Moravian Magazine, March 2014

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SPECIAL FEATURE: Unity Women’s Desk Progress in Honduras Dedicating a school in Sierra Leone And more!

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On the cover: Women and girls from around the world are the focus of the Unity Women’s Desk.

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SPECIAL FEATURE: Unity Women’s Desk Progress in Honduras Dedicating a school in Sierra Leone And more!

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5 Christ and him crucified remain our confession of faith In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love

Special Feature: Unity Women’s Desk 9 Realizing a dream of helping women around the world 13 …on being a Unity Women’s Desk Advisory Board Member 16 Making a difference—one woman and girl at a time 20 Sewing the remnants together 22 Education effort focuses on eradicating violence against women 25 Women share stories of hope, stories of power at Florida retreat 27 UWD Scholarships to be awarded in the Northern and Southern Provinces Moravians in Mission

Member, Associated Church Press

5 Witnessing steps toward reconciliation in Honduras 28 An African village dedicates its new school Synod 2014 7 Jesus Still Lead On: 2014 Southern Province Synod Moravian Youth

Visit our website at http://www.moravian.org.

Letters to the editor, address corrections, and other correspondence may be e-mailed to the magazine at pubs@mcnp.org.

March 2014

31 Youth Leadership Seminar 2014 invites attendees to “Serve the Youth of Today” In Every Issue 4 Ponderings 32 Official Provincial Elders’ News 33 Obituary: Mrs. Bobbie Jean Brown May 3

PONDERINGS

Featuring Unity work to help women around the world Last fall, the Rev. Patty Garner and Sr. Sallie Greenfield paid me a visit here at the IBOC office in Bethlehem. In addition to dropping off a bottle of my favorite Texas Pete Hot Sauce (Patty’s family runs the company), they came to talk about the possibility of doing an issue of The Moravian devoted to the Unity Women’s Desk.

The Unity Women’s Desk has been in the works for years. Through Unity Synods, Unity Board Meetings, international Consultations and more, the women who’ve established the UWD worked to build an organization that specifically addresses the needs of Moravian women around the globe. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve heard about the group so far and was eager to share more about its work.

So when Patty and Sallie pitched their idea to me, I jumped at the chance share their stories in The Moravian. In this issue, you’ll learn about how the Unity Women’s Desk works, how it came to be and how it is making a difference in the lives of women and girls in the far-flung corners of the Moravian world. This international group represents one vital way working as a Unity—that is, nearly two dozen provinces and mission areas—can bring hope and help.

This issue also features more information about the upcoming Southern Province Synod of 2014, good news from the church in Honduras, the opening of a Moravian school in Sierra Leone and more.

And following on the heels of this month’s roundup will be another opportunity to share the great work being done by Moravians around the globe. Our April issue will include the 2013 Board of World Mission Annual Report, highlighting the Board’s work in areas like Central America, Africa, the Canadian Maritimes, Alaska, Nepal and other locales around the globe.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine. As always, I welcome your comments and questions at moravianmagazine@mcnp.org.

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Continuing The North American Moravian, The Moravian and The Wachovia Moravian.

Michael Riess, Editor Renee Schoeller, Communications Assistant Arlene Clendenning, Customer Relations/Business Assistant Interprovincial Board of Communication Paul Knouse, Paul Peucker Chair Adam Pristas Jane Burcaw Richard Sides Jane Carmichael Valerie Wagner Lance Fox Jill Westbrook Gary Kniskern Design by Sandy Fay, Laughing Horse Graphics, Inc. Address all correspondence regarding articles, subscriptions, or advertising to The Moravian, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245 FAX: 610.866.9223 Phone: 610.867.0594 800.732.0591 e-mail: moravianmagazine@mcnp.org www.moravian.org Contents © 2014, Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America.

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The Moravian

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

Witnessing steps toward reconciliation in Honduras I sat at the table with the delegation from the Unity: Rev. Dr. Jørgen Bøytler, Unity Business Administrator; Nicaraguan Bishop John Wilson out of Miami; and Nicaraguan Superintendent Rev. Cora Antonio. Also at the table sat members of the Honduras Province provincial board. And later that day, we would meet with the Honduras Mission Province Board.

The two churches had split in the late 1990s when a charismatic revival took hold of the province. The charismatic, or renewal faction, was the group officially in leadership at the time. The more traditional group withdrew from the province.

The Honduras Province board explained to us that before our arrival they had already met with the board of the Honduras Mission Province and they had agreed to establish an annual day of prayer and an annual anniversary Three Moravian Bishops: John Wilson (U.S.), Sandoval Martinex (Honduras Mission Province) and Evelio Romero (Honduras Province).

celebration of the founding of the Moravian Church in Honduras on November 18th that both churches would attend. They had agreed that their bishops would work together and would both be present at important events such as consecrations and ordinations.

There was a goal for participation by members of both groups at conferences and church dedications. They also said that they would respect each other despite their differing worship styles. They were willing to share pastors with each other. We heard the same thing when we met with the Honduras Mission Province board later that same day. (continued on next page) Rev. Judy Ganz is executive director of the Moravian Board of World Mission.

(continued from previous page) I was grateful to hear these decisions.

I had seen movement toward these two churches working more together when we met as a Unity delegation with them in July of 2012 to discuss regulations of the Unity and differences between the then “traditional” group (Honduras Mission Province)and the “renewal” group, (the Honduras Province).

It was after the July 2012 meeting that the traditional group was officially recognized by the Unity as a Mission Province. And when I was with them this past May they rejoiced in celebrating their first official synod and electing their first bishop, the Rt. Rev. Sandoval Martinez. They had been an unnamed, disassociated entity, and now they are seen in the eyes of the world as Moravians in their own right.

The Honduras Province had also made steps under then President Isai Granwell to plan more activities with the traditional group. At their synod this past May they, too, elected a bishop, the Rt. Rev. Evelio Romero.

When these two bishops were consecrated, members of both churches participated in the services and both new bishops were present. The new presidents of the Mission Province (Rev. Cristobal Smith) and the Honduras Province (Rev. Harlan Macklin) were very clear in saying that these new bishops were Unity bishops, not simply bishops of a Mission Province or a Province.

But I also had heard concerns expressed by pastors on both sides expressing doubt about the potential for full unification of these two churches. So I was ready and grateful to hear that they were at least taking steps to work more together.

I did not expect to hear the words that came from both provincial boards that the ultimate goal of the reconciliation process is the re-unification of their two churches. They hope to share one synod in the future!

Both said that after 17 years of separation, it was time to reconcile. Bro. Cristobal emphasized the prayer of our Lord in John 17 that (continued on page 34) Pastors from both Honduran groups join together in song.

SYNOD 2014

Jesus Still Lead On: 2014 Southern Province Synod In

April, more than 220 delegates from Southern Province congregations and agencies will gather in Black Mountain, N.C. for the 2014 Synod. With inspiration from the theme of “Jesus Still Lead On,� delegates will worship and work together to discern what God is calling us to in shared ministry for the coming years.

During this Synod, the structure approved in 2009 will be officially incorporated into the Book of Order. A proposed revision includes keeping the constitutional material and the major statements of organization in the Book of Order, while moving policies and procedures to a policy manual.

