Moravian Magazine November 2015

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A meeting of bishops Moravian Open Door A Spirit-filled girls’ weekend And more!

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On the cover: A stained glass window crafted by Kathy Liebenow of Wisconsin graces the vespers area at Mt. Morris. Photo by Mike Riess.

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A meeting of bishops Moravian Open Door

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A Spirit-filled girls’ weekend And more!

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

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Moravian Bishops 5 Northern and Southern Province bishops meet for discussions on our church In Our Communities: 7 Moravian Open Door continues assistance in NYC Healthy Congregations 10 Illustrating the Healthy Congregation ideal for the Northern Province Christian Education 13 You are God’s Masterpiece—A Tale of Two Weekends Book Review 16 A Time of Sifting: Mystical Marriage and the Crisis of Moravian Piety in the Eighteenth Century

Member, Associated Church Press

In Our Congregations 18 Calgary Moravians entertain with biblical musical Moravians in Mission 20 Orphan care in the city of Tabora 21 Assisting Syrian refugees

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.

November 2015

And more 5 Ponderings 22 Studying Moravian Doctrine: Covenant for Christian Living Part IX 25 Official Provincial Elders’ News 26 Statistics of the Moravian Church Northern and Southern Provinces 3

PONDERINGS

So many faces to be thankful for As November approaches—that time of year when we reflect and

give thanks—there’s much I’m thankful for: health, family, love, friendship and little blessings too numerous to count.

One thing I’m especially thankful for is work that I “get to do,” as opposed to work that I “gotta do.” As a somewhat shy person (my MyersBriggs pegs as a very strong “I”), I’m also thankful that my job requires me to get out and meet people from many walks of Moravian life.

And this year, I’ve had an opportunity to see many Moravian faces.

In the past four months alone, I met pastors and church members in the Czech Republic and Germany and worshiped with several hundred Southern Province Moravians at a special service remembering Jan Hus. I visited gatherings with 10 Moravian bishops, 30 Moravian youth considering mission, more than 100 Eastern District Conference attendees and nearly 50 Northern Province clergy members. I met with a contingent of travelers from Denmark (including the Unity Business Administrator) and another group touring Bethlehem from Winston-Salem.

I met the Board of World mission for a group photo, shipped books with women from the Provincial Women’s Board, sat in on a variety of committee and commission meetings and just this weekend, met with members of the Provincial Elders’ Conference from both provinces.

While my travel experiences don’t hold a candle to those of my counterparts on the Board of World Mission or the District and Provincial presidents, I am amazed at just how many people I’ve come in contact with through my Moravian work. And I value each of those connections very much.

Getting to meet and talk with so many Moravians educates my perspective on our church today. I can see firsthand the work being done to spread the Gospel; to help the poor, the sick and those in need; to delve into our history to guide our future; to make our communities better places to live; and to lead our congregations and their members to a closer relationship with God. And with all the faces I see, I’m thankful to work for a church like ours. Peace, 4

(ISSN 1041-0961 USPS 362600) November Vol. 46, No. 9 Publications Agreement No. 40036408 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: OnTrac International, 121 5th Avenue NW, New Brighton, MN 55112 email: file@ontrac.com Official Journal, The Moravian Church in North America, Northern and Southern Provinces Published monthly, except bimonthly January-February and July-August issues, by the Interprovincial Board of Communication, 1021 Center St., Bethlehem, PA 18018.

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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 Lance Fox, Paul Peucker Chair Adam Pristas Terri Bischoff Ginny Tobiassen Jane Carmichael Jane Weber Peggy Carter 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 © 2015, Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America.

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The Moravian

MORAVIAN BISHOPS

Northern and Southern Province bishops meet for discussions on our church The

16th Interprovincial Bishops’ Conference brought ten Moravian bishops from the Southern and Northern Provinces to Mt. Morris Camp and Conference Center near Wautoma, Wis. for fellowship, worship, prayer and conversation on issues and concerns facing our two provinces.

Attending were the Rt. Revs. Blair Couch, Kay Ward, Graham Rights, Chris Giesler, Lane Sapp, Doug Kleintop, Sam Gray, Hopeton Clennon, Wayne Burkette and Paul Graf.

