Moravian Magazine, Issue 2 2023

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Our Lamb has conquered. Let us follow Him.

In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love

God Creates. God Redeems. God Sustains.

We Respond in Faith, Love and Hope.

Visit

On the cover: Stars shine bright over an exhibit celebrating Herrnhut at the German Consulate in New York City. Photo by Mike Riess

PONDERINGS

Being part of a worldwide church

For many of us, being part of the Moravian Church means being part of a Moravian church – that is, being a member of a local congregation, worshiping on Sunday or working directly in our communities.

But it’s months like this that remind me that we, as Moravians, are part of a much larger worldwide denomination. The Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church in America make up only about 5 percent of the overall membership of the worldwide Unitas Fratrum. Our church has a much larger presence in places like Tanzania, the Caribbean and Central America.

So why does this month bring home the fact that we’re part of something bigger? Because each year, we team up with the Board of World Mission to present their Annual Report, which highlights the incredible impact our small church is having in many parts of the world. In the pages of this year’s report, themed “Lots to Learn,” we do just that – learn of BWM’s gathering of Moravians from many Spanish-speaking regions to share resources and build relationships; the new work going on in places like Brazil, Bolivia and Peru; the ongoing efforts in Africa, Labrador and Cuba; the generous support that Moravians provided for refugees from the war in Ukraine; and more.

In addition, the “magazine” part of this issue features stories from right here at home—a North Carolina church’s outreach to erase medical debt and a congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota that joined the Moravian Church Northern Province.

And, as I was putting this issue together, I had the opportunity to learn more about our worldwide church when I was invited to the opening of an exhibition about Herrnhut at the German Consulate in New York City. This exhibit traces the spread of the Moravian church from Herrnhut—a small community in Saxony, Germany—around the globe. Dignitaries from Germany, a contingent from Herrnhut itself, and a small group of Pennsylvania Moravians gathered at the consulate to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the little town where it all began. If you visit New York in the next few months, be sure to stop by and see the exhibit.

I hope you enjoy this special edition of the Moravian magazine. As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions and ideas.

Peace,

Mike Riess, editor

(ISSN 1041-0961)

Issue 2, 2023, Vol. 54, No. 2

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Northern Province prepares for 2023 Synod

Moravians from the northern U.S. and Canada will convene in Bethlehem, Pa., in late June for the 2023 Synod of the Moravian Church Northern Province.

2023 may seem like an odd year for the every-four-year provincial synod, as the last Northern Province Synod was held in 2018. However, due to concerns about COVID-19, the decision was made in late 2021 to postpone the 2022 Synod until this year.

Synod will be held at Moravian University June 22-25. Throughout those four days, more than 210 delegates from Northern Province congregations and agencies will discuss, debate and legislate on key areas facing the church today. The provincial synod is the highest judicatory in the province, with supreme legislative power in all matters not committed to the Unity Synod.

The theme for the 2023 Provincial Synod —”For the Healing of the World”—has meaning in three ways that weave together God’s abundant grace, explains the Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller, president of the Northern Province PEC. “We pray for the healing of the world from the ravages of Covid—even as we emerge from this pandemic. We pray for the healing of the world from racial injustice and the disproportionate incarceration of People of Color. We pray for the healing of the world—literally— from the destruction caused by the climate crisis. We entrust all

of creation into the hands of the Creator who loves us and sustains us beyond our imagining.”

More than 20 proposals on a broad range of topics have been submitted prior to Synod. Committees of delegates will discuss these proposals and generate additional ones that seek to address issues, encourage new work, codify organizational changes and more. Many of the proposals will then be taken up by the full body for consideration. The final resolutions direct the work of the province for the coming three years and beyond.

Synod also elects of church leadership. including a clergy person as the Provincial Elders’ Conference president along with the four lay members of the PEC. Betsy Miller, who has served three terms has PEC president, is not eligible to serve another term, so this Synod will elect a new PEC president. Several church-related agency boards also elect members at Synod. And, as with every provincial synod, there’s the potential to elect new bishops.

The 2023 Synod will also offer an opportunity to connect and reconnect. After several years of limited gatherings, meeting and worshiping together with Moravians from all parts of the Northern Province will be welcome.

Coverage for the 2023 Synod will be featured on Moravian.org and the Northern Province’s website and social media outlets. n

Debt Jubilee Project helps retire millions in medical debt

Who would think that you could buy medical debt for a penny on the dollar? It’s crazy. But Trinity Moravian Church has done it – and is going to keep doing it!

Medical debt is a major issue in our country. Most bankruptcies are the result of medical debt, and today, nearly 1 in 4 families owe medical debt they cannot immediately pay. Many of the folks we have helped in an emergency— paying a fuel bill in the winter or a water bill when the water is going to be shut off—had a back story that involved a hospital stay and medical debt. As a pastor, I heard more and more stories from all quar-

ters—people with medical insurance, people without. It has been a growing concern.

A couple of years before the pandemic, I heard of RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit established for the sole purpose of reducing the medical debt burdens of low-income individuals with limited capacity to pay their medical bills. This charity was organized in 2014 by Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton, both of whom were career debt collection executives. They knew every detail of how the debt collection industry worked, and came up with the brilliant idea of flipping the system to forgive debts rather than collecting them.

June Edwards, Trinity Moravian board vice chair, and Rev. John Jackman, pastor, celebrate the retiring of millions of dollars in medical debt with a symbolic “debt burning” during Sunday worship.

A debt forgiveness effort

In early 2022, at our annual planning retreat, I asked the Trinity Moravian Church board if we should pursue a project of buying and forgiving medical debts in our area. The board members unanimously supported of the idea, and so we contacted RIP Medical Debt to find out how we could work with them. The end result? We arranged to undertake a campaign to raise $5,000 cash to purchase the approximately $500,000 in medical debt that was for sale at that time in our home county of Forsyth in North Carolina. This seemed an ambitious goal coming out of Covid, but generosity to help those in need runs deep in the Trinity DNA, and we felt like we could manage it. We planned the campaign for three months. We named the campaign the “Debt Jubilee Project,” based on the Year of Jubilee spelled out in Deuteronomy 15, when debts would be forgiven and slaves freed.

The results were astonishing. We hit the goal in less than six weeks, mostly with small donations of $25 or $50. The word of mouth was amazing: not only did Trinity members give, but so did their friends and coworkers when they heard of the campaign. Everyone was deeply interested, and often had their own story to tell about wrestling with medical debts. We closed the campaign on September 15, and a couple of weeks later we received the staggering news that our paltry $5,275.42 was able to purchase $1,165,796.61 of debt owed by people in Davidson and Forsyth counties. 1,356 families received a letter out of the blue informing them that their medical debt had been purchased and forgiven.

To celebrate, we decided to have a “debt burning” during one of our services, much like an old-fashioned mortgage burning. Though we do not know the names of the debtors we had helped, we created a list with

their debtor numbers and burned the list during our service on September 25, while singing “Sing Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.” Our members were inspired and amazed to learn how much our modest congregation had been able to do. June Edwards, vicechair of the board, told the local newspaper that it seemed like a “loaves and fishes” miracle. For the recipient families, it certainly seemed like a perfect parable for how God forgives our debts!

A second campaign

With the wind at our back, and a strong feeling that God had blessed this venture of faith, we decided to go again! There was a large amount of back medical debt for sale in neighboring Davidson county, where a num-

ber of our members live. So we decided to go ahead with a campaign to raise $15,000 in December and January. We left the starting block immediately with a $2,500 grant from the Moravian Ministries Foundation and an anonymous gift of $3,000. I spent the two months speaking to many groups about the effort; our members talked to friends in oth(Continued on next page)

“...we received the staggering news that our paltry $5,275.42 was able to purchase $1,165,796.61 of debt owed by people in Davidson and Forsyth counties...”

Debt Jubilee

(Continued from previoius page)

er churches and organizations. Once again, the small donations came in, this time from a wider range and people we’d never heard of.

We closed the campaign on January 31 with $15,047.97. A couple of weeks later we received the happy news that

RIP Medical

Debt had been able to purchase $3,296,863.64 of medical debts, and forgiveness letters went out to 3,355 families in Davidson, Davie, and Yadkin counties. To help people understand the mind-numbing size of the debts we had purchased, we calculated that if you laid 3,296,863 dollar bills end-to-end, they would reach from the steps of Trinity to the steps of the US Capitol, 336 miles away.