This will be the first Southern Province Synod to use electronic balloting, which should streamline the election process. In previous

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Synods, these elections consumed a great deal of time in plenary sessions, materials, and physical counting. The new process will enable more time for discernment and discussion. Synod business will include election of representatives to the various provincial leadership boards, educational institutions, and ministry groups. The election of the President of the Provincial Elders and Bishop will still use ecclesiastical balloting. (continued on next page) The Rev. Neil Routh is pastor of King Moravian Church (King, N.C.), a member of the Southern Province PEC, and a cochair of the Synod Program Committee.

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Members of the Southern Province PEC elected at the 2010 Synod.

(continued from previous page) A key feature of every Synod is worship.

The Rev. Dr. Amy Gohdes-Luhman will be the keynote speaker. The schedule includes opportunities to begin and end each day with a focus on worship and listening for the One who truly remains our Chief Elder.

Preparation for the 2014 Synod began in May 2013 with selection of delegates, who gathered last September at New Philadelphia Church in Winston-Salem for an orientation event (see the November issue of The Moravian for the full story). A wonderful opportunity to worship together marked the beginning and end of the day, which introduced the theme of “Jesus Still Lead On.” The business session provided a tutorial on electronic balloting and the process for approving the new Book of Order. Delegates met in pilgrimage groups and ended this period of the day combining into the eight characteristic groups.

Discernment Groups Each delegate serves in a discernment group with 5-7 fellow delegates. Three of these “pilgrimage groups” form a team around one of 8

the eight characteristics of congregational health, which are a major feature of the provincial structure approved by the 2009 Special Synod. These characteristics include: relationship with Jesus Christ, cooperation, mission, worship, leadership, stewardship, ministry, and growth. At the end of each session, the pilgrimage groups will combine to discuss common threads related to the previous session.

Pilgrimage and characteristic groups will move through the following four stage process: 1: Where Have We Been?—Groups consider shared stories and awareness of what delegates have experienced related to the assigned characteristic.

2: Where Are We Now?—Groups consider present trends and discern ideas and themes current in the congregations represented by a given pilgrimage group.

The goal is to identify common threads and examine the current status of some of these trends. Again, the three pilgrimage groups gather for a characteristic group session to compare findings and arrive at a consensus picture of “where we are now.”

3: Where Is God Calling Us?—Each pilgrimage group will explore what Moravian life could be like in the future, especially as it relates to the assigned characteristic. What will the church look like in 2022? How might Moravians sustain congregational health? Groups are encouraged to present in a creative way their vision for the Moravian Church of the future. (continued on page 34) The Moravian

UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

Realizing a dream of helping women around the world When the Unity Women’s Desk began its

work in January 2011, it was the realization of a dream that was born within a group of 40-plus women who had gathered in Kernersville, North Carolina in 1995. When those women first met, it soon became obvious that the problems women face around the world were too complex to be addressed by a one-time event and that they needed more attention than could be given in a two day, informal format. The idea of establishing a “Women’s Desk”—a central clearinghouse where information about the needs of women could be collected and addressed in a systematic way—was born.

The first step was to apply to the Unity Synod of 1995 to gain recognition of the situation of women in the Moravian Church, to request that ongoing Consultations be held and that a Women’s Desk be established. The Synod wanted more information about our request; tentative

permission was granted for both requests, but no funds were supplied, nor was any substantive plan devised for carrying out this work.

The women were undaunted. A second Consultation was held in South Africa in 2002 to address the most pressing problems of women. This time there was an organized effort to introduce resolutions to the next Synod that would assure the future of such Consultations and to move toward the establishment of an entity to deal with the problems: a Women’s Desk.

The third Consultation was held in 2008 in Herrnhut, Germany. The theme, “Valiant Women in a Violent World,” picked up on one of the most pressing issues for women—violence against women at home and in the streets of a violent world.

Resolutions were once again sent to Unity Synod. The Synod of 2009 once again approved the proposed resolutions, and this time 500 dollars per year were approved from future Unity budgets to implement the resolutions.

In the fall of 2010, Sr. Cicely AthillHorsford, a Moravian minister serving in Barbados who had attended all three Consultations, met with Sr. Patricia Garner (who had attended the first Consultation) for a discussion about the progress of the work from the Consultations. They realized that although the issues discussed (continued on next page)

Background image throughout this section 9 shows detail from Tanzanian Moravian cloth.

…it soon became obvious that the problems women face around the world were too complex to be addressed by a one-time event…”

(continued from previous page) were the same at all three Consultations, little progress was being made in resolving the issues. This called for action! Together they made a proposal to the Unity Board to proceed with the development of the Unity Women’s Desk. During the course of developing the proposal, Reverend Garner discerned the call to head up this process on a temporary and volunteer basis.

Approval was quickly granted by the Unity Executive Committee, and work began in January 2011. An interim advisory board set goals for the first ten years of the UWD and identified Priorities from among the issues that were discussed at the previous Consultations. “Education” was established as the number one priority—without education women would never be able to address the other issues—followed by “Violence against Women,” “Overcoming Poverty and Finding Employment,” “Health Issues of Women,”(particularly HIV/AIDS), “Parenting for Justice” (teaching boys to respect girls and women and teaching girls to respect themselves as children of God), and “Supporting Women in Ministry.” Putting the priorities in a logical order Women from around the world study issues and propose solutions during a Women’s Conference.

was important in determining how energy and resources would be used.

The years 2011 and 2012 were primarily devoted to finding women in the various Provinces, Mission Provinces, and Mission Areas who could facilitate information exchange with the UWD and who could assure that the funding that was sent was being properly used. At the same time, raising funds to accomplish this work was begun. Without permission from any of our Provinces to do full-fledged capital campaigns, we began the arduous task of visiting as many small church groups as possible and asking for individual contributions. A challenge grant helped us to raise the first $50,000 by the middle of 2012, and we began making scholarship grants and loans to women to start small businesses.

Our first year goal was to award two scholarships by July 2012. With successful fundraising efforts and the progress made in establishing goals and policies, we were able to grant 20 scholarships by that date. Slowly, we found capable women who were willing to visit their women in groups and to learn what their needs were and how we might assist them. We were very fortunate in Tanzania that each Province already had a “Secretary of Women’s and Children’s Work,” whose primary responsibility was looking out for the welfare of women and children. Unfortunately, most of them had little or no funding to do their work.

Following a training seminar in mid2012 for these Tanzanian women leaders, the Women Secretaries were able to identify women and girls in many of the Provinces and Mission Provinces who needed assistance with their education. Slowly word of our work spread around the world, by word of mouth and through our website and monthly

PrayerList. More Provinces appointed women to work with us, and we proceeded to grant more scholarships and make more loans.

The Advisory Board Beginning in January 2013, a duly elected Advisory Board was selected and began work in earnest to fulfill our goals. The women approved by the Unity Board are: Sr. Angelene Swart of the Africa Region, Sr. Sallie Greenfield of the American Region, Sr. Muriel Held of the Caribbean Region, the Reverend Erdmute Frank of the European Region, with Sr. Jane Hutchings serving as a consultant from the previous Consultation. The Rev. Patty Garner serves as the Coordinator.

The advisory board meets quarterly via Skype to determine policies and practices of the UWD and distribute funds for scholarships, loans and projects. As of December 2013, we have granted scholarships to over 40 girls and women, some of them receiving support for the second year of their schooling. Although loans have taken a little longer to catch on and process, we have now granted five such loans. More information is available in the article, “Making a Difference,” which follows.

