PBS News Hour

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The U.S. saw its 26th UNESCO# World Heritage Site declared this past summer.## It was in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where a# historic settlement of the Moravian Church,## along with three other such# settlements in Germany, Denmark,## and Northern Ireland, were collectively# named a World Heritage Site this year.

Digital video producer Tim McPhillips went to## Bethlehem to see what made this# Moravian settlement so unique.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: This holiday season in Bethlehem,## Pennsylvania, looks like it does every year.# A Christmas tree stands by.. nativity scene at its base.

Twinkling# lights adorn the city's main street.

But one thing is new.

This summer,# the United Nations Educational,## Scientific and Cultural Organization,# or UNESCO, deemed this place,## the Bethlehem Moravian Settlement, as the# United States' 26th UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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JANEL RICE, Senior Pastor, Central# Moravian Church: So, the Moravians date## their history back to 1457, the followers .. what they called the Unitas Fratrum, the unity# of their brethren, in the Czech Republic area.

They eventually became known# as the Moravian Church.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Janel Rice is the# senior pastor of Bethlehem Central## Moravian Church, which is still an active church.

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JANEL RICE: There's no# Christianity without community,## and I think that is one of the core tenets# and beautiful beliefs of the Moravian Church.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Facing persecution# in what is now the Czech Republic,## some Moravians found refuge on the# estate of a German count in the 1720s.

CHARLENE DONCHEZ MOWERS, Former President,# Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites: They## established a community which .. TIM MCPHILLIPS: Charlene Donchez# Mowers is the recently retired## president of Historic Bethlehem Museums# and Sites.

She helped lead the charge## to inscribe the Bethlehem Moravian# Settlement as a World Heritage Site.

CHARLENE DONCHEZ MOWERS: While they were there,# they had a renewal of the church.

And then,## in the 1730s, they decided to# start sending out missionaries.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Those missionaries# then traveled the world, spreading## their faith, not through arms,# but through building communities.

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JANEL RICE: Moravians came to Bethlehem## in 1741.

They named Bethlehem# on Christmas Eve in that year,## coming to both preach to the Native Americans and# also the German settlers that were already here.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Three other communities, ones# in Germany, Northern Ireland and Denmark,## joined the Bethlehem site in the 2024# UNESCO World Heritage designation.

Together, they showcase the Moravian Church's## architectural and urban planning ideals# that remain consistent across continents.

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JANEL RICE: They built not only# churches, but also really community centers.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: In Bethlehem, which# was named after the Middle Eastern## city where Christians believed Jesus was born,# Moravians built America's first pumped municipal## water supply.

And, like in every Moravian# Settlement, they constructed a Gemeinhaus,## a place for living, worship and education# that Mower says was ahead of its time.

CHARLENE DONCHEZ MOWERS: They felt# that everyone should be educated,## not just the sons of the wealthy.

And that# was incredible.

So they were educating women## with the same curriculum as the men.

They were# learning mathematics, sciences, foreign languages.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Near the Gemeinhaus# was the Single Sisters' House, living## quarters for single women, including# those who chose not to get married.

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JANEL RICE: If they chose to remain single,# they would be allowed to remain there and live## out their lives as single sisters, which is# fairly radical in the 18th century world.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: In its early years,## the Moravian Settlement in Bethlehem# operat.. CHARLENE DONCHEZ MOWERS: Everyone worked# for the good of the community and everyone,## in turn, was taken care of from birth to death.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Likewise, in the original# cemetery, all gravestones were the same,## regardless of status or class.

Today, the Central# Moravian Church still operates in one of the nine## original buildings contained in the UNESCO site,# providing an authentic experience for visitors.

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JANEL RICE: I think you can see how# history doesn't just remain in our past,## but can inform.

To entertain strangers is to# entertain angels unaware.

So you are welcoming## in guests into our space and hopefully sharing# them a bit of good news, a bit of God's love.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: In Bethlehem, now# known for its Christmas charm,## instead of its once mighty steel# mill, leaders like Mowers hope the## new UNESCO status will draw more tourists# year-round, not just at the holidays.

CHARLENE DONCHEZ MOWERS: It's a# World Heritage triangle between## the Statue of Liberty in New York and# Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: Like other UNESCO sites,# Bethlehem's origin is helping define its future.

CHARLENE DONCHEZ MOWERS: All of a sudden,# we're in the same boat, in essence,## as the Great Wall of China, the# Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

And## that's just incredible for our little town# in Bethlehem to be in that same company.

TIM MCPHILLIPS: For "PBS News Hour," I'm# Tim McPhillips in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.