Three bishops—the Rt. Revs. Edwin Sawyer, John Wilson and Jay Hughes, unable to attend due to health issues—were held in prayer and later sent a copy of the agenda and minutes.

Considering issues Issues considered and discussed during this year’s conference included clarifying practices in ordination and consecration services;

professional and contextual dress by clergy; a review of ordination vows; and a video presentation by the Rev. Dr. Jørgen Bøytler, Unity business administrator, on the state of the worldwide Moravian Unity. Brother Bøytler provided an insightful overview that the Bishops found helpful. The Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller, president of the Northern Province PEC, also joined the bishops for a brief time as representative of the host province.

It is significant to note that in the conversations during this conference, no votes were taken; rather, the group arrived at consensus on all matters, either for clarification of ritu(continued on next page) The Rt. Rev. Paul Graf of Wisconsin and The Rt. Rev. D. Wayne Burkette of North Carolina supplied this article.

Moravian bishops meeting in Wisconsin include Doug Kleintop, Paul Graf, Kay Ward, Sam Gray, Chris Giesler, Wayne Burkette, Graham Rights, Lane Sapp, Blair Couch and Hopeton Clennon.

The Rt. Reverend D. Wayne Burkette is a bishop in North Carolina; the Rt. Rev. Paul A. Graf is a bishop in Wisconsin.

(continued from previous page) als and practices or making recommendation to the Provincial Elders’ Conferences, South and North.

Role of a Moravian bishop The bishops in attendance expressed a general feeling that there are some misperceptions throughout the church about the office of bishop within the Northern and Southern Provinces.

Elected by the delegates at Provincial Synods, our bishops serve as “pastors to pastors” (and their families), prayer intercessors and spiritual guides to the denomination and when commissioned, officiate at ordinations and consecrations. It is not unusual for the PECs to consult with bishops on matters of

doctrine, faith and church order. Also, at the request of the PEC, a bishop may be asked to counsel with a pastor or congregation, represent the Moravian Church at the consecration of a bishop in one of our partner denominations or serve ex-officio on interdenominational committees or working groups.

Moravian bishops in the two provinces hold no administrative responsibility or authority, and while expenses are covered in carrying out the duties of a bishop, this is not a salaried position. In fact, our bishops typically serve as congregational pastors or with church agencies before retirement. For example, Bishops Clennon, Giesler and Sapp all serve congregations; Bishops Kleintop and Couch recently retired from congregational service; and Bishop Gray works for the Board of World Mission.

Discussion on the Bible Perhaps some of the most substantive discussion came in considering a response to those who say that the Moravian Church no longer believes that the Bible is an essential. If the question is whether or not the Bible is essential to salvation, the answer is “no.” Salvation is in Christ alone. If the question is whether or not the Bible is essential to having a fuller understanding of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, the answer is “yes” because the Bible is the primary testimony to God’s revelation in Jesus Christ.

“As Moravians, proclaiming Christ and Him crucified as our confession of faith, and believing that the triune God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only source of our life and salvation, we do not believe that Jesus points us to Scripture so that we can find the answers (continued on page 9)

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The Moravian

IN OUR COMMUNITIES

Moravian Open Door continues assistance in NYC What’s happening at Moravian Open Door (MOD)? The short answer is “lots!”

Now in its 29th year, this ministry of the Northern Province helps the homeless of New York City help themselves by providing private and semi-private rooms for up to 41 men and women over the age of 50. Its full-time staff of three also provides supportive services to rebuild the residents’ lives with the goal of moving residents into affordable housing of their own.

In July, MOD welcomed a new social worker, Gloria Berrios, MSW (Master of Social Work). She brings more than 25 years of experience to her work, helping residents obtain benefits and jobs, giving them needed encouragement to save, even with meager

income, to be able to move to independent housing. Gloria meets often with each client individually—in her office, on a walk or even on a bench in a nearby park—to listen to their stories, review their needs and set goals.