The Advisory Board meets in the intervening months to plan next Unity Consultation, which will take place in Suriname in February of 2016. At the Consultation, each Province will be represented by two delegates, and each Mission Province and Mission Area will be represented by one delegate. These delegates will be chosen by the Provincial Elders Conference in cooperation with the women’s groups in their areas. In addition, registration will be open to anyone who would like to attend at her own expense as an observer. (continued on next page)

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(continued from previous page) UWD Organization In each Province, Mission Province and Mission Area, there is at least one Provincial Coordinator. This woman is responsible for disseminating information about the UWD to the women of her area. She also receives all applications for loans, scholarships and projects. After reviewing them to see that they give complete and accurate information, she sends them on to her Sub-Desk Coordinator.

There are seven Sub-Desk Coordinator (SDC) positions. Not all of them are filled at the current time, but we have a sufficient number to set things in motion.

In the North American church, Sr. Margo Harris is currently recruiting Provincial Coordinators in each of our Northern Province states to facilitate communication. Sr. Carol Ray (Indiana), Sr. Claire Yoder (Ohio), Sr. Marion Perrin (Western Canada) and Sr. Cindy Meiers (Southern Province) are already serving as Provincial Coordinators. If you would like to assist the UWD in your state, please contact Margo at hmargo61@yahoo.ca.

Addressing Resolution 12 The UWD was given the assignment to address Resolution #12 of the Unity Board 12

meeting held in 2012. This resolution deals with educating our pastors about how to deal with violence against women. It also provides for advocacy in order to fight violence against women. Through the grace of God, we were able to work with Dr. Deborah Appler, who was already planning a sabbatical, to accomplish this task.

Dr. Appler, of the Moravian Theological Seminary, traveled to Mbeya, Tanzania in the spring of last year and worked with the faculty of Teofilo Kisanji University (TEKU) to develop this course. With our continuing support, she has arranged for a wide variety of professors from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, TEKU in Tanzania, and several European and Caribbean theologians to make this an exciting part of the curriculum for all Moravian ministers—current and future. (for more, see accompanying story on page 22.)

Getting involved God has truly blessed this new ministry of the Moravian Church. Through our monthly PrayerList (available by email, postal mail, or on our website), Moravian women (and men) around the world feel connected to one another with our sisters in Christ. We share our mutual burdens as well as our joys and thanksgivings each month as we pray for God’s guidance and blessing.

If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please go to our website: www.unitywomensdesk.org to learn how you can help.

To be added to our monthly PrayerList, send your email address to Unitywomen2011@ gmail.com or call us at 336.725.6413 or write us at Unity Women’s Desk, 459 South Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. We would welcome help from anyone who cares about women and children. ■ The Moravian

UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

…on being a Unity Women’s Desk Advisory Board Member The

Advisory Board of the Unity Women’s Desk (UWD) began their work together in January of 2013. Hailing from the four regions of the Unity—Sr. Angelene Swart of the Africa Region, Sr. Sallie Greenfield of the American Region, Sr. Muriel Held of the Caribbean Region, and the Reverend Erdmute Frank of the European Region—these women join the Reverend Patricia Garner, Coordinator of the Unity Women’s Desk in directing the UWD’s important work.

Here are their reflections on the work they have done in their first year together.

Angelene Swart former president of the South African Province and a former President of The Unity

I am so immensely blessed to have this op-

portunity to serve as an advisor for Africa on the Unity Women’s Desk. This ministry for the women of our Unity is an unfolding dream of prayerful identification of the most pressing needs of women. This dream was made possible through the contributions and sacrifices of women to assist women “for such a time as this.”

Being a member of the Advisory Board gives one an insight into the lives of our sisters from all our regions. As we discuss and decide to support the needs in the fields of education, violence against women, overcoming poverty, health issues and justice for women, one realizes that the barriers that women

March 2014

have to overcome are painful and enormous.

It is a biblical imperative and a blessed experience to be able to assist girls and women in rural areas, in urban settings and in informal settlements with scholarships, to provide loans as incentives to alleviate poverty, to provide health kits for babies and mothers, to provide information and address the harsh realities of discrimination facing women on all levels of life.

As an Advisory Board we have different skills and life experiences making our task delightful, pleasurable and fulfilling. Our voluntary Sub-Desk Co-ordinators play a very important role in achieving our desired outcomes, and we are thankful for their diligence and co-operation. (continued on next page)

“As an Advisory Board, we have different skills and life experiences making our task delightful, pleasurable and fulfilling...”

—Angelene Swart

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“The UWD is helping young girls from A-to-Z—Albania to Zambia! We are seeking to new a new thing as we serve our Lord Jesus .” — Sallie Greenfield (continued from previous page) During the past three years so much has been achieved and yet there is so much to be done as we face the challenges of human and financial resources. We continue with a positive spirit and abundant faith that our Lord will fulfill the good work that He has started in His own time. As women of the African Region we are thankful for all the contributions made, for all opportunities available and for the love and care of a network of women in prayer and in solidarity.

Nothing gives me more pleasure to be part of the Unity Women’s Desk as I continue to be of service to our conquering Lamb, Jesus Christ.

Sallie Greenfield a life-long member of Kernersville Moravian Church, currently active at Fairview Moravian since moving to Salemtowne, and a longtime advocate of Moravian Mission

said to a group of women, “Through the Unity Women’s Desk and the innovation of modern technology, we are now aware of what is happening in the world-wide Moravian Church.

The Unity Women’s Desk PrayerList links us all together. This would not have been possible even a few years ago.”

The UWD is literally helping young girls and women from A-to-Z.—Albania to Zambia! We are seeking to do a new thing as we serve our Lord Jesus.

Muriel Held a born Moravian and an active member of the Immanuel Church in Suriname, and secretary of the Church Board

When I was notified in December 2012 that I was approved by the Unity Board to serve on the Advisory Board (AB) of the UWD, I was very touched. Although I thought that I did not fully understand how I, as a layperson, could add knowledge and advice to the Advisory Board, I said yes. I thought that this was God’s way to keep me busy, after I was laid off from government duties in Suriname and to use my skills built up in high governmental positions for the cause of the Lord and the Moravian Church worldwide.

The UWD gave me an insight in the operations of the Moravian Church worldwide and

What an exciting time to be on the Unity Wom-

en’s Desk Advisory Board! “Beginnings” are always stimulating and rewarding, frequently puzzling, and sometimes frustrating. Ideas are flowing and help comes from unexpected sources. Wisdom and enthusiasm mingle.

Recently a leader in our Southern Province 14

Muriel Held The Moravian

of difficulties in almost all countries where the Moravian Church has members. Being part of the AB of the UWD challenges us to think of ways, to create possibilities for, and to work with, women of all the Moravian provinces to strengthen women and families and help them to make a positive change in their lives. Through the projects of the UWD girls and young women get the chance to lay a foundation for their own development, but also for their present and future families.

The past year was a year of getting acquainted with the work of the UWD and with one another. Plans have been made and interesting steps have been set to reach the UWD goals. Focusing on education as a vehicle for personal and communal development, for alleviation of the self-esteem concerns of girls and women, for the deepening of their beliefs and religion enriches not only the lives of the women, the sisters on the receiving end, but also the life of the sisters on the giving end, no matter if giving is in finances, time or prayers.

And I think that among us a dearly sisterhood has been developed.

The Rev. Erdmute D. Frank a member of the Ebersdorf Moravian Church, currently serving as a minister for guests and visitors in Herrnhut, Germany

When I was sent to Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pa. to study for my Masters degree in Theological Studies, one class I studied was focused on “Gospel and Culture.” There my awareness grew of the variety of possible development people and churches can experience.