Needless to say, we had another “debt

burning!” During our service on March 26, we burned a list of the 3,355 forgiven debts while bells rang, confetti flew, and all three verses of “Sing Hallelujah” raised the roof. But this time, the word had gotten out and the event was covered by the local television station, WXII-12, and the Davidson county newspaper, The Lexington Dispatch. The TV station did a great story; we were all very excited, and we began to prepare for “round three.”

Success goes viral

But nothing prepared us for what happened next. A couple of weeks later, I got up one Tuesday morning to a message from another Moravian pastor – “You guys made the top page of Reddit!” As the day wore on, emails from all over poured in – “Debt Jubilee is trending on Twitter,” “It’s the top shared story on TikTok!” Just like the Covid virus (but in a better way!) the story had gone truly viral – shared by one person after another until it was simply everywhere. I laughed at one comment on Reddit, one poster said, “I think this is great, but this is the hundredth time I’ve seen it on my feed today and I’m tired of it!” Calls and emails from relatives and friends all over the country poured in.

The next day it went further. The Jubilee became a story on several nationally syndicated radio talk shows, including The Glenn Beck Show, where Beck said “This is the best thing I’ve ever heard of.” Then on April 26, CNN picked up the story and for a while it was on the front page of CNN.com. Since then, we’ve had media inquiries from Time Magazine, The Independent in the UK, and Réforme in France. Deutsche Welle wants to come and cover the next debt burning! The intense interest in this story has been simply amazing. Obviously we hit a nerve on an issue that is felt across many boundaries.

We have had calls, emails, and letters from all over the country, many ask-

Just a few of the many media mentions of Trinity’s debt relief effort.

ing how other churches can get involved. A great many responses come from “dones,” people who have left the church wounded. The theme of these is “this is exactly what churches should do.” But sadly, the responses also reveal how negatively organized religion is perceived: “Finally, a church doing something positive.” “Thank you for doing something truly Christlike in a world packed with Pharisees.” My favorite was from Carol M. in Iowa: “Joel Osteen might have a plane and a

mansion but you are the real MEGA church!”

We’ve just launched our third campaign, and this one will go very quickly because of the many other churches that have stepped up to support the project. We invite any churches in the North Carolina Triad area to join in one of our future projects, which we hope will grow as we talk to local hospitals about releasing more of the debt they hold. And we challenge Moravian congregations everywhere to join in – find an existing campaign in your area to support. If there isn’t an existing campaign, partner up with some other churches in your area (Moravian or not) and start one the way we did! n

How does medical debt forgiveness work?

So how does it work? Anyone who has had a family member hospitalized knows the reams of bills and insurance statements that come – often baffling and confusing even for the most educated. Even if you have good insurance, there is often a balance you must pay – or a staggering surprise bill for something you didn’t know was out of network. If you don’t pay that balance promptly, the clock starts ticking. After a few months of non-payment, the creditor will often engage a debt collection agency to contact the debtor and seek payment.

When debts, whether medical or otherwise, have aged to a certain point without payment (even after traditional debt collection), creditors in many cases will sell the debt off to a third-party collec-

tion agency, which purchases the debt at a steep discount. The third party then has the legal right to collect the full amount of the debt even though they only paid pennies on the dollar for it. This is known as “factoring.”

This is where RIP Medical Debt steps in. They can bid on large portfolios of medical debt in the same way a third-party collection agency can, often buying the debt at a staggering discount, often less than a penny on the dollar. However, in this case, they use donated money to purchase the debt – and forgive it rather than collecting on it. The debts they bid on must meet strict standards – the household income must be less than four times the federal poverty level, or the debt is 5percent or more of the annual household income.

Learn more at debtjubileeproject.org and ripmedicaldebt.org

The Rev John Jackman is pastor of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Confetti flies as Trinity Moravian Church members celebrate their medical debt relief effort.

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

In 2006 Safiatu and Mohamed Braima answered God’s call to return to their native village in Ngiehun, Sierra Leone, West Africa. Their mission, after living and working in the United States for many years, was to spread the good news of Jesus’ love. It would have been easy for Mohamed and Safie (as she is affectionately called by most) to say no, because Sierra Leone is a predominantly Muslim country. On their return, they built a library, a mission house, a church, a secondary school, a home and more in that village. Sadly, Mohamed was called home to be in the more immediate presence of our Lord and Savior in 2018. As the sun rises over the trees across from the mission house, you become filled with hope that God is making a difference in this place.

Today, Safie’s leadership in the Moravian church is well respected and the reputation of this ministry is growing daily. The Moravian Junior and Senior Secondary School in Ngiehun, that started in 2009 with less than 200 students, currently has 969 students enrolled. The school is currently ranked second with respect to testing scores in the district and there are currently four senior high graduates in college. Following on this success, the Kailahun church started a Moravian Junior Sec-

ondary in September 2022 and plan to add a Senior Secondary this coming Fall (2023). Currently there are 75 Junior Secondary students.

As we traveled from village to village and congregation to congregation everyone looked up to Safie with genuine admiration and respect. The Moravian churches in Ngiehun and Kailahun average 75 worshipers on Sundays; Yandohan and Mbaoma average about 50, and Morfindor, the smallest congregation, averages 35. These congregations are very active and are energized in worshiping our Lord and Savior. All the congregations have taken an amazing step to match the Muslims call to worship, every morning at 6:00 a.m. (except Sunday) they gather and read the Daily Text and associated scriptures. This is done by candles and flashlights because there is no electricity. On average there are about 20 in attendance. We had an opportunity to be part of this reading every day during our visit.

This is an amazing ministry, that can be seen in the students. When a visitor enters their classroom, students immediately stand and recite “Praise be to Jesus Christ now and for evermore, Amen”. These students will pro-

(Continued on page 35)

Sierra Leone visit reaffirms message, “God is good all the time”

LOTS TO LEARN

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

Thomas Baucom BWM Board Chair

Ithink I am going with M tonight, or maybe T,” I would exclaim after dinner, my mind already anticipating the subjects that would arise from that particular volume of the World Book Encyclopedia. Our family had recently received a set of the gold bound books after my grandparents lost their set in a flood and had given us the replacements. I was fascinated! Each volume offered a rapid-fire, high-level overview of topics only found together because they happen to start with the same letter.

Long before Google, Siri, or Wikipedia, the encyclopedias made me increasingly aware that there was a nearly infinite amount of facts, theories and ideas to learn and process. That time was magical for me and I cannot help but reflect on the fact that today, we have the majority of recorded human knowledge accessible to us in

real time. However, it seems that the more we learn, the more we realize what we do not know.

Growing up in the Moravian Church, I knew that education had been a core value since the founding of the church, and that Bishop John Amos Comenius is considered to be the father of modern education. Today, it is humbling to see how education and learning is at the heart of many ministries of the Board of World Mission. From the medical education of the doctors and staff at the Ahuas Clinic in Honduras to the talented teachers in classrooms in Ngiehun, Sierra Leone, I am thankful for the gift of education.

It is my hope that you will read this annual report as we celebrate the ministries of the Board of World Mission and be inspired to learn more. There truly is “lots to learn!”

The board and staff of the Board of World Mission thank the contributors who provided articles, information, photographs and other material for this year’s Annual Report.

Originally published as a special section of The Moravian Magazine, this Annual Report is also available in digital format from the BWM.

Design by Mike Riess, IBOC

©2023, Board of World Mission. Visit us at www.moravianmission.org.

TODAY, IT IS HUMBLING TO SEE HOW EDUCATION AND LEARNING IS AT THE HEART OF MANY MINISTRIES OF THE BOARD OF WORLD MISSION.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR

It seems children soak up knowledge and develop skills simply by experiencing the world around themselves in new—and renewed—ways. Some new experiences lead to immediate success and unbridled joy. Others (example: playing with a bee) lead to a (painful) lesson and a reminder that they still have lots to learn.

In the pages of this annual report I hope you learn a bit more about the ministries of the Board of World Mission. This year offered a chance to support our educational ministries— scholarships, conferences, training resources and so much more. Our staff was able to return to travel and make crucial in-person visits to learn about the current needs of our partners, as well as offer support and encouragement as we formalize strategic plans and direct partnership covenants.

This report offers a snapshot in time—reflecting on the seeds planted by the exploration of new oppor-

tunities for ministry, such as a new formal partnership in Northern Tanzania, a fast-paced response to the needs of Ukrainian refugees and the laying of groundwork for what could be the newest prospective Moravian mission areas in Brazil and Bolivia.