Here are two of those stories: • Maureen “Moe” Panes came to MOD a few years ago after completing a substance abuse abatement program. She has professional training and past experience in food preparation, having earned a certificate in Culinary Arts in 1992. Since coming to MOD, she has been working part-time at a local grocery store as a food preparer. This past year, MOD hired her to be breakfast cook, and with her healthy and delicious food, she has made the breakfast program very popular. With her two jobs, she is now saving to be able to move to independent housing in the next year. Moe makes breakfast a “family” affair, providing variety and accommodating the various health conditions of the residents. (continued on next page) Doris Schattschneider of Bethlehem is president of the board of directors for Moravian Open Door. Photo above: Volunteers stuff envelopes in Bethlehem.

Left: Working on the facade of MOD.

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(continued from previous page) • One of MOD’s oldest residents, Ned, an award-winning dance teacher and still teaching at 85 years of age, was in declining health. In May, with MOD’s assistance and help with furnishings from some New York Moravian churches, he moved to an assisted living facility.

Replacing and modernizing MOD’s century-old building was completely renovated in 1987 to house this ministry, but now has reached the stage where many of those “new” building parts need replacing

and modernizing. Thanks to a generous donation of LED lights by manufacturer Forest Lighting, more than 80 fluorescent fixtures were replaced with new LED lights—in halls, stairwells, offices and Common room. All of these areas are now much brighter, and the difference in wattage will save MOD almost $5,000 annually in electric bills.

Another major upgrade and modernization to an essential part of the building—the elevator—is in the works. The elevator has been out of service over several months, causing a trying time for the residents. The new elevator, funded by special donations, will be much appreciated.

Depending on volunteers MOD’s program depends on many wonderful volunteers to provide services to the residents and the building. One outstanding volunteer, Perry Garcia, comes every day to supervise government-paid interns with custodial duties. When the intern program shut down for reorganization for a few months, Perry came and did the work himself. MOD recognized a very surprised Perry with a plaque and gift at MOD’s 2014 Christmas party.

Pastors of the Metro area Moravian churches

Left: installing LED lighting at MOD. At right, Susan Attzs-Mendoza, MOD executive director, reviews the MOD website.

started a special volunteer ministry to MOD this year. Each month a pastor comes to MOD to be available for spiritual counseling, meeting with residents who seek this service. Other volunteers—individuals, youth groups and groups from other churches—have come to MOD to paint the building’s façade, provide special meals and entertainment for the residents and offer technical help with IT problems.

There are many volunteers in locations outside of New York City who also provide services for MOD. One notable group is the 30 or so who spend a day stuffing more than 8,800 envelopes for MOD’s annual appeal.

Donations in response to the annual appeal are crucial to MOD’s operating budget. MOD receives no government funds, and with generous support from individuals, churches and church and private foundations, MOD manages to provide a safe transitional home and supportive services for a fraction of what it costs per client for city-run shelters.

Other off-site volunteers include those who organize information and keep the website and social media sites alive. We have a dozen board members who use their special talents to oversee MOD and help in many unsung ways.

MOD also welcomes visitors from near and far—they come to see the facility, but mostly to understand how this ministry works. This past September, a special group from the historic Moravian town of Christiansfeld, Denmark visited and joined in a luncheon with the staff and some residents.

A new online presence Last spring, MOD launched a fresh new web site, www.moravianhouse.org, designed by Sheila Sacks. The website features photos and updates on what’s happening at MOD and offers information about MOD’s history, services and needs, while providing a way to November 2015

make a donation to help support this important ministry to the homeless. MOD also has a presence on Facebook and YouTube, thanks to David Barwig, a professional digital marketer, who volunteers his services through the national foundation Taproot+. Weekly posts highlight what is happening and invite viewers to volunteer. Become a follower, and spread the word about MOD to friends!

The Coalition for the Homeless has labeled the current situation of over 55,000 homeless in the New York City shelter system a catastrophe. About 25% of those are single adults.

The most vulnerable are the elderly homeless, and they are the focus of MOD’s mission.

Each time one of MOD’s residents leaves for independent living, there is a list of others waiting to enter this caring community. ■

Bishops meet (continued from page 6)

there, but rather that the Scriptures point us to Jesus so that we can find the answers in him.” (Guiding Principles for the Interpretation of Scripture in a Moravian Context,” by the Faith and Order Commission) A spiritual retreat Hosting for the Interprovincial Bishops’ Conferences, held every four years, rotates between the provinces. The bishops selected Mt. Morris for this year’s conference, which provided a relaxing, contemplative location for their meeting.