Since 2010 I have been serving as a minister for guests and visitors in Herrnhut, Germany. One thing that became very apparent to me is that to understand and to be underMarch 2014

stood is not automatically the same, yet they belong together like the two sides of a coin.

I feel that this is what I can bring to UWD —understanding of our diversity, of the limits and chances of our internationality. I want to allow us time to understand and make ourselves understood.

As the representative of the European region I feel the need for connecting with the other provinces in Europe. It is a blessing that there is a European women’s conference that takes place every two years.

Being on the Advisory Board of UWD is a privilege. To Skype once a month with sisters Angelene, Muriel, Sallie, Patty and Kathleen is amazing! The main development during the past year has been that we began cooperating with the European and American mission boards. It is my hope that we will make a difference for the women around the world regarding the goals of the UWD. I am very excited to see the UWD’s ministry grow, to prepare the Unity Women’s Consultation and to live in relationship with so many sisters around the world. ■

“It is my hope that we will make a difference for the women around the world.…

I am excited to see the UWD’s ministry grow.”

— Erdmute Frank

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UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

Making a Difference— one woman and girl at a time A

story is told about a little girl walking along the beach tossing starfish that had been washed ashore by the tide back into the ocean. An old man watching her asked, “You can’t save all of them. Why bother?” The little girl replied, while tossing another one back into the water, “Well, it makes a difference to this one, and this one,” tossing another, “and this one,” tossing another.

As the gargantuan task of implementing the goals of the Unity Women’s Desk (UWD) began to unfold before me as the Coordinator of the UWD, I was reminded of this story.

We couldn’t save all of the oppressed women in the world, not even all of the oppressed Moravian women. What we could do was save one girl or woman at a time.

So, a few at a time, we began granting scholarships, making grants for women to start businesses, and supplying funds for projects like conferences to get the women of various provinces together to introduce them to the idea of the UWD.

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Granting opportunity Since the UWD began making scholarship grants in the summer of 2012, we have given full or partial scholarships to over 40 girls and women. The grants have been made in Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Jamaica, Star Mountain, India, Nepal, Peru, Albania and Sierra Leone. Here is a selection of the work we’ve done: • One of our first scholarship grants was made to Star Mountain in Ramallah in the West Bank to give three Palestinian girls scholarships to continue their education there. Ghada Naser, Star Mountain’s director, explained to us that while they weren’t Moravian girls, their parents would know that the women of the Moravian Church wanted to help girls who otherwise could not get an education.

• Sr. Lettice Joemath of Lansdowne, South Africa submitted applications for 27 girls at the Dietrich Primary School there. We

realized that with our limited funding, we would have to put a cap on how much we could award in each Province/Mission Province/Mission Area and decided to give as many scholarships in each area as could be covered by $1,000.00. Although we have not been able to support every girl or woman who has asked for full scholarships, we have been able to assist at least some of the applicants from every province, including girls at Dietrich Primary.

• When Sr. Mariana Cordova Estrada was offered a scholarship to attend seminary in Costa Rica, we provided the necessary funds for her to fly to Costa Rica from Peru.

She is now continuing her studies to become an ordained pastor in the new mission area of Peru.

• When the women of Jamaica began their 70th anniversary of women’s work there, they decided to give four scholarships of $1,000.00 each to four Jamaican girls and applied for assistance to the UWD to help raise the funds. We gave them $400.00 to kick-start their campaign, then promised to match their fundraising up to one-half of their goal. They quickly were able to grant all four scholarships at their big 70th celebration last summer.

• Sr. Agness Njeyo and Sr. Mary Kategile organized a training seminar to help the Women Secretaries of Tanzania and the surrounding areas, such as Uganda, Malawi, Congo, (continued on next page) This article and the UWD introductory article were written by the Rev. Patty Garner, coordinator of the Unity Women’s Desk.

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(continued from previous page) Burundi, and Ruvuma-Njombe to complete applications, make loan requests and submit business plans. Soon thereafter, requests began arriving from Zambia, Uganda, and various provinces and mission areas of Tanzania. • In late 2013, we received a request for a scholarship for a young woman at the Rajpur Institute in India. Her family had been abandoned by her mother when she was very young; then, just before her final year of secondary school, her father died, leaving her without funds to finish her education. Her application was exemplary and came with recommendations from Moravians outside of India who had met her. The scholarship was granted. We received a glowing letter from her, thanking us for our assistance. She recently ranked very highly in the national examination for nursing schools and had been accepted in a program in Madhya Pradesh. We intend to continue assisting her until she finishes her nursing studies to become a certified midwife. • Similarly, in 2013, we received a request from Sr. Vani Pradna to assist a three-year old in their pre-school in Nepal. Her father had died, and her mother (who was very helpful in the church there) did not have the funds to allow little Grace to continue to attend. We debated whether to assist someone in pre-school, but since we had not had any other requests from Nepal, we granted the scholarship. Several months later we learned that Grace’s mother was

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suffering from leukemia and that Grace’s being in school during the day was a great benefit to her mother, whose treatments were not going so well.

• This past fall, Sr. Safie Braima brought us applications and pictures of eight girls that needed scholarships for the secondary school in Sierra Leone. Although we were already sponsoring three girls with food in the “Feed the Children of Sierra Leone” program started by Little Church on the Lane in Charlotte, N.C., we decided to give scholarships to all of the girls because we could do so and still stay within our $1,000.00 limit. Safie recently sent us a picture of the girls in their lovely new uniforms. (Note: See article on page 28 for more on Sierra Leone.)

Business loans When applications for business loans and scholarships from Zambia started arriving weekly, we had to cap the amount we could loan for start-up businesses to $5,000.00 per Province. We made sure that the women understood that if they did not repay their loans, their other sisters would not be able to start their businesses in years to come.

One of our most ambitious business loans was made to Sr. Rachel Katale of Kigoma in the Lake Tanganyika Province. When I first met her in 2008, she was trying to support her family in a new mission area that was very poor. The Western Province was not able to provide her husband, the minister in Kigoma, with an adequate salary to support their family of five.

Sr. Rachel was an excellent seamstress and was interested in starting a sewing school.

With the help of Sr. Anne Geis, we supplied

her with a business plan format on which she worked diligently for two years. With the help of the Morongo Moravian Church and the United Brethren’s Elders’ Fund, we were able to lend her money in late 2012 to start her sewing school.

While the government shut her down two months later (we now make sure that business loan applicants have the necessary permits before the loans are made), she was able to re-open the sewing school in late March and is now starting her second class of students. She is also ready to start repaying her loan.

Making a difference Space does not permit me to tell all of their stories, but the letters of gratitude and biannual reports on the progress of our scholarship recipients assure us that we are making a difference in the lives of these forty-plus girls and women.

Admittedly, the UWD cannot save all of the Moravian women of our world, but we do think we are making a difference in the lives of as many of them as we can. The Synods of the Northern and Southern Provinces will be asked to allow the UWD to conduct an interprovincial capital fundraising campaign to establish a lending “bank.” We would also like to establish a Scholarship Fund and raise our provincial limit to at least $2,000.00 per year for education.