As I look back on the five years I have been Executive Director of the BWM, I can see ways in which we tried bold new things and stumbled upon opportunities that allowed certain endeavors to produce benefits far outpacing our original hopes (see the Moravian Resource Conference section of this report). Similarly, I look back and see how the informal procedures used at the beginning of a partner relationship may have led to some hurdles to overcome as we are left to play “catch up” to scale a program to a larger capacity. These are lessons to heed as we explore new prospective partnerships. So, in both our successes and our challenges…the BWM knows that we have “Lots to Learn!”

THIS REPORT OFFERS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME— REFLECTING ON THE SEEDS PLANTED BY THE EXPLORATION OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY.

Justin Rabbach BWM Executive Director

CONFERENCIA DE RECURSOS MORAVOS

In September 2022, the Board of World Mission held a “Conferencia de Recursos Moravos” (or “Moravian Resource Conference”) in Panama City, Panama.

The group brought together representatives from ten countries, with Moravian delegates representing the Ahuas Clinic; the Costa Rican, Cuban Mission, Honduras Unity, Honduras Missionand Nicaraguan Provinces; the Mission Area of Peru; and guests from prospective new areas of work in Brazil, Bolivia and a small group of Moravians worshiping in Panama.

Conference participants discussed a variety of topics, including: Unity structure, how to plan a Synod, financial administration in the church, leadership as servanthood and more. The BWM distributed physical and

digital copies of the Church Order of the Unitas Fratrum and Our Moravian Treasures and provided guidance on how to use them. The group of 45 delegates and presenters spent four days studying these topics, worshiping together and enjoying fellowship time, including a group tour of Casco Viejo and the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks.

This conference was a blessing after more than a year of planning, pre-meetings with delegates to share resources and reviewing responses to surveys about what topics would be most helpful to include in the gathering. Holding the conference in Spanish allowed many delegates to participate for the first time in an event with participants from the broader Moravian Unity. Conversations were held

“THIS CONFERENCE WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY IDEA, BECAUSE NOW THE WORK IN THIS REGION IS STRENGTHENED WITH INCREASED KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND TOOLS.”

Participants at the Moravian Resource Conference display their completion certificates

about the Spanish resources that were already available to be shared and what gaps we still had the opportunity to fill.

Joaquin Muro, president of the Moravian Church in Peru, described his experience this way, “This conference will really help me apply the knowledge gained in my area to have a more united and solid church to continue the work of God.”

Leo Pixley, president of the Moravian Church in Costa Rica, offered, “I have learned so many things that I can take home to help remind the people that Costa Rica is not out there alone, but is part of a big body that covers the whole world, bringing the Gospel to the people.”

“In my view, one important result of this conference will be that all who were there are now

interconnected,” said Bishop Armando Rusindo from Cuba. “And, through us, all our provinces and areas are now also interconnected. This will be tremendously powerful, especially now in the moments where we see the Moravian work in Latin America emerging so powerfully with such great potential. This conference was an extraordinary idea, because now the work in this region is strengthened with increased knowledge, training and tools. In fact, this strengthens Moravian identity and the whole of the Unity.”

The BWM sees this conference as “step #1” in a longer journey to continue the development of leaders and facilitate cross collaboration amongst all our global partners instead of functioning as a “one-way street.” The fruits of this

conference are sure to be felt around the Unity for years to come. We have already seen follow-up youth events, sharing of theological education resources and governance documents, and perhaps most importantly, the continuation of a WhatsApp group that keeps us connected even 6-plus months later through dozens of messages a day sharing joys, concerns, opportunities and challenges of delegates’ churches and communities.

The purpose of the Board of World Mission is to build relationships; it seems that this conference has done exactly that.

“THE FRUITS OF THIS CONFERENCE ARE SURE TO BE FELT AROUND THE UNITY FOR YEARS TO COME.”

Praying together at the conference in Panama.

PARTNERSHIPS IN TANZANIA

In November 2022, Justin Rabbach, BWM Executive Director, and Bishop Chris Giesler, BWM Director of Mission Engagement, traveled to Tanzania with Roberta Hoey, chair of the British Province and Unity Board, and the Rev. Jane Carter, chair of the British Mission Board. They visited the Northern and Western Provinces of the Moravian Church in Tanzania.

During the visit with the Moravian Church in Northern Tanzania (MCNT), the group enjoyed gracious hospitality, spirited worship and visits with a number of congregations, while also attending to some significant business. After a year of dialogue, a Covenant Agreement was drafted and subsequently approved by the BWM Board of Directors and the MCNT Provincial Board. This agreement formalizes a new partnership in ministry with

the goal of working closely to build a Christian witness in each of our contexts through frequent collaboration, consultation and prayer. We held a formal signing ceremony via Zoom on March 30, 2023.

As of 2021, MCNT had 26 congregations, eight outstations, 34 ordained ministers and a total membership of 5,482. They will hold their next provincial synod in November 2023, at which they hope to elect their first bishop.

In the Moravian Church in Western Tanzania (MCWT), BWM staff strengthened an existing partnership through visits to congregations, schools and other ministries, including a large medical clinic in Sikonge, where the BWM and Central Moravian Church Mission Committee have a long-standing partnership. The hospital continues to do outstanding work, providing medical care to underserved populations with services including a drop-in clinic, leprosy ward, HIV clinic, pharmacy and vaccination office, along with surgeries and other general medical care.

This visit offered valuable time with our Moravian siblings and opportunities to see the ministries that they feel called to do in their home settings. We ask for your continued prayers for this good and faithful work.

THE BWM CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROVINCES IN TANZANIA TO BUILD A CHRISTIAN WITNESS

Representatives from BWM and British Mission Board with Moravians in Tanzania

MORAVIAN DISASTER RESPONSE: HONDURAS

In 2022, unseasonable rains caused flooding across the Caribbean coast of Central America where the Mískito and other indigenous groups live and where the Moravian Church has been sharing Christ’s Good News since 1849. Rains that fell even during the dry season led to the loss of the bean crop early in the year and prevented the planting of rice in the spring. Flood waters which remained high into autumn destroyed the agricultural plots of families that depend on agriculture to feed themselves. Some families were forced to live on one meal of fish each day. Medical staff at the Moravian hospital in Ahuas noted increased cases of intestinal parasites and other waterborne diseases.

The BWM’s Moravian Disaster Response (MDR) mo-

bilized resources and called on partners to help. Feed the Hungry donated a container of pre-packaged food which was distributed by Moravian leaders to the area’s flood victims. A Samaritan’s Purse grant funded the purchase and distribution of medicines to villages where access to medical care is nearly nonexistent. North American donations allowed us to dis-

tribute vegetable seeds, some of them purchased from Seed Programs International. Using a grant from the Reformed Church in America, One Atta Time (a California-based aid organization) sold us water filters for use in the village of Tumtum Tara. We hope that this will be the start of a broader clean water initiative that could help to address chronic potable water problems throughout the region. With donations from North American Moravians, MDR provided bean seeds to about 500 families. Direct financial support helped flood and hurricane victims in Nicaragua and Honduras.

The Board of World Mission has continued to learn that, with broad support from generous North Americans, we are able to help some of the “least of these” in a particularly difficult time.

WHEN RAINS CAUSED MAJOR FLOODING AND CROP LOSS, BWM’S MORAVIAN DISASTER RESPONSE MOBILIZED RESOURCES AND CALLED ON PARTNERS TO HELP

MDR delivered vegetable seeds to help farmers in Honduras.

MORAVIAN DISASTER RESPONSE:

AS OF MARCH 2023, WE COLLECTED MORE THAN $500,000 FOR UKRANIAN REFUGEES. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE INDIVIDUALS, CONGREGATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED LEAD THE WAY.

Much of Moravian Disaster Response’s work happens in areas struck by natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes. However, 2022 brought a disaster created entirely by human activity.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian armed forces attacked Ukraine, and soon after the invasion began, a mass exodus of families began fleeing for safety, often leaving fathers behind to defend their homeland. Countries surrounding Ukraine were the first to receive refugees, including Germany and the Czech Republic, where there is a significant Moravian presence.

As of March 2023, we collected more than $500,000

to support these refugees. This is nothing short of a miracle. We are grateful to the thousands of individuals, dozens of congregations from all over North America and organizations such as the Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation who helped lead the way.

Disbursements for Ukrainian refugees have

supported the following organizations:

• The European Continental Province helped to distribute funds to the many Moravian congregations in Germany, including Herrnhut, that welcomed refugee families and provided housing, food, clothes, household supplies, language classes,

Donations from North American Moravians help students in Ukraine (above) and assist in turning an old hotel in Nová Páka, Czech Republic into housing for refugees.

UKRAINE AND THE AMERICAS

spiritual nourishment and more.

