Kilwarlin Moravian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kilwarlin Moravian Church |
|
|---|---|
Kilwarlin Moravian Church
|
|
| 54°27′49″N 6°08′08″W / 54.463603°N 6.135693°W | |
| OS grid reference | NW 32093 15458 |
| Location | Kilwarlin, Northern Ireland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Denomination | Moravian Church |
| History | |
| Founded | 1755 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1835 |
| Administration | |
| Province | British Province |
| District | Irish District |
The Kilwarlin Moravian Church was started in 1755 by a preacher named John Cennick. This happened after the Moravian Church began its work in Ireland, starting in Dublin in 1746. Kilwarlin is a small village located near Hillsborough in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Contents
The Church's Early Days
Who Was John Cennick?
John Cennick was a teacher at a Moravian school in Kingswood, England. He worked with John Wesley to spread Christian teachings in the Bristol area. Later, Cennick became a minister in the Moravian Church.
In 1746, he was sent to Dublin to preach in Ireland. His work helped start Moravian groups in many counties. These included Antrim, Down, Londonderry, Armagh, Tyrone, Cavan, and Donegal.
Starting the Kilwarlin Church
Cennick founded the Kilwarlin church group in 1755. He also built a church building for them. In 1759, the church bought land for a burial ground. There was also a house for the minister, called a manse. About eighty people attended the church back then.
However, by 1834, the church buildings were falling apart. Only six members were left. The church needed help to grow again.
A New Beginning
Basil Patras Zula Arrives
The Kilwarlin church began to grow again when a new minister, Basil Patras Zula, arrived. Zula was born in 1796. He was a Greek leader who fought in the Greek War of Independence against the Turks. The Turkish commander wanted to capture Zula. This made Zula very nervous for the rest of his life.
He hid in Italy for some time. But in 1822, he went back to Greece to fight in the Third siege of Missolonghi. He was upset by the violence there. So, he went to Smyrna, where he met an Englishman, Sir William Eden. Eden returned to England in 1828 and took Zula with him. From England, they traveled to Ireland.
Zula's Journey to Ministry
In Dublin, Zula met Ann Linfoot, a Moravian school teacher. She knew Greek and could talk with him. Ann invited Zula to attend services at the Bishop Street Moravian Church in Dublin. Zula joined the church group. He later decided he wanted to become a Moravian minister.
In 1829, Zula married Ann Linfoot. In 1834, they both agreed to serve the Kilwarlin church.
Rebuilding the Church
A new church building was constructed and opened in March 1835. On that same day, twenty-six new members joined the church. The church continued to grow. In January 1837, Zula became an ordained minister. He was ordained by Hans Peter Hallbeck, a Moravian bishop from South Africa.
When Zula rebuilt the Kilwarlin Manse (the minister's house), he added some special features. He put two doors in all the downstairs rooms and two separate staircases. Outside, at the back, he built a small room on stilts. This room had a trap-door leading to a hiding place under the floor. Zula never had to use these hiding places. He passed away peacefully in Dublin on October 4, 1844. His body was brought back to Kilwarlin for burial. His wife, Ann, continued to live in the manse. She ran a boarding school for young ladies until she passed away in 1858.
Unique Church Grounds
One interesting thing about Kilwarlin Moravian Church is its grounds. Zula paid to have the land shaped to look like the area of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae. This was a famous battle where the Spartan army bravely fought the Persians to protect Athens. Most of this special landscaping can still be seen today.