We have faith that our two North American provinces can set the standard for other provinces to follow their lead and find ways to support the Unity Women’s Desk as we seek to serve the women who comprise well over 60% of the membership of our Moravian Church. ■

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UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

Sewing the remnants together In early 2012, Sr. Lorena Gray met with the Coordinator of the Unity Women’s Desk to discuss how the UWD might work with the women of Honduras. Although she did not immediately agree to be one of the Provincial Coordinators for Honduras, Lorena called Sr. Garner back a few days later with a list of ways that we could work together.

After securing some medical charts to help Sr. Lorena in teaching her healthcare classes and putting together some Healthcare Kits to give to the women who would come to the classes, Sr. Lorena returned to Honduras ready to organize the women there.

The following is part of an article Sr. Lorena wrote for the UWD:

The Unity Women’s Desk has been an important source of support and inspiration for many Moravian Miskitu women in Gracias

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a Dios, Honduras. The UWD, through the leadership of the Rev. Patty Garner, Sr. Sallie Greenfield and many other Moravian women, is glorifying God’s name in different parts of the world, including among Miskitu Indian Moravian women.

We are just starting to get together in different villages in La Moskitia (Gracias a Dios) within the two recognized Moravian Church groups (“traditional” and “renewed”) in Honduras. There is still much to do, but for starters we are learning how to be witnesses to Christ by loving and respecting ourselves and others. We are trying to learn how to support each other and others as Christian women in our homes, our church and our communities, by first calling together women from both churches to plan our activities with prayer and praise to God. Each church group has their leaders who work with the women, young and old, in their churches, in their neighborhoods and in their communities, by having Bible studies once a week to learn more about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We try to practice love by taking some small gifts to the person in whose home we have the Bible study each time. We are also trying to practice love by providing individual meals to the less fortunate who might be unable to find or fix food for themselves.

The Miskitu women are so happy to receive their special cloth bags (sewn by North American Moravian sisters) in which they keep and carry their notebooks, Bibles and supplies. They were able to receive health The Moravian

kits, after hearing a presentation on personal hygiene. We are so excited in the hope that there are Miskitu women who will not be left out from getting a good education, through the scholarships provided by the Unity Women’s Desk to the young students with the greatest needs, through provision of school supplies and uniforms, and through further opportunities as we are starting a sewing project with a few women who have been selected for this endeavor.

In May of 2013, when Sr. Garner called me on the phone and asked me if I was interested in getting in touch with a Moravian sister, Carol Brown of Bethania Moravian Church, who was willing to give away some cloth remnants, I gladly said, “Yes,” and met with her. Sure enough, she had many pieces of beautiful fabric ready to give away. She said, “Sister, you are welcome to take all you want because I am about to get rid of them.”

I packed as much as I could and sent them out to La Moskitia, Honduras, with my head full of ideas of how to put these remnants to good use for the Moravian Miskitu women in my village, who are in desperate need of being empowered so that they can become strong enough to fight against poverty, diseases, violence, injustice and death. These are women who for too long have been left behind with very little opportunity to stand up, succeed and survive.

We are forever grateful to our brothers and sisters in different parts of the world who, because of their love of Christ, are able to continue to love us and support us even though after 84 years of existence we still often seem to be “drinking milk like a child,” as the apostle Paul would say.

As you may know, in the Moravian church in Honduras we are going through rough and March 2014

drastic changes as a Christian community and as a nation. Our misfortune is that the Miskitu Indians along with other ethnic groups, are isolated, almost abandoned by our government system. We are exploited by many. We are a people with limited educational opportunities. We are inexperienced, naïve, and weak when it comes to fighting for our rights; we are a nation that is overpowered by the strongest and we are exposed to suffer injustice and even loss of life, left perhaps only to cry and grieve for our losses. [These problems are related to lobster diving, HIV/ AIDS, and the violence from the drug trafficking. See note at the end of the article.]

These are the moments in which you would (continued on page 24) This article has been edited for The Moravian Magazine; however, the complete article will be included in the Interprovincial Women’s Mission Study this fall, entitled, Women in Mission: Making a Difference in Our World.

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UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

Education effort focuses on eradicating violence against women Global

statistics presented by the United Nation Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women portray an epidemic and unacceptably high rate of violence against women in the form of rape by both strangers and intimate partners, trafficking of women, sexual harassment, and genital mutilation. The study also show women, who are already more likely than men to contract the HIV virus, are put at further risk by partners not wearing condoms.

The mistreatment of women led the Moravian Unity Synod in 2009 to pass a resolution mandating education and advocacy for women throughout the world. In 2012 the Unity Board assigned this resolution to the Unity Women’s Desk, which has taken on the task of creating a network of support and prayer, programs and resources to turn the tide of this global crisis.

As the Unity Women’s Desk was crafting its

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strategy to end violence against women, the Rev. Dr. Nancy Bowen (Earlham School of Religion) and I planned a sabbatical trip to East Africa for April/May 2013 to meet with faculties at our respective sister seminaries— TEKU (Teofilo Kisanji University) in Tanzania and FTC (Friends Theological College) in Kenya. Our purpose was to engage in conversations around these same issues and also to explore pedagogical styles and values in our different cultures. Nancy and I were happy to discover that our sabbatical goals and those of the Moravian Unity and TEKU were in sync.

A collaboration was born!

The Unity Women’s Desk provided valuable resources and helped us to integrate the Unity’s resolutions, particularly the 2009 resolutions 1 and 8, into our conversations. Dr. Tuli Kassimoto, the Vice-Chancellor of TEKU, and the Reverend Dr. Mwenisongole Tuntufye, Dean of the seminary, along with TEKU’s The Moravian

faculty and staff were equally committed to the Unity’s call for dialogue and resources to eradicate violence against women.

Using the Bible as a resource While in Mbeya, Nancy and I were asked by TEKU to lead a four-day workshop with the larger seminary community on ways that the Bible can be used as a resource to talk about sexual violence and to empower women. First we began with an introduction to the Unity resolutions followed by a discussion on the values Moravians bring to the conversation concerning healthy human relationships. We then compiled a list of biblical texts that affirm these values.

The second day we focused on Genesis 1-3 and issues around creation and gender mutuality. We concentrated on the difficult topic of rape on the third day and read Genesis 34 (the rape of Dinah) and 2 Samuel 13 (the rape of Tamar) as texts that can open up safe spaces to talk about sexual violence in today’s church and society.

We completed the workshop by focusing on the importance of women’s leadership that is evidenced in Paul’s greetings in Romans 16:1-16 that is directed to several women leaders of the church. Further we read the Gospel texts that recount the stories of the woman who stood before the cross and who were the first to proclaim the resurrection.

The conversations with the group were powerful. Together we learned a great deal about how we read and interpret texts and how the Bible can be used to explore better ways to relate to one another. We also made

it a priority each day to bring out the pastoral implications of the biblical texts so they can be applied to present situations in the church and society.

Our second week at TEKU was devoted to conversations with the seminary faculty and administration and focused more fully on how we teach biblical texts in our different cultural settings, particularly those texts that have impacted women. When we weren’t collaborating with the faculty, staff and students, Nancy and I met with leaders from the Tanzanian Moravian Church as well as students and faculty at Utengule and Lutengano and held similar conversations about Bible and violence.

A collaborative resource The idea for a collaborative resource on violence against women was born out of the April conversations with the faculty at TEKU, Patty Garner and others from the Moravian Unity Women’s Desk, and later conversations with the Moravian Theological Seminary (MTS) faculty in Bethlehem. The project expresses a mutual desire by the faculties to comply with the Moravian Unity’s resolutions. (continued on next page)

The Rev. Dr. Deborah Appler is Associate Professor and Director of the MATS Program, Moravian Theological Seminary.