• The Czech Province distributed funding to the many Czech congregations and the Moravian High School in Hejnice that is welcoming refugees.

• The Moravian congregation in Nová Paka, Czech Republic, has used these funds to renovate apartments for refugees and help a Christian Kyiv-based school set up a campus in Nová Paka. The BWM also sent funding to the original Kyiv campus of this school to support the salaries of two of their teachers.

The BWM has received many thank you notes from these teachers with messages like these:

“I really like that our school is

one big body, a big team. When you are having a hard time, the group supports you and gives you some advice. It is hard to work when the power goes out, especially in the winter when it gets dark a lot earlier, and it’s hard for the kids to see. It’s also hard when there isn’t any heat, and it gets cold in the school.”

“Thank you so much for your generous gifts to help support our teachers this year!  Life in Ukraine has been full and not easy this semester, but God remains faithful, and we thank God for your role. Please keep us in your prayers.”

Additional MDR aid

In addition to supporting Ukrainian refugees, MDR funding provided aid for hurricane relief in the wastern West Indies, Nicaragua and Honduras; tornado relief in Kentucky; earthquake relief

in Haiti; and repairs to one of the MDR tool trailers. Total disbursements from this fund in 2022 amounted to $513,112.

We are humbled by the many gifts that helped save lives and bring comfort to people in desperate need over the past year. In a very real way, this fund allows us to be the Church when it is most needed. Undesignated donations to the MDR fund give us the most flexibility in rapidly responding to emergent needs.

IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING UKRANIAN REFUGEES, MDR FUNDING PROVIDED AID FOR HURRICANE, TORNADO AND EARTHQUAKE RELIEF.

MDR funds help to repair damage from hurricanes.

GLOBAL OUTREACH

IN BRAZIL...

The Board of World Mission is currently exploring the potential for a new mission area in Brazil. In 2020, Brother Mauricio Melo reached out to the BWM from Salvador, Brazil with questions about the Moravian Church. Twoplus years of back and forth conversation deepened the desire of Mauricio to start a Moravian Church in Brazil.

In April 2022, he visited Winston-Salem where he met with Angelica Regalado Cieza to continue the discernment process about whether there could be a Moravian Church in Brazil.

Brother Justin Rabbach, BWM Executive Director, joined virtually.

In September, Br. Melo and his wife, Jucineide, joined the BWM’s Conferencia de Recursos Moravos in Panama to learn more about the Moravian Unity. Since then, Br. Melo has been meeting with a group of people to worship, share about the Moravian Church, host women’s events, offer baptisms and do evangelism.

Br. Mauricio writes:

Here in Brazil, we are in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia. Our first meeting was with four people in our living room on June 19, 2022. On June 26th we celebrated with ten brothers and sisters who were not going to any church. On July 3rd we held a meeting in the hall of the condominium where we

“SINCE THE CONFERENCE IN PANAMA, I HAVE BEEN TELLING THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT THE MORAVIAN CHURCH IS WHAT SUITS US, MAINLY BECAUSE OF WHAT IS “ESSENTIAL...’”

Delegates from Brazil and Bolivia with Unity Administrator Jørgen Bøytler in Panama.

live with 17 people. On August 7th, we started to rent the auditorium in a commercial building, with services every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. We have a time of prayer for Brazil, for Moravians around the world, for missionaries and for current prayer requests. Attendance averages around 30 people, but we often have 50 people between members and some visitors from other denominations. Our church is called: Ministry of Missions ‘Clamor Mundial’ (Global Outcry). We are waiting for your permission so that we can register as a ministry. We intend to register the trade name as “First Moravian Church of Brazil,” and the corporate name “Unitas Fratrum.”

IN BOLIVIA...

The BWM is also exploring the possibility of working with a group in Bolivia that is currently meeting twice a week. On Friday evenings, they gather to share a meal and read scripture together, and on Saturday afternoons, they meet for worship and bible study. The idea of Moravian Essentials resonates with the group and they are looking forward to a visit from the Unity and the BWM to help them discern if the

theology and mission of the Moravian Church is a good fit for all parties.

Br. Hans Frederiksen writes:

“Since the conference in Panama I have been telling the brothers that the Moravian church is what suits us, mainly because of what is “Essential.” So there are questions on the part of the brothers and sisters about the economic support of the ministry, I have told them that we could present projects and that has also raised expectations (there are already several dreams), and on my part and my family, well, we already want to say that WE ARE MORAVIANS.”

The BWM asks for your prayers of support for these new groups and for wisdom in discernment to find God’s path for these new potential Moravian ministries.

IN PERU...

After the Conferencia de Recursos Moravos in Panama, the Board of World Mission and partners in Peru determined that it would be helpful for the BWM to hold workshops leading up to their synod in August of 2023. The BWM began holding virtual pre-synod workshops with the Peruvian Provincial Board and pastoral body. In March, Rev. Angelica Regalado Cieza and brother Rick Nelson traveled to Chiclayo, Peru to visit the Peruvians, to offer in-person workshops and visit local congregations. Unfortunately, Cyclone Yaku limited the transportation of the Peruvian leaders in Lima so the workshops were hybrid with the three Chiclayo churches meeting in person and the two Lima churches joining virtually.

BWM

TRAVELLED

TO CHICLAYO, PERU, TO OFFER IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS AND VISIT LOCAL CONGREGATIONS.

BWM’s Rick Nelson (left) and Angelica Regalado Cieza (right), meet with Moravians in Peru.

Education has been a Moravian core value since the founding of the Church in 1457. At the end of 2022 the Board of World Mission launched a new Education Fund,

YOUTH EDUCATION

SINCE OUR EARLIEST DAYS, MORAVIAN HAVE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO EDUCATION.

LOTS TO LEARN:

which will continue to be a source of funding for Moravian education efforts for years to come. Learn more about our education ministries at MoravianMission.org/Education.

Since our earliest days, Moravians have recognized the importance of ensuring that everyone has access to education. The Board of World Mission supports several ministries that provide education to those who may otherwise go without, due to gender, disability, or other life circumstances. Some of the ways that we have prioritized these values over the past year include:

• Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many of our partners have emphasized that education is a top priority for refugee families who aim to avoid gaps in their children’s schooling and to maintain a sense of normalcy wherever possible. The BWM is

partnering with a school based in Kyiv, as well as the Moravian High School in Hejnice, Czech Republic, which has welcomed Ukrainian students.

• The Moravian Secondary School in Ngiehun, Sierra Leone, is a point of pride for the community, with its students achieving some of the highest grades in the country. The school particularly focuses on removing barriers to education for the girls in their community (photo above).

• Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Palestine works with people with intellectual disabilities, providing rehabilitation and training based on love,

justice and equality. The BWM provides funding for their speech therapy program, which has been successful in helping students communicate with peers, family members and their wider community, even helping some students access education outside of the rehabilitation center.

A FOCUS ON EDUCATION

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND CHURCH DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION

The Board of World Mission’s work is based on our calling to love God and our neighbors and to share Christ’s message the world over. We have placed an emphasis on supporting theological education to equip people to share the Gospel message, and then to engage in mission work from their own contexts. Some highlights of this work in 2022 include:

• Our Conferencia de Recursos Moravos (Moravian Resources Conference) in Panama gathered Moravians from all our Spanish-speaking partner areas to discuss history, theology, financial management and mission planning…all in Spanish!

• A new lay minister training program in Labrador addressed the recent shortage of Moravian pastors in that

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Early Moravians like Zinzendorf focused on three educational pursuits: religious topics, secular subjects and vocational training. Vocational training allows people to fill the needs of their communities while also providing for themselves and their families.

The Board of World Mission provides grants for training on a case-by-case basis; some of the 2022 recipients of these grants include:

• Dominga Henríquez Fedrick (photo at left), a medical student in Bilwi, Nicaragua, who was born at the Moravian clinic in Ahuas, Honduras, is committed to working with the medical ministry in La Mosquitia when she finishes her studies. She represents the legacy—and the future —of a 75-year-old ministry that

Mission Province. At the end of the training program, six lay ministers were commissioned (photo above).

continues to save lives and win souls for the Lamb.

• Mohamed Karim and Amara Alpha, teachers at the Moravian Secondary School Sierra Leone, were notified a few years ago that they needed to complete teaching certificates. The Board of World Mission provided the necessary funding while Karim and Alpha taught during the school year and traveled to their classes during vacation periods. They received their certificates in 2022.

WE SUPPORT THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION TO EQUIP PEOPLE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE, AND THEN TO ENGAGE IN MISSION WORK FROM THEIR OWN CONTEXTS.