As the conference was drawing to a close, one bishop commented, “this felt more like a spiritual retreat than a conference.” The bishops left the conference having experienced spiritual refreshment and renewal which was a significant blessing. ■ 9

HEALTHY CONGREGATIONS

Illustrating the Healthy Congregation Ideal for the Northern Province In the September issue of the Moravian Maga-

zine, we highlighted the Northern Province’s Healthy Congregations Task Force. In this and coming issues, we will be sharing examples and ideas of how putting the “Seven Characteristics of Healthy Congregations” to work have enhanced the mission and ministry of local churches, while providing illustrations of each of the characteristics.

This month, Task Force members discuss “Worship,” “Spiritual Formation” and “Mission and Service.”

Worship What does it mean for a congregation to work on the Healthy Congregation Characteristic of Worship? It means setting an intentional focus on the worshiping life of the congregation through the communal expressions of worship, individual prayer, small groups, praising God every day and simple practices of gratitude, to name only a few.

At Good News Moravian Church in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada we explored worship together. We considered three things that affect how, when and why we worship: • Expectations—We talked about the ways that our expectations of what worship can be can either open us to dynamic experiences of praise or limit our vision if worship is too small.

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• Elements—We thought about the elements of worship: prayer, music, silence, scripture, reflections, etc. How do these parts of worship fit into our communal services, as well as lead us to more intentional personal practices of worship?

• Expressions—We shared stories about powerful experiences of worship that stayed with us. We talked about what worked in those moments to feel a greater connection with God and how we might learn from them to create similar opportunities for others.

Through this experience we saw more openings for discovery, experimentation and celebration of how worship can lead us to the life abundant of Christ in the world; by highlighting direction and encouraging us to see God’s working in the world we gain a greater opportunity to love more fully.

Worship helps us improve our congregational health by engaging our hearts and minds in God’s dream for all of creation and by challenging us to respond with our actions in the world. ■ Rebecca Craver is pastor of Edmonton Moravian Church in Edmonton, Alberta and a member of the Healthier Congregation Task Force.

The Moravian

Spiritual Formation Spiritual Formation, one of the seven characteristics, is lifelong learning about what it means to be a Christian. But what does that mean on a practical level?

A congregation’s engagement in lifelong Christian learning can mean many things. A children’s chat during worship, a women’s group studying Bad Girls of the Bible, a collaborative vacation Bible school between area churches or encouraging young adults to discuss contemporary issues with a biblical interpretation at a camp or retreat all represent some of the many ways to experience the biblical story at all ages.

My experience growing up in Schoenbrunn Community Moravian Church and then attending the Promise Church as an adult gave me the opportunity to really see what spiritual formation looks like as a decades-long process. Understanding God’s invitation to discipleship and then having chances to respond to God’s call to daily living as a Christian dis-

ciple is neither a simple task, nor one that happens overnight.

A family eats dinner together every night.

Over the course of four years, that family has consumed nearly 1,500 dinners. If at the end of those four years you asked each family member to name all that they ate, you might be lucky to hear a few dozen memorable meals. Even if they can’t remember all that they ate, does that mean that the family is not being fed and growing?

Such is the relationship between an individual and spiritual growth. Spiritual lessons may be taught daily for years with some remembered and some forgotten, but all were nourishing and put to use by the body.

Spiritual Formation helps us grow in health by feeding the Body of Christ. ■ Nicole Fowles is a Healthier Congregations Task Force member from Ohio. (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) Mission and Service: A few weeks ago I was at the grocery store and was asked where I work. When I mentioned our church, the clerk said, “yes…the church who has that Back to School Shopping Day!” She was talking about one of the ways the Emmaus Moravian congregation serves locally, by hosting our Community Back to School Outreach. It is a ministry that serves families by providing gently used clothing, sports equipment and new backpacks for kids.

One of the things we are especially mindful about is building partnerships and relationships through mission and service. In this particular ministry: • Seven school district guidance offices contacted families who would benefit from the event.

• Our local food bank distributed flyers for the event.

• Students of a nearby charter school donated items and served.

• And one community group who meets in our church made our mission their mission, donating 40 backpacks!

All illustrations by