March 2014

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(continued from previous page) The resource will be a collection of essays by the faculties of both schools, the Women’s Desk and other interested individuals and will help to meet the Resolution’s goal of educating Moravians around the issues of violence against women. Since the initial conversations focused on the use of the Bible in addressing violence against women, many of the essays will focus on the Bible, but the resource will also include topical essays and those that consider the issue from other disciplines.

A taste of what is to come: “The Maternal Aspect of God,” “Women on the Cross,” “Rape through the Eyes of the Psalmist,” “The Authority of Scripture in the Moravian Church,” “Jesus and Women in the New Testament,” ‘The Woman Caught in Adultery,” “How to Deal with the Household Codes,” “Genesis 1-3 and Mutuality,” “Pastoral Care and Domestic Violence,” “Romans 16:1-16 and Women Leaders,” “The Unity Resolutions,” “Jesus Narratives and the Pastoral Care of Women,” “The Woman caught in Adultery,” “Mutual Love in the Song of Songs,” “The Moravian Choir System and Healthy Families,” “HIV and the Impact on Women in the Moravian Church in Tanzania,” “Condoms and the Moravian Church in Tanzania,” “Women in the Moravian Church” and more!

The resource will be available in Kiswahili and English. Our hope is that it will make a difference in the lives of the people who read it so that dialogue and healing can continue.

We are grateful for the hospitality and support that we continue to receive from the leadership at TEKU, the Unity Women’s Desk, the Moravian Church in Tanzania, and from Moravian Theological Seminary as this resource comes to fruition. It is such an honor to be part of this project. ■ 24

Remnants

(continued from page 21) think of turning to your ministers, your Moravian church leaders; but what would you do if the ones in whom you put your trust are the ones who have lost trust and faith in God? They become confused, and are unable to cope with the changes. They put their trust and hope in money and power and start dividing the Moravian Church.

In 1998, the Moravian Church in Honduras was divided by our church leaders making us weaker as a people or a culture. It is a struggle that has lasted more than fifteen years, and now is compounded by another drastic division starting in 2010.

In the midst of all these tragedies, the Miskitu Indian women are standing strong within their churches and their communities, nurturing, loving, working and taking care of their loved ones. Has anyone ever asked themselves how these women are surviving?…

But if we gather these leftover remnants and sew them together they can turn into a strong, beautiful quilt to serve others. Ezra 9:8 says “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.”

The remnants of cloth donated by our dear North American sisters of the Bethania quilting group can be used by Miskitu women to make lovely and needed items. In the same way, these Miskitu women are remnants that have been cast aside but are longing to be sewn into the fabric of our worldwide unity in order to serve their God-given purpose to serve others for God’s glory. ■ The Moravian

UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

Women share stories of hope, stories of power at Florida retreat Over the Labor Day weekend 2013, 15 wom-

en from the Florida District of the Moravian Church, Southern Province, gathered at the Duncan Conference Center, Delray Beach, Florida, for a spiritual retreat focused on sharing stories of coming closer to God. Pastors Willie Israel and Judith Justice (who was not able to attend the retreat), and Gloria Barker were retreat organizers, and Dr. Julia Simmons of Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship facilitated the program.

As participants placed items on a lovingly made altar, they relayed stories of important people in their lives: a brother who had moved away and had not been seen for over 30 years; a father’s health which had declined and our retreat sister had stayed with him until his death. These and many other dear stories were stepping-stones as we got to know one another on our first evening together.

On Saturday, participants were invited to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories

March 2014

just as they would have done as children.

Shared memories of Daniel and the lion’s den, David and Goliath, Jonah, the birth of Jesus and the prodigal son provided smiles and knowing nods.

Later participants were invited to draw pictures from a time during which they came closer to God. Pain, loss and struggle wove through each story. Most of these women grew up in places such as Nicaragua, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands. All told of concerns that took them to their knees in prayer. (continued on next page)

Thanks to: Julia Simmons, PhD, Mountain Laurel Moravian Church, Laurel Springs, N.C. and The Rev. Willie Israel, pastor of Rolling Hills Moravian Church, Longwood, Fla. for this article.

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(continued from previous page) Remarkable stories One woman told of her and her mother sharing food with others in their community. Later when political conflict and violence tore through her country, someone snuck to her house and told her that she and her family must leave immediately. She took her children and her mother with only the clothes on their backs and crept up into the mountains and hid away over night. The next morning their house was completely gone. Had they stayed at home, they would have perished along with their belongings. This same woman told that when she had settled in Florida and thought that she had finished raising children, she adopted her grandson and another boy. She spoke of the challenges and joys of raising two young boys at this time of her life.

Another woman told of going as a young missionary nurse to an island country. Doctors that came to serve sometimes knew less about what to do during births than the young nurse. A woman was brought to the mission hospital by her husband and was in painful labor for many hours. It became apparent that the baby was too large to be born without trauma. The nurse told the baby’s father to get down on his knees and pray, NOW! The father did so and the nurse helped bring a 15 lb. baby down the poor mother’s birth canal. The baby sadly died, but the mother lived, and the young nurse gave thanks.

Several of these women told of helping to create new Moravian churches or fellowships. One woman told of beginning a church in New York. She felt grateful that God had used her in this way, but was later 26

heart broken, as she had to leave this congregation due to health problems. Yet God still had work for her, and in Florida she once again worked with others to create a Moravian congregation. Our sister-in-Christ gave thanks for this work.

Another told of being at the point of death when prayer brought a new doctor who brought new treatment, new hope and restored faith. Other stories included finding income-producing work under difficult circumstances, finding avenues to unexpected and satisfying work through education and finding a loving church after giving up on church altogether.

As these strong and lively women related their stories, words such as honesty, humility, faith, confidence, prayer, self-control, love, strength, challenge, peace, joy and closer walk, came from their lips. We wrote these words on a long frieze and began to see a pattern. The “fruits of the spirit” came alive before our eyes. We spent time contemplating these fruits and where they had come from, including time spent in Sunday school, Bible school, church, at the knees of mothers and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers, and for many of these women, lessons learned in Moravian schools. These sisters of our Moravian community have had painful and difficult lives. Tears were shed as stories were told.

But what stands out in these stories of coming closer to God is not fear or bitterness; it is joy that is heard in their laughter. What remains is enthusiasm for sharing their own stories and stories of the Bible with others in their communities.

What a blessing to spend three days with women who have been sorely challenged and who have been greatly blessed by the gifts of the spirit. ■ The Moravian

UNITY WOMEN’S DESK

UWD scholarships to be awarded in the Northern and Southern Provinces The Unity Women’s Desk has been awarding scholarships to women and girls since 2012. These scholarships have gone primarily to girls in Africa, although some have been awarded in the Caribbean, as well as in Star Mountain, India and Nepal.

In fairness to our American girls and women, we will award our first American UWD Scholarships at the 12th American Women’s Conference in June 2015. One scholarship will be awarded in the Northern Province and one in the Southern Province every four years, coinciding with future Women’s Conferences.

The scholarships will be awarded to women who are at least rising juniors in college or in graduate school and who are pursuing careers that will benefit women. Such applicants might be women who are majoring in women’s studies or who are pursuing degrees in social work with the intent to work with victims of domestic violence. They might be planning to become teachers or work in medical fields with emphasis on treating diseases primarily affecting women, i.e., gynecology, obstetrics, oncology (breast, cervical cancer, etc.). The scholarships will be in the amount of $2,000.00 per year for two years for each woman. As our funding increases, we hope to raise the amount of the scholarships.