IN 2022, BWM VOCATIONAL TRAINING GRANTS HELPED PEOPLE TRAIN AS TEACHERS AND DOCTORS FOR COMMUNITIES IN NEED.

CUBA SYNOD

In February, the Cuban Mission Province held their provincial synod in the city of Havana. The synod elected their second bishop, the Rev. Obed Martinez, and also elected a new provincial board, with Rev. Tania Sanchez Fonseca being reelected as provincial president. Please pray for Brother Martinez, the provincial board and all of our brothers and sisters in the Moravian Mission Province of Cuba as they continue to serve God.

Justin Rabbach, Angelica Regalado Cieza and Sylvie Hauser represented the Board of World Mission at the synod and were blessed to spend time with provincial leaders and delegates both in meetings and in fellowship time. Besides elections and legislation, highlights of the gathering included worship

with joyful singing and dancing, summer camp planning and a special Valentine’s Day celebration.

In preparation for this synod, the Board of World Mission offered virtual pre-synod workshops with the Cuban provincial board and church leadership. These workshops followed up on topics discussed at the 2022

Conferencia de Recursos

Moravos in Panama and shared information about synodal processes and elections, as well as financial reporting and presenting provincial budgets. Church leaders had the opportunity to ask questions about the Book of Order and normal procedures of synod. We are currently also providing these workshops to the Moravian Church in Peru, who will hold their national conference in August.

IN ADDITION TO SENDING REPRESENTATIVES TO CUBA, THE BOARD OF WORLD MISSION OFFERED PRE-SYNOD WORKSHOPS TO PREPARE THE CUBAN PROVINCIAL BOARD AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP.

Cuba Synod delegates pray for newly elected bishop Obed Martinez.

COSTA RICA

This update on the Moravian Church in Costa Rica was written by Brother Will Cuthbert, a lay leader in the church who attended the Moravian Resource Conference in Panama. September 2022 will always be considered a turning point for our Moravian Churches in Central America, and especially in Costa Rica. The Moravian Resources Conference was an extraordinary plan by the BWM that offered different workshops on themes that are very important for the survival and good functioning of the different areas in our churches.

For Costa Rica, it has been a true blessing. We had the opportunity to meet other Moravian Church leaders in the region and the workshops helped us organize our ideas and look towards the future and unity of our church.

Our response to the conference was immediately positive, so we extended an invitation to Br. David Sommers, who has been blessed with great talent, to visit Costa Rica and offer a workshop to help our youth understand and interpret the Bible through art. He gave a terrific presentation on the theme of the Parable of the Sower. This event was held in

December of 2022 in two different Costa Rican churches and it was a great blessing. Several young people were so inspired that they gave their lives to our Lord Jesus. The BWM sponsored this project, covering Br. David’s travel expenses and the workshop materials.

Looking ahead to December 2023, we are planning an international bible study. It will be a two-day

camp for young people and leaders to gather and praise God. The bible workshops will help our youth on their daily walk with God.

May God bless each member of the BWM. They are doing wonderful work for the Lord and the vision they have for the present and future of the worldwide church is making a positive impact on Moravians all over the world. God bless you all.

FOR COSTA RICA, IT WAS A TRUE BLESSING...THE WORKSHOPS HELPED US ORGANIZE OUR IDEAS AND LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE AND UNITY OF OUR CHURCH

(Top) David Sommers leads a youth workshop in Costa Rica. (Left) Will Cuthbert and Leopold Pixley sing during the resource conference in Panama.

NEW LEADERSHIP IN LABRADOR

BWM HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE MISSION PROVINCE IN LABRADOR SINCE 1980. TODAY, THEY’RE HELPING DEVELOP AND TRAIN LOCAL LEADERSHIP FOR MINISTRY.

The BWM has worked closely with the Mission Province in Labrador since 1980, and is currently facilitating the development and training of local leadership for ministry.

Realizing the shortage of active lay ministers in Labrador, their 2021 provincial synod called for the training of new church leaders.

Bishops Paul Graf and Chris Giesler, who attended the synod, agreed to coordinate the training along with Rev. Jason Andersen. In January of 2022, the training began with six sisters and brothers using the book Our Moravian Treasures: A Manual for Theological Education in the Unitas Fratrum as the textbook for the course. The group met for ten sessions, studying Moravian history, heritage and practice, and received instruction on the meaning and administration

of sacraments, pastoral care, bible study and preaching skills, conflict resolution and church administration.

In August 2022, Bishops Paul and Chris traveled to Labrador to commission these new lay ministers in their congregations. While there, the bishops also had the chance to visit the chapel servants and lay ministers in Nain and Makkovik.

In addition to these new lay pastors, we are excited that McKinley and Darlene Winters of the Hopedale congregation are continuing their seminary studies via distance learning at Queens College in St. Johns, Newfoundland, and Moravian

Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pa. They plan to complete their studies in 2024, when they will be ready for ordination.

Bishops Paul Graf and Chris Giesler (center) with Moravians in Labrador.

GROWING IN SIERRA LEONE

The Mission Area of Sierra Leone has continued to grow under the leadership of its Provincial Acolyte, Sister Safiatu Braima, with the support of the Mission Committee of the Little Church on the Lane in Charlotte, N.C.

In addition to their congregations, the Moravian Secondary School is still expanding with a current enrollment of over 900 students! The National Board Examinations for the region were held there, bringing high recognition to the school and village, and students of the Secondary School continue to earn some of the highest test scores in the country.

Sister Safie has also organized and empowered the women in her village.

Each of the nearly 90 women participants have contributed some funding to allow the group to establish a bank account. Women now have the opportunity to present ideas for new business ventures; the fund then makes loans to the selected women, who agree to return 10 percent of the loan back to the fund each month. This program enables women to start small

businesses, such as selling rice at town markets. It is doing amazing things in the lives of local women and the community as a whole.

The BWM thanks the members of the Sierra Leone Mission Committee who work tirelessly to support this mission effort and keep us all informed about their progress.

IN ADDITION TO SIERRA LEONE’S GROWING CONGREGATIONS, THE MORAVIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL THERE IS STILL EXPANDING, WITH A CURRENT ENROLLMENT OF OVER 900 STUDENTS.

MISSION CAMPS

The BWM has long been part of the thriving mission camp program at Laurel Ridge, which brings youth groups from throughout the Southern Province to the camp to do mission projects at the homes of local people in need. They typically hold four week-long camps, allowing congregations and other groups to pick the dates that best fit their schedules.

THE BOARD OF WORLD MISSION HAS EXPANDED THE MISSION CAMP CONCEPT TO INCLUDE LAUREL RIDGE, MT. MORRIS AND CAMP HOPE

In 2021, the BWM expanded this concept to the Mt. Morris Camp and Retreat Center in Wisconsin and in 2022, we added the Hope Conference and Renewal Center in New Jersey. In both of these settings, volunteers of all ages are invited to spend the week at camp and help prepare the facilities for the coming summer camp and conference season.

The BWM will continue to help support these programs at all three camps. We encourage interested volunteers to go to MoravianMission.org/ServiceCamp/ to learn more about the Mt. Morris and Camp Hope opportunities and to visit the Laurel Ridge website to learn more about their mission camp.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOARD OF WORLD MISSION?

Follow us on social media and see updates on our website!

Website: MoravianMission.org

Facebook: Board of World Mission

Instagram: @moravianboardofworldmission

TikTok: @boardofworldmission

Sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter!

Contact Sylvie Hauser, Director of Communications and Development, at sylvie@ moravianmission.org or (920)495-8995 if you would like to receive the quarterly newsletter. You can also find the sign-up link at the bottom of our website.

Contact us about engagement opportunities!

If you are feeling called to engage in mission, we would love to tell you about current opportunities and dream up new possibilities together. We also want to hear about and support the good work that you are already doing! Contact Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler, Director of Mission Engagement, at chris@moravianmission.org or (610)868-1732. You can also nominate individuals, congregations, or other Moravian groups for mission service awards at MoravianMission. org/Awards.

Did you know that the Board of World Mission provides weekly preaching resources?

Become a recurring giver to receive quarterly postcards!

Go to MoravianMission. org/Give, click the big green button, enter your donation information, and then select “Setup automated giving” at the bottom of the form. Choose any giving level and frequency, and we will send you a postcard each quarter with a photo and a meaningful story. Thank you for supporting the ministries of the Board of World Mission.

