Arguably, the most effective proselytising agency the globe as ever experienced was the Wesleyan ‘Methodist’ movement. The architects didn’t start out to create a new Protestant denomination, rather to use an Anglican governance caveat to create a revitalisation Order within that church. What is even more remarkable is that the chief of those architects, at the start of this work, did not have a relationship with Jesus as either Lord or even Saviour, as time was soon to reveal – Not dissimilar in some ways to the Church Father, Saint Ambrose – talented, educated and even virtuous, but not relationally connected by the Call, at first.
Yet this able preacher, a man of moral and even theological conviction was struggling to see any fruit from his missional endeavours.
An unplanned encounter with a true pioneer of Protestant mission, the Moravian Peter Bohler changed all that. It wasn’t just a word of advice, or a powerful persona, rather a model and mode which quiet relational influence helped shape the modern evangelical world.
Born in 1712, Peter Bohler first visited the outstanding Hernn Hutt community started by Count Zinzendorf in 1735 whilst studying Theology. Whilst he didn’t ‘join’ the community then, by late 1737 he was ordained into the Moravian Priesthood, by Zinzendorf himself. This now station only confirmed what he already embodied, a disciplined living Christian man, bold in his proclamation of the Gospel in assiduous missional outreach and a passionate emphasis on personal faith in Christ. His missional work took him across the Atlantic and into the heart of emerging Christian communities, where he preached, planted, and pastored.
Movarian Priest Goes to the American Frontier
As an ordained Moravian Priest, his first excursion was to the American colonies and for two years, commencing in 1738, he focused on missionary work among settlers, enslaved people, and Native Americans. This led to the founding of Moravian settlements like Nazareth and Bethlehem in Pennsylvania – these settlements became hubs of worship, education, and outreach.
These communities were more than outposts; they were living expressions of Moravian mission. Bohler’s efforts strengthened believers through communal prayer, practical service, and gospel proclamation. His approach showed that mission thrives when it combines spiritual depth with everyday faithfulness – this is the model and mode of Kingdom discipleship that the Moravians reintroduced to the Protestant cohort of the Body of Christ.
Back in Europe, Bohler’s role expanded. He served as superintendent of the Moravian Church in England, overseeing congregations and mentoring leaders. This leadership ensured that Moravian influence reached beyond pioneers to stable, growing disciple-making communities – The Church.
The Historic Relational Mentoring of Wesley
In 1738 John Wesley had just returned from his own missional incursion to the American frontier – the Colony of Georgia – and by all accounts a failed one at that. Doubts on many fronts were colonising his thinking and his soul, yet a Divine encounter was about to happen.
In a conversation recounted in Wesley’s journal in London of that same year, things shifted quietly, yet seismically.
An encounter with Peter Bohler changed everything for Wesley, who recorded that Bohler “clearly understands the gospel” and became to Wesley a “tremendous encourager and adviser”. Again, the Model, the Mode and the Movement.
The advice was unforgettable:
“Preach faith till you have it, and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.”
Bohler urged Wesley to proclaim justification by faith in Christ alone, even before fully grasping it himself. This wasn’t abstract theology; it was practical mission strategy rooted in assurance of salvation – assurance Wesley had not yet received, though relentlessly pursued.
Wesley was no stranger to the ‘Fourth Dimension’, as his Anglican Minister family home had a noisy resident poltergeist for years, whom they named ‘Jeffrey’. Wesley’s cultural and familial settings were bathed in Judeo-Christian values, morality and Church of England protocols and ethics. He was no stranger to sound theology, and clearly all these factors were elements in his longing to be an agent of this truth, yet something was missing. God used Bohler to point to the final door – the door that Wesley had no doubt walked past many times but did not see it, until…
Soon after this divinely deployed advice and on the now famous 24th of May 1738, Wesley reluctantly attended the evening gathering at a Moravian meeting in a house on Aldersgate Street, London. where someone read from Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans – Luther called the Letter to the Romans…
“… the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes".
In his journal, Wesley famously described the moment:
"About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death".
This transformative assurance of faith marked a turning point, igniting Wesley's already primed evangelistic passion and laying the foundation for the ‘Methodist’ revival. This ‘conversion’ moment is commemorated annually as Aldersgate Day by Methodists worldwide.
Some Lessons from Bohler’s Missional Life
Bohler’s legacy cannot only be studied in the Wesleyan Methodology, but offers timeless principles for mission today:
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Relational Depth: He invested in individuals like Wesley, showing that one faithful conversation in a genuine mentoring relationship – Discipleship – can multiply gospel impact.
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Holistic Witness: Moravian mission under Bohler blended evangelism with immersive community-building, proving that disciples are made in everyday life.
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Gospel and Scriptural Confidence: His counsel emphasised faith as the foundation, reminding us that mission flows from personal encounter with Christ.
In an era of complex strategies, Bohler models simplicity: preach Christ, build community, disciple all, including the doubtful.
Why Revisit Bohler’s Story Now?
Peter Bohler reminds us that God often uses unassuming servants for extraordinary purposes – just like the Incarnation. His work bridged continents and movements, from Moravian settlements to Methodist awakenings. As we face our own challenges in mission — secularism, division, fatigue — Bohler’s example calls us back to gospel-centred Disciple-making faithfulness.
Call to Action: Watch the full YouTube resource on Wesley’s journal for a fresh retelling of Bohler’s role (Wesley’s Personal Journal). Then, reflect: Who in your life needs Bohler-like encouragement?
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Pray for revival and.
Step into your own missional calling.
Faith in Christ changes everything — preach it till you have it, and then because you have it.
Shane - Disciplesplanet
Endnotes