We will be looking for girls or women who have shown leadership, especially in areas that affect women. They should be girls or women who exhibit high academic standards and who have shown a particular interest in March 2014

bringing up the standard of living and learning for women both at home and abroad.

The women must be active members of a Moravian Church. A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s pastor must be included with the application. Applications may be downloaded from the Unity Women’s Desk website www.unitywomensdesk.org, by emailing us at Unitywomen2011@gmail. com, or may be obtained at 459 South Church Street, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Advisory Board of the UWD in collaboration with the Inter-Provincial Women’s Board will make the final decision on the recipients of the scholarships.

We hope many of our women of all ages will apply. ■ UNITY WOMEN’S CONSULTATION “Am I My Sister’s Keeper” Feb. 18-24, 2016 Hotel Krasnopolsky, Paramaibo, Suriname Discussion topics include justice for women in education, violence against women, employment and overcoming poverty, health issues of women and children, parenting and women in ministry.

Registration information available in Fall 2014 For more information, e-mail unitywomen2011@gmail.com

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MORAVIANS IN MISSION

An African village dedicates its new school “MU BAA YASO I KUGBAYA MEI, A MU TO

GIMA” These words are Mende, spoken in Sierra Leone when the Moravians there want to say “Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him.” Since 2006, Mohamed and Safie Braima gave up life in America and have worked in the remote West African village of Ngiehun.

They have ministered not only to people’s souls—they first built a church but also to their minds—they’ve now built a school.

A Moravian Secondary School Our Moravian Secondary School provides the only opportunity for the youth of Ngiehun to continue their education past sixth grade.

Each year it has grown, now educating 240

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students. The majority of them are Muslim, yet they begin every day by reciting New Testament scripture, and part of the curriculum is a class on theology. Obviously the school is very much a part of our mission in Sierra Leone.

An important next step is to provide solar power. The mission committee at Little Church is beginning to ask for donations toward the equipment, shipping and installation of the needed panels and batteries, thereby dramatically increasing the school’s potential.

The first thing this electrical power would Donna Hurt is Director of Christian Education at Home Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Moravian

bring about is the creation of a computer lab.

With solar, the school could also begin offering night study hours for students, since they have very little light in their homes after dark. And new learning opportunities would be limitless for adults in the village, especially those who were denied an education during the nine years of civil war.

Traveling for the dedication Late last year, we traveled to Ngiehun to participate in the dedication of Moravian Secondary School. I traveled with Steve and Claire Wilson, and Jeff Fulp—all from Little Church on the Lane, where Mohamed and Safie had been longtime members, and all still deeply involved in this new Mission Area of the Unity.

Dedication day began with Safie’s surprise for us, two beautiful dresses and two matching shirts, assuring that we would fit the occasion. Hundreds showed up for the celebratory program that lasted three and a half hours. All the village schoolchildren, elementary and secondary, were there; they marched together to the school grounds and opened this momentous occasion with the singing of their national anthem.

Numerous local and district officials spoke, and the church choir sang, including a “welcome song” they had written especially for those of us from the U.S. I brought greetings from the U.S. and Steve led the dedication reading, the school principal and board chair offered words of appreciation, and scripture and prayer were included. The last part of the program was the ceremonial act of cutting the ribbons by the village chiefs.

While that was supposed to be the conclusion, the Imams from the mosque suddenly (continued on next page) March 2014

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(continued from previous page) stepped forward. They, too, wanted to speak, expressing their gratitude for Mohamed and Safie’s return to Ngiehun, and commending them for the wonderful spirit they had created between the Christians and Muslims in the village. Then the Imams asked that the two ‘beautiful princesses’ come forward. I wondered who they were talking about, until Safie motioned to Claire and me. Goodness, we were the princesses, and they had come with gifts for us!

When the dedication ended, about 2:00, lunch was brought from the church to the schoolyard, and all were invited to partake.

Safie’s sister and other helpers had cooked enough rice and sauce to feed the masses.

The whole celebration turned out to be about the biggest event that’s ever happened in that village.

Seeing more of Ngiehun While in Ngiehun, we attended a school soccer game, one that was quite special because for the first time our players had real uniforms to wear. Jeff had arranged for the shirts to be made with the Moravian seal on the front, and brought them with him.

Sunday of course was for Sunday School and worship, during which Steve baptized nine new members. I helped with a children’s message, revolving around a Christmas play enacted by the youth.

And would you believe it . . . the school dedication celebration continued into Sunday as well, with lunch being fed to everyone after worship. This provided another cherished opportunity to mingle and fellowship with our African brothers and sisters. (continued on page 33) 30

The Moravian

MORAVIAN YOUTH

Youth Leadership Seminar 2014 invites attendees to “Serve the Youth of Today” For a second consecutive year the Northern

Province Youth Task Force will host a Youth Leadership Seminar to provide our youth leaders, lay leaders and youth of all ages with new ideas and encouragement.

This year’s event will take place May 16-18 at Mt Morris Camp and Conference Center in central Wisconsin. We would like to extend an invitation to all people who are interested in youth work and gain experience in leading the youth of the Moravian Church.

This event focuses on training individuals who work with or desire to work with youth of all ages. The seminar is for teachers, youth group leaders, pastors, lay leaders, youth themselves and others learning about ways to connect with today’s youth and help them to grow in their faith with God our father.

Leaders from the Western District will share their expertise and experiences during large group speaking seminars. In addition, the seminar offers workshop opportunities for individuals to work with a small group on specific topics such as:

• Starting and maintaining a youth group • Sharing ideas with other youth leaders • Family life and what the church can do to help the youth • Maintaining the support for youth leaders within the church • Bullying and growing up in today’s public schools/can the church be a safe haven • Using online resources to enhance personal faith journeys • Building a mission ministry • Day camps/ Vacation Bible School • Teen suicide/pregnancy and how the church can respond and care If you are interested in participating please fill out a registration from which can be found at all Moravian Churches in the Northern Province. The cost of the event is $90 to stay in a cabin, $110 to stay in Black Oak Lodge or $35 to come for the day on Saturday May 17. Costs include meals for the weekend and lodging.

To learn more about Mt Morris please visit: http://www.mt-morris.org/ ■

The world’s oldest daily devotional… that’s new every morning!

What better way to start your mornings than with the Moravian Daily Texts? Each day comes alive with inspirational Bible texts, spiritual hymn verses and heartfelt prayers to guide you through your daily life. Order yours today!

To order, visit store.moravian.org or call 1.800.732.0591 ext. 38 March 2014

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OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS Prayer Day for Moravian Unity Work March 2, 2014 The first Sunday in March is designated as a day of prayer for the special causes which are supported by all provinces of our Moravian Unity. This year the Unity Offering is directed to the Congo for construction of a new classroom for the theological college.

Watchwords At the close of 2013, members of the Provincial Board of the European Continental Province met in Herrnhut, the birthplace of our renewed Moravian Church, and drew watchwords for the Unity Board, Unity Provinces, Mission Provinces and Unity Undertakings.

The common watchword for the year 2014 is taken from Psalm 73:28: “For me it is good to be near God!” The 2014 watchword drawn for the Northern Province is from November 19, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered.” Isaiah 65:17 The Southern Province watchword, from May 12, is “Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.”