The BWM’s preaching resources provide a mission reflection from Bishop Chris Giesler on one of the assigned lectionary texts each Sunday throughout the church year; we post the resources in advance so that clergy can use these resources to prepare sermons. Lay members may also enjoy incorporating the reflections into their devotional time! Learn more at MoravianMission.org/Preaching-Resources.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Since joining the Board of World Mission as the administrative assistant in July 2022, I have had the privilege of being a part of the behind-the-scenes action that makes our mission work possible. While photos of projects and partner visits are shared broadly, a lot goes on behind the scenes in the office to ensure that our work is successful.

If you were to visit me in our office in Bethlehem, Pa., you would most likely find me behind the computer, carefully entering and tracking donations. We make sure each donation is used for its intended purpose. The generosity that

I am blessed to witness on a daily basis is truly heartwarming. The donations received in the mail are often accompanied by heartfelt letters which are filled with Christian love and encouragement.

Each financial gift we receive allows the BWM to grow our impact and allows our global partners to dream bigger and be even more creative as we accompany them in this work. The list of new project ideas being discerned, funded and completed is ever changing. Please visit our website at moravianmission.org/ give to learn more about our work and how you can help.

WORDS OF THANKS

In 2022, the BWM staff saw the departure of two of its members:

We are deeply grateful for Sister Jill Kolodziej’s 12 years of faithful service to God’s mission through her work as the BWM’s director of Mission Service.

Jill began her work with the Board of World Mission in 2010 and, since then, engaged individuals in cross-cultural service across the worldwide

Unity by collaborating between servants and site hosts as well as coordinating servants’ cultural, ecclesial, spiritual and logistical preparation. A celebration of her ministry led to the creation of a list of more than 200 folks who Jill helped equip and send “out” in mission. The impact she had on so many lives by offering the opportunity to live out faith in an active way cannot be measured. Thank you, Jill, for your faithful service!

Additionally, we wish to thank Elizabeth Thiele for the time she spent serving as the BWM’s administrative assistant. We are very grateful

that Elizabeth jumped in with both feet during a busy year: her time with the BWM included hurricane relief projects, the Ahuas Clinic’s 75th anniversary and work to support Ukrainian refugees during the early stages of the BWM’s response. She brought passion and energy to her work in keeping the BWM running smoothly. We wish her all the best as she begins the next chapter of her career.

Thank you, Elizabeth!

“...A LOT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE OFFICE TO ENSURE OUR WORK IS SUCCESSFUL...”

2022 BWM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Thomas Baucom, Chair*

Board Appointed, Southern Province

Joe Jarvis, Finance Committee Chair*

Southern Province

Taylor Wickert, Executive Committee Secretary*

Western District, Northern Province

Betsy Miller*

PEC President, Northern Province

Dan Miller, Vice Chair/ Mission Engagement Committee Chair*

Board Appointed, Eastern District

Clifford Jimmie

Alaska Prov. Board President

Arthur Coolidge

Alaska Province, Advisory Member

Sue Koenig

Eastern District, Northern Province

Andrea Peart-DeFlaviis

Eastern District, Northern Province

Lisa Pampe, Mission Outreach Committee Chair

Western District, Northern Province

Trina Holmberg

Canadian District, Northern Province

Dion Christopher Southern Province

Neil Routh*

PEC President, Southern Province

Cynthia Campbell

Mission Society of the Southern Province

Jeremy Francis

EWI Province, Advisory Member

Charmane Daley

Jamaica, Advisory Member

David Miller

Unity of the Brethren

Rex Knowlton Treasurer, Advisory Member

* member of Executive Committee

Board of World Mission board and staff members at their semi-annual meeting in fall 2022.

2022 BWM FINANCIAL REPORT

The Board of World Mission (BWM) is grateful for the continued support provided for the ministries and mission work of the North American Moravian Church. The accompanying graphic outlines where the contributions for our efforts

Support and Revenue

For the year ended December 31, 2022 (unaudited) Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church

are gathered and how these funds are used to support our mission.

Much of the support of the BWM comes from the Northern and Southern Provinces. This reflects, in part, a portion of each congregation’s weekly giving. Collectively, this accounts for 38 percent of the income entrusted to us for 2022. The Society for Promoting the Gospel provides 15 percent; the Southern Province Mission Society and the Larger Life Foundation each provided 2 percent. Various unrestricted gifts and specifically designated contributions accounted for another 8 percent of our 2022 support.

Investment returns were hit hard this year, and given an unrealized loss, our unrestricted funds did not contribute to our operating revenue, but detracted 30 percent this year. Our investments are held for the long-term and like many other agencies and individuals in 2022, we felt the harsh impact of a brutal market this fiscal year. Thanks to many past supporters we have established several restricted funds which were used to support 4 percent of our ministry this year.

Southern, Alaska Provinces

for Promoting the Gospel

Exchange accounts

(which are donations for a specific outreach/ministry which BWM oversees or to which we act as a conduit to distribute funds) are excluded from the Income Statement but represent a significant part of our mission work, particularly through the efforts involving the Ahuas Clinic in Honduras and through our Moravian Disaster Response (MDR) Fund. We distributed over $430,000 in 2022 through the MDR including $288,000 going to support ministry in response to the war in Ukraine. Our ongoing support of the Ahaus Clinic in Honduras accounted for exchange distributions of $152,000.

Seventy-eight percent of our 2022 expenditures were applied directly to our ministry. This includes funds providing assistance to many of our brothers and sisters in need as well as extensive onsite ministry provided by our missionary staff and volunteers. The assistance takes many forms as described more fully throughout this report, often including medical management, technology assistance, orphan support, training and a host of other crucial activities, mostly with international global partners.

The general administrative effort which accounts for 15 percent of the expenditures is run through both the Northern and Southern Province with the consistent goal to minimize this expense in order to maximize the work in the field. Travel and in person meetings are up this year as we emerged from pandemic restrictions and accounts for 6 percent of our expenses while Publications and Communications account for 1 percent.

Expenditures

Triggered by the poor market this year we ran a deficit, offsetting in part our surplus from last year. Additional details can be obtained once the 2022 audited financial statements are complete. For more information or a copy of the audited financial statements, please contact Sue Adams (sue@ moravianmission.org) or me (rex@moravianmission. org) in the BWM Bethlehem office. Thank you for your support of this important outreach.

—Rex Knowlton, Treasurer

For the year ended December 31, 2022 Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church

Global Partner/Ministry Support

LET’S CONNECT!

See our latest updates at www.MoravianMission.org. Please contact sylvie@moravianmission.org if you would like to receive our quarterly newsletter, or sign up at the bottom of our website.

And be sure to follow us on Facebook (Board of World Mission), Instagram (@moravianboardofworldmission)and TikTok (@boardofworldmission).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE BOARD OF WORLD MISSION

In order to truly make an impact and grow ministries around the world, the Board of World Mission counts on our generous and committed donors to expand the capacity of our ministries.

Those in the US can send checks to: Board of World Mission 1021 Center Street Bethlehem, PA 18018. You may also make your donation online at http:// moravianmission.org/give/.

Canadians can send checks to: Moravian Church in Canada 600 Acadia Drive SE Calgary, AB T2J 0B8 Interac e-Transfer donations may be sent to treasurer@ moravian.ca. In the comments section, please include your name and address to receive a tax receipt.

THE BOARD OF WORLD MISSION STAFF IS HAPPY TO HELP YOU ENGAGE FURTHER WITH OUR WORK

BWM Staff (l to r): Angelica Regalado Cieza, Chris Giesler, Sylvie Hauser, Sue Adams, Justin Rabbach and Rex Knowlton

Justin Rabbach

Executive Director justin@moravianmission.org

Sue Adams, Admin. Assistant sue@moravianmission.org

Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler, Director of Mission Engagement chris@moravianmission.org

Sylvie Hauser, Director of Communications and Development sylvie@moravianmission.org

Rev. Angelica Regalado Cieza Director of Mission Outreach angelica@moravianmission.org

Rex Knowlton, Treasurer rex@moravianmission.org

Rick Nelson Mission Consultant rthornel2003@yahoo.com

Sierra Leone

(Continued from page 10)

vide a brighter future for Sierra Leone with every passing day.

Thanks for all the prayers and support during our trip. With respect to needs, the Secondary School in Ngiehun need more desks to accommodate the increasing number of students and machinery to cut brush in the 20 acres of palm trees that they planted. The only water reservoir in the village needs to be repaired. Contributions can be made to Sierra Leone Ministry and send to Little Church on the Lane, in Charlotte.

As Mohammed was known for saying, “God is good all the time!” n

Evon Crooks is a member of New Philadelphia Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.

