Leonard Dober

Leonard Dober was born on March 7, 1706, in Mönchsroth, in Bavaria, in the south of Germany. He came from a poor family, and he learned the trade of a potter. He was a quiet and earnest young man with a strong desire to serve God. He was drawn to the Pietist movement and was inspired by the story of the work of August Hermann Francke at Halle. In 1725, he moved to Herrnhut, in Saxony, the community of the Moravian Brethren which had been founded by Count Zinzendorf. He joined the community and gave himself to the Lord's service.

In 1731, the Count visited Copenhagen, in Denmark, where he met a slave from the Danish West Indies, named Anthony Ulrich. Anthony had been taken to Denmark as a servant, and he was a convert to Christianity. He told the Count about the sufferings of the slaves on the island of St. Thomas, in the Caribbean, and about their need of the gospel. The Count told the community at Herrnhut about the request. Leonard Dober was moved. He said that he would go. He offered himself as a missionary to the slaves on St. Thomas. He was twenty-five years old.

At first, the Moravian leaders were uncertain about the idea. They did not know how to send a man to such a distant place, and they did not have any money. There was a question about whether a man of low birth could be sent. The Count put the matter to the lot, a method that the Moravians used to seek the guidance of God, and the lot said that Dober should go. He asked to be joined by a carpenter, David Nitschmann, and the two set off in August 1732. They had no money to speak of, only a few coins. They planned to work with their hands to pay their way. They had been told that if there was no other way to reach the slaves, they were prepared to sell themselves into slavery.

They traveled on foot to Copenhagen, where they sought permission from the Danish court to go. They faced ridicule from many who said that the slaves could not be reached. They set sail in October and arrived at St. Thomas in December. They found the planters hostile, who feared that the slaves would be made restless by the gospel. Dober worked as a potter and Nitschmann as a carpenter, and they lived in poverty. They visited the slave quarters after work and spoke to the slaves, who were eager to hear. Dober learned the Creole language of the slaves. He saw that the message of Christ gave them hope.

Nitschmann returned to Europe after a short time, and Dober stayed. He was joined by other Moravians, and a mission was established. He was ill with fever, and he suffered from the climate. He worked for about a year and a half on the island before he was called home to take on the duty of an elder in the church. In 1734, he returned to Herrnhut, where he served the community in various capacities. His mission was the first of the great Moravian missions, and within twenty years, the Moravians had sent more than two hundred missionaries to many lands. It was the first great missionary movement of Protestant history.

He was a man of humble spirit, and he did not seek honor. He served the Moravian church as a senior elder and had a large share in guiding the community. In 1747, he was appointed a general elder. He was a good organizer and a man of prayer. He also was a faithful pastor and was known for his calm and his gentleness. He lived in a time of tension, in which the Moravians were passing through disputes over their doctrine and practice. He was a steady influence.

He died on December 1, 1766, in Herrnhut, at the age of sixty. His life shows that a potter with a sense of calling can begin a movement. He was the first of a long line of missionaries who left home to carry the gospel to the outcast.