Psalm 21:13

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Visit www.facebook.com/MoravianMagazine to learn more about what’s happening with the magazine, view current and back issues online and interact with The Moravian editorial staff.

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NORTHERN PROVINCE Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Brother Keith K. Harke, who has been released for other service to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has accepted the call to serve as pastor of West Side Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Brother Harke will be installed in his new work March 16, 2014.

Retirement Brother Darryl C. Bell requested and was granted permission to retire from the active call of the Moravian Church effective August 1, 2014.

Brother Bell was ordained a deacon of the Moravian Church April 21, 1974 and has served the church in pastorates in Minnesota (Lake Auburn) and Ohio (Church of the Redeemer), as well as serving as founding pastor for the work in Canton, Michigan and the congregations of Christ’s Community (Maple Grove, Minn.) and The Promise (Lewis Center, OH). He has also served as Interim Church Planters’ Resource Advisor for the Northern Province.

The church is grateful for his forty years of faithful service.

Elizabeth D. Miller Provincial Elders’ Conference Ad Policy for The Moravian — The Moravian accepts paid advertising that is consistent with the magazine’s objectives and editorial convictions as they are stated in the purpose and mission of the Interprovincial Board of Communication. Advertisements for activities, services and products of specific interest to members of the Moravian Church have priority. The Moravian does not accept purely editorial advertisements that advocate specific ideas or issues. Articles, columns and letters to the editor are the appropriate vehicles for the presentation of ideas and issues. The Interprovincial Board of Communication is responsible for the content and design of the magazine, including advertisements. Ad rates and specifications are available www.moravian.org.

The Moravian

OBITUARY

Mrs. Bobbie Jean Brown May Mrs. Bobbie Jean Brown May, 82, of Winston-Salem, passed away on Monday, December 30, 2013.

Sister May was born on July 29, 1931 in Forsyth County, N.C. to Lonnie Harrison Brown and Mary Elizabeth Flynn Brown. She was a dedicated wife, mother, teacher and friend. Her greatest joys were her husband, her children, grandchildren, and teaching children to read. She also had a great love for music, singing and playing her flute.

Sister May is survived by her husband, Rev. Dr. Henry May, Jr.; her children, Elmon May, Sr., John May, Peter May and Mary May Sidden; grandchildren, Elizabeth Schaefer, Emily Long, Stella May, Emma May, Grace May, Rachel May and Elmon May, Jr.; great-grandchildren, Cailen and Christopher Schaefer, and Micah Long.

Funeral services for Mrs. May were held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 2, 2014 at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Henry E. May and the Rev. Phil Bauguess officiating. ■

March 2014

New School (continued from page 30) A spreading mission The mission is spreading in Sierra Leone.

Another congregation has formed and a third has been requested. So one day the six of us rode in the church’s car (maybe the only one in Ngiehun) to see the second church, about 45 minutes away in Mofindor.

When the Braimas visit just about anywhere, gifts are typically involved, so we took some of the children’s Bibles that I had sent to them many months before. The Moravians in Mofindor were thrilled to meet American Moravians, and when we were ready to depart, they easily outdid us with their array of gifts. First there was the kind of food you grow—pineapples and plantains and cassava root and rice. Then they handed Safie a live chicken to take back and cook for our dinner.

I was trying to picture it riding in the car with us, when they presented their final and most extravagant gift, a live goat. I smiled in gratitude, but was frantically wondering WHO is going to hold this goat for the next 45 minutes. Their solution was to tie the animal to the luggage rack on top of the car! Thankfully, all animals and people arrived back at the mission house just fine.

Before leaving for the airport, I spoke with two teenage boys I had befriended. They said to me, “Please do not forget us.” In the three times I’ve been to the village, forgetting my friends there does not happen, because I carry those experiences in my heart. What a joy it is to share life with the people of Ngiehun. Supporting this mission is certainly a privilege, and absolutely a blessing. ■ 33

Honduras

2014 Synod

(continued from page 6)

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calls for unity. And another reminded us that in John 13:34-35 we are called to love one another; this is the foundation of our Unity.

And when we met with the pastors themselves to share these thoughts, the general response was affirmation. One noted that in the past leaders had been negative, but now they are positive. Another said that reconciliation needs to come from the heart. Another called for humility and to live out reconciliation in all that they do. One commented that the congregations are waiting to hear this and that they need to be serious about it. It should not just be talk, but needs to be lived out in action. Bishop Sandoval closed the time with the pastors saying, “Let’s not wait!” Bishop Evelio later told me that with these meetings a chain had been broken, and perhaps the hardest one.

My heart rejoices in these events. I was a representative from the Western District to the Board of World Mission during the time when these two churches separated. It was a painful time and many wounds have continued through the years. Yet in meeting with each group one sees the faithfulness and the commitment to the gospel and the desire to serve in ministry. The movement toward Unity can only strengthen their witness and testimony.

The road will not be easy and all recognize that. Yet there is a fresh Spirit moving in the Moravian churches in Honduras—a Spirit calling the church back to Unity. We rejoice that the leadership of both the Mission Province and the Province have heard this call and are committed to follow it. May this Spirit give them wisdom, patience, courage and understanding as they walk this road together. ■

4: What Do We Agree On for Our Future?—In the final session, each characteristic group will develop and deliver to the floor of Synod two or three specific goals or statements related to its characteristic theme. This might include programs, structures, and policies that support progress and growth and can help to create and sustain the vision outlined in stage 3. The focus is on common ground, which is distinctly different from “problem solving” approaches to organizational change. The focus will be on honoring differences, finding points of agreement and moving forward together in constructive action.

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While synods have been using discernment models since 1998, this particular model may be the boldest attempt yet to ensure every delegate the opportunity to offer specific input toward collective goals and directives in the province.

Ongoing Preparations As preparations continue, delegates are encouraged to observe regular times of prayer for the proceedings of Synod. March 2 has been designated as a prayer day when delegates across the province will be commissioned for their duties within their given congregations and fellowships. Join our delegates as we pray that the 2014 Synod of the Southern Province will be a grand experience as we ask that “Jesus Still Lead On.” ■

Look for coverage of the 2014 Southern Province Synod in upcoming issues of The Moravian Magazine.

QUESTIONS OF FAITH

aren’t always easy to answer.

Questions about finances can be.

H

OW CAN YOU HELP THE MINISTRIES you care about most? How can you tap into potential support for your church or agency? How can you make your financial investments work harder to support our shared faith? These are all good questions, and the Moravian Ministries Foundation has answers. From education, to gift planning, to fundraising help, to investment management, we have answers that are rooted in wisdom, experience and — most importantly — unwavering faith and values. Simply put, our goal is to generate more money to support Moravian ministries. Visit us online at www.mmfa.info and explore what we can do together.

JOIN US ON

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Periodicals Postmaster please send address changes to: The Moravian, P.O. Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245

June 30-July 9, 2015 Led by MTS professors: Rev. Dr. Craig Atwood Rev. Dr. Riddick Weber

Visit Prague & Herrnhut to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the martyrdom of John Hus Itinerary Includes: Bethlehem Chapel Prague Castle Tyn Church Chalice Rocks Hus’s Birthplace Herrnhut Zinzendorf Castle Berthelsdorf Herrnhut Star Factory

MORAVIAN Theological Seminary

For more info or to reserve your seat, visit: moravianseminary.edu/moravian-studies/2015Hus or email burcawj@moravian.edu