For more than three years during the Covid pandemic, travel to our mission in Sierra Leone, West Africa didn’t happen. But finally that changed when several months ago, I returned for my ninth visit to share life with many friends there.

Most in the region live without power or running water in their tiny homes. Why would I want to do this over and over? Because of the people. Two Southern Province Moravians, Helen Gulledge and Evon Crooks, accompanied me on this visit.

Yes, I was grateful to visit the five churches and attend a few classes at our secondary school, but reconnecting with the people brought me the most joy, especially a man named Vondi. He and I met on my first trip to Sierra Leone in 2010. Homeless, he had recently wandered into the village where Mohamed and Safie Braima had settled. They found a room for Vondi to live in and offered him a “job” of cleaning the church building that had been built just a few years before.

During that visit 13 years ago, I befriended this very quiet and sweet man. Vondi had this amazing talent of creating cute little chickens from plastic trash bags and other odds and ends. He gave me two to take home.

I had someone take a picture of the two of us, and later sent a copy to him via the Braimas when they returned to their village from a family visit in North Carolina. But Vondi was a wanderer, and I never saw him again on any of my other trips…until this one.

It was special how we recognized each other immediately, so happy to finally meet again. I told Vondi that I still had his chickens and thought of him every time I laid eyes on them. He said he wanted to make two more for me, which he did one day as I watched with little understanding of how he transformed trash into something so cute. We enjoyed talking every day, and just before the three of us travelers departed for the airport, Vondi said he wanted to show me something. I could not believe my eyes when he reached in an old cloth sack and pulled out the picture I had sent him …. 13 years ago!!!

Even though this dear man has no real place to call home and wanders from village to village, he found a way to save that picture of us together. Yes, it’s the people of Sierra Leone that fill my heart with the desire to return there every chance I get. n

Donna Hurt is a member of Home Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, N.C. She frequently shares stories of her travels around the Moravian world.

Donna Hurt displays chickens crafted by Vondi in Sierra Leone.

Minnestota congregation becomes the Northern Province’s newest church

This spring, a congregation worshipping in St. Paul, Minn., formally voted to become the Northern Province’s newest Moravian church.

After more than a year of exploration and prayerful discernment, along with extensive conversations with the Western District Executive Board (WEDB) and Provincial Elders’ Conference (PEC), the Roots Congregation in St. Paul became the Roots Moravian Church.

Led by the pastoral team of T.C. and Osheta Moore, the Roots congregation, which had been affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church, was searching for a denominational home that would be in line with their expansive welcome of all persons. They found such a home with the Moravian Church Northern Province and spent a year learning about Moravian life

and witness, history, practices and polity.

“Roots is a community of ‘misfits’— people who have felt left out, pushed aside, too much, or not enough in other Christian spaces,” says T.C. and Osheta. “Though we come from a wide variety of different backgrounds and have diverse identities, we’re united in our love for God, one another and our neighbors in the Twin Cities. We’re overjoyed to join the Moravian family of churches, because it feels like a home filled with both meaningful traditions and space for our misfit-ness. Let’s follow the victorious Lamb together!”

Throughout 2022, T.C. and Osheta met (via Zoom) with the WDEB and PEC, asked thoughtful, respectful questions to help in their discernment and have been warmly and enthusiastically received by all they have met. Both Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller, presi-

dent of the Northern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference and Rev. Bruce Nelson, president of the Western District Executive Board, worshiped with the Roots congregation and answered members’ questions in preparation for the Town Hall vote that unanimously approved becoming a Moravian congregation.

“It has been a delight to walk with T.C., Osheta and the congregation in their discernment process,” says Betsy. “Their curiosity and interest in joining with us is bringing fresh energy and excitement to who God is calling us to be.

Signing their charter

Sunday, April 23rd was a historic day in the life of the church as the Roots Moravian congregation signed their charter and celebrated installation of their pastoral staff.

During the service, T.C. Moore was received as a Deacon of the Moravian Church, with the Rt. Rev. Kay Ward presiding (see Kay’s piece in this month’s “Bishop’s Corner.”)

T.C. was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and has completed a thorough credentialing process for him to transfer

his credentials and be received into the ordained ministry of the Moravian Church.

Brother T. C. and his spouse Sister Osheta were then installed as pastors of Roots Moravian Church. T. C. has accepted an appointment as pastor of Roots; Osheta has been installed as a Licensed Lay Pastor after a thorough credentialing process. Bruce Nelson and Betsy Miller participated in this service of installation and celebration.

“This felt like a fulfilling culmination of the discerning and transitioning process we’ve been in for many months,” shared T. C. and Osheta. “Sisters Betsy and Kay and Brother Bruce made us feel truly welcomed into this church family and appreciated for who we are.”

The service also included a lovefeast with sugar cake provided by PEC member Valerie Wagner and special music by the Roots worship team. Osheta preached on the lectionary text for the week, 1 Peter 1:17-23, imagining what advice Peter might give to their congregation at this point in their journey together. The children of the congregation (“little misfits,” as they are af(Continued on next page)

At left: Osheta and T.C. Moore, new pastors of Roots Moravian Church, are blessed by members of their congregation and Moravians from the Northern Province. Below: Roots’ charter, signed by their congregation members.

Roots Moravian

(Continued from previous page)

fectionately called at Roots) were included in the celebration and in the signing of the charter, which featured fingerprints of the congregation’s youngest charter members.

Rejoicing in the future

All in all, this was a day of appreciating our Moravian history and rejoicing in the promise of what the future of the Church holds.

Tiffani Glime, a member of Waconia Moravian Church, describes this new Moravian congregation as an answered prayer. “More than 20 years ago, when my husband Scott and I chose to move our lives to the Twin Cities, we were determined to remain

faithful to my family’s Moravian heritage, committed to furthering our own faith, and adamant in wanting to raise our family in a Moravian Church. However, that meant traveling out to the western suburbs to find a faith community to call home, which we did and have loved immensely.” The Glime family is grateful to see the Church putting down ‘roots’ in a more urban setting because, “we were desperate to experience our faith with others where we were living.”

Pastors T. C. and Osheta shared that all of the congregation members they spoke with after the service expressed that they felt “honored to host and learn from so many siblings in Christ who carry with

Above: Roots Moravian Church members worship each Sunday in a rented TV studio. Below left: Bishop Kay Ward welcomes Osheta Moore while Western District President Bruce Nelson welcomes T.C. Moore as pastors of Roots Moravian Church.

Below right: Northern Province PEC president Betsy Miller addresses the Roots congregation.

them the precious traditions of the Moravian Church.” The Moores thank everyone who has walked alongside them in this journey and, looking ahead, they are excited to meet new Moravian siblings at Northern Province Synod in June.

To learn more about the Roots con-

gregation and hear a series of sermons by T.C. sharing about the Moravian Church, visit https://rootsmc.org/ n

Thanks to Sylvie Hauser, Northern Province communications consultant, for this article and accompanying photos.

From the Bishop’s Corner

Each edition of The Moravian Magazine will now feature words from one of our Moravian bishops. This new feature, called The Bishop’s Corner, will offer the spiritual leaders of the Moravian Church an opportunity to share their thoughts. This month, we hear from the Rt. Rev. Kay Ward.

There is always joy when we ordain a new pastor or recognize a lay appointed pastor or install pastors to a new congregation. All three of those events, and so much more, were part of the worship on Sunday, April 23, in St. Paul, Minn. It was with complete joy that I participated in the welcome of our newest congregation, the Roots Moravian Church.

TC Moore was received as a deacon with prayers and the laying-on of hands. His wife, Osheta Moore was received as a Licensed Lay Pastor and both TC and Os-

I came to worship with the Roots congregation as a person who has always cared deeply about children’s ministry. As a current pew sitter, I have been warmed by the sun streaming through the beautiful stained glassed windows of the Watertown Moravian Church. And I slowly warmed to the wonders of video projection and the gifts technology offered us during the pandemic.

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Bishop Kay Ward receives the Rev. T.C. Moore as an ordained member of the Moravian clergy.

heta were installed as pastors of the Roots Moravian Church.

Bishop’s Corner

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So, in addition to being honored to be part of this historic day, I was surprised and delighted by the worship in so many ways. I watched and sang and listened and learned about this newest congregation of the Moravian Church. The worship felt relaxed, almost casual but was meticulously planned. The worship was lively and lovely and long—at least it was long to me who likes to have Sunday morning worship tidied up in an hour or so. (I will confess that the official business of receiving and installing took up a major portion of the time.) Here is what I experienced from my corner of the room.

The Roots congregation gathers around tables with chairs that provide places for families and lots of “Littles” (that is what the pastors call the children). On the tables are snacks, crafts, books and worship objects which the Littles were asked to hold up during the liturgy for Earth Day.

I don’t think the Littles in the Roots Church are aware that they are a program or something separate from what the adults

are experiencing in worship. They seemed to assume that worship was a family thing – children played, read, colored and fell asleep, waking to a room full of grownups who were glad that they were there.

Roots Moravian rents a TV studio for Sunday morning worship. It is a dark room with no windows, stained glass or otherwise and no pictures on the wall. There are two small rugs where the Littles can sit to be close to watch the animated video gospel lesson. On Sundays, everything is set up and moved back to storage with little fuss.

This new Moravian congregation uses video projection the way most of us use bulletins to follow the service of worship with hymnals providing words and accompaniment for the singing. The large screen offers reminders of upcoming events and starts the service with preludes and postludes where many of us might use a keyboard or an organ.

These good folks are eager to settle into the Moravian way of being church. They look forward to connecting with nearby Moravian congregations and meeting many of us in Bethlehem at our 2023 Synod. Give a welcome to the Roots Moravian Church! n

(L to R): Kay Ward, Judy Ganz, Betsy Miller, T.C. and Osheta Moore, Hermann Weinlick and Bruce Nelson.

OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS

SOUTHERN PROVINCE

Margate Moravian Church

The Provincial Elders’ Conference is pleased to announce Margate Moravian Fellowship requested and was granted Congregation status, which will go into effect in conjunction with the occasion of their 19th anniversary on May 30, 2023.

The Margate Fellowship was initially started in 2004 with the first official worship held on May 30 in the City of Margate, Florida.

The congregation has decided to keep the name “Margate” recognizing the Margate is a fish. The early Christian church used ICHTHUS (which in Greek means fish) as a symbol of the Eucharist and as a symbol of the church. ICHTHUS is translated Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, our/the Savior. Consistent with that, the church will also use Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 as the scripture theme for the church “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men”.

The PEC affirms the growth of the Margate community through almost 19 years of history, its ministry to the nearby community, and the development of its stewardship. We agree that it equals a level of participation and commitment that is fitting with being a congregation.

On behalf of the Southern Province of the Moravian Church in America, the Provincial Elders’ Conference offers their sincerest congratulations to the Margate Moravian Church and wishes God’s richest blessings in their future endeavors.

In observance of this milestone, the Margate congregation held a service of celebration on May 28, 202, at 3:00 p.m. Coverage of the celebration will be featured on moravian.org

Pastoral Changes:

The Rev. Andrew Heil has accepted the call to be the pastor of Grace Moravian in Mount Airy, NC. He concluded his ministry at Home Moravian, Winston-Salem, N.C., on May 7, 2023 and will be installed at Grace on June 4, 2023.

Please support the Heil family and the Grace congregation with your prayers as they begin this new chapter.

NORTHERN PROVINCE

Clergy Updates Calls/Appointments

Sr. Cynthia Rader Geyer, who had served as the Eastern District Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries through December 31, 2022, and was serving a temporary call to District Service, has accepted a call to be Released for Other Service to serve as the full-time pastor of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Allentown, Pa. She began her ministry among our ELCA siblings on May 1, 2023.

Br. Jon Michael Deisher was installed as a Licensed Lay Pastor at the West Salem Moravian Church in West Salem, Ill., on Sunday, April 2. Br. Deisher has completed a thorough credentialing process and continues educational work to equip him to serve faithfully and effectively at West Salem.

Br. T.C. Moore was received as a Deacon of the Moravian Church during a worship service at Roots Moravian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota on Sunday, April 23, 2023, with Bishop Kay Ward presiding. T.C. was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and has completed a thorough credentialing process for him to transfer his credentials and be received into the ordained ministry of the Moravian Church.

Br. T.C. Moore and his spouse Sr. Osheta Moore were installed as pastors of Roots Moravian Church on April 23, 2023. T.C. has accepted an appointment as pastor of Roots; Osheta was installed as a Licensed Lay Pastor. She has undergone a thorough credentialing process. Br. Bruce Nelson, President of the Western District Executive Board, and Sr. Betsy Miller, President of the Provincial Elders’ Conference participated in this service of installation and celebration. The Roots congregation voted to become Roots Moravian Church in February of this year.

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Official PEC News

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Sr. Jamie Almquist, a candidate for ordination in the Moravian Church, has accepted the call to serve as pastor of the Good Shepherd Moravian Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Jamie earned her MDiv from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo. in 2021 and has completed a Certificate in Moravian Studies from Moravian Theological Seminary on May 6, 2023. Jamie has been serving the Glenwood Moravian Church under appointment as she concluded her theological training.

Jamie was ordained a Deacon of the Moravian Church at Glenwood Moravian Church in Madison, Wis., on Saturday, May 20, with Bishop Kay Ward presiding. She will begin her ministry at Good Shepherd when the immigration process permits.

Sr. Jodi Heim, a lay member of the Berea Moravian Church, has been appointed as the Licensed Lay Pastor of the Berea and Our Savior’s congregations, both in Winona County, Minnesota. Jodi has undergone a thorough credentialing process and is continuing to pursue theological and pastoral training. She begins her ministry on June 1, 2023.

Sr. Mikayla Sauerbrey, a candidate for ordination in the Moravian Church, has completed an MDiv from Moravian Theological Seminary on May 6, 2023.

Presbyterial Consecration

Br. Benjamin Lippert, presently serving as pastor of the Schoenbrunn Moravian Church in New Philadelphia, Ohio, will be consecrated a Presbyter in the Moravian Church on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 11 am, with Bishop Douglas Kleintop as the consecrating bishop.

Obituary: Mrs. Marian Couch

Sister Marian (McCuiston ) Couch died in Winston-Salem, N.C., on April 3, 2023, at the age of 98. She was born January 9, 1925, in WinstonSalem, N.C. a daughter of Robert Alexander and Margaret Agnes Blair McCuiston.

Sister Couch was united in marriage to Brother Paul de Scweinitz Couch on June 4, 1949, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

She served alongside her husband in pastorates in Haverford Moravian, Indianapolis, Ind.; Calvary Moravian, Allentown, Pa.; Redeemer Moravian Church, Philadelphia, Pa.; East Hills Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pa.; Sharon Moravian Church, Sharon, Ohio and Church of the Redeemer, Dublin, Ohio.

Sr. Couch is survived by three daughters: Blair, Allison, and Margaret, a son, Paul Jr., six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Paul, on July 24, 1994, and a son Frederick.

The funeral was held at Home Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, N.C. on April 13, 2023. Memorials are gratefully received for Home Moravian Church, Winston-Salem NC, or Sunnyside Ministry.

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Obituary: The Rev. Glenn F. Heintzelman

Brother Glenn Frank Heintzelman died in Allentown, PA on May 3, 2023, at the age of 73. Born November 24, 1949, in Northampton, Pa., he was the son of the late Frank and Miriam (Ruth) Heintzelman. Brother Heintzelman graduated from Moravian College with a B.A. in 1971. He received a B.D. from Moravian

Theological Seminary in 1976. He received an M.A. from Lehigh University in 1972. He was ordained a Deacon of the church on January 4, 1976 and was consecrated a Presbyter on July 20, 2003.

He was united in marriage to Bonnie May Hughes on January 20, 1973, at Nazareth Moravian Church. Together they served in pastorates

in Morongo, California; Trinity, New Carrollton, Md.; Reading, Pa.; Egg Harbor, N.J.; Castleton Hill, Staten Island, N.Y.; Canadensis, Pa.; Kellner & Saratoga, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. and Unionville, Mich. Brother Heintzelman also served as Chaplain at ASH Hospital, Allentown, Pa., and Chaplain at Lehigh County Prison. He entered into retirement June 2008.

Surviving with Bonnie are their sons: Adam R., at home and Aaron P. of Kansas City, Mo.; a granddaughter, Maci Leigh; sister, Jeanne Serfas (David) of Virginia.

A memorial service was held on May 12th at Calvary Moravian Church in Allentown, Pa. Memorial gifts are welcome for Calvary Moravian Church in care of Keller Funeral Homes, PO Box 52, Fogelsville, PA 18051.

The conference is sponsored by Moravian Archives, Moravian University, and Center for Moravian Studies, in partnership with Moravian Music Foundation, Moravian Theological Seminary, Moravian Historical Society, and Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, with additional funding generously provided by Bethlehem Area Moravians and Penn State University Press.