's introduction to the Bible book of Romans.
However, Wesley later disagreed with the London Moravians. They insisted that you had to have instant, full certainty of your faith to be saved. They also believed that spiritual practices, like communion, should be kept from those who didn't have this full certainty.
Wesley argued about this with Philip Henry Molther and other Moravians at the Fetter Lane Society in 1739–1740. Molther told people they should stop doing good deeds and taking communion. He said they should wait for God to give them faith, without using any spiritual practices. He believed that the good things that come from the Holy Spirit could not be given to those without full faith.
After challenging these ideas in June 1740, John Wesley was no longer welcome at the Fetter Lane Society. He and about 50 other people then started their own group. They called it the Foundery Society. This new group met in a former cannon factory at Moorfields, which Wesley had rented. Even though Wesley left, the Fetter Lane Society had inspired many future groups. These groups eventually helped create the Methodist Church.
Important Leaders and Visitors
A key leader of worship in the mid-1700s was Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. The parents of the famous poet and artist William Blake also attended the society's meetings. Some people think Moravian hymns might have influenced Blake's poems, like those in Songs of Innocence and Experience.
The Swedish scientist and spiritual thinker Emanuel Swedenborg also visited the society. He came between 1744 and 1745, and again from 1748 to 1749.
Where They Worship Today
The original historic building of the Fetter Lane Moravian Congregation was destroyed. This happened during World War II due to Nazi bombing. However, the congregation still meets and worships in London today.
While Lindsey House in Cheyne Walk was sold in the 1700s, the Congregation still owns and uses the carriage house. This building is located between Beaufort Street and Millman's Street. It now has homes and a chapel. The chapel is on the northern edge of the special Moravian Burial Ground, which is called God's Acre.
