Levin Theodor Reichel, Bishop of the Moravian Church, came from an old and respected Saxon family of preachers who had joined the Moravian community. In the autumn of 1858, he was assigned to inspect the West Indian Moravian missions. He first visited the Danish islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, then the English possessions of St. Kitts and Antigua. During his time in the Caribbean, he inspected the churches and schools, held conferences with the missionaries and native helpers, visited the black plantation workers, preached and baptized, resolved disputes, cared for the elimination of abuses, and left various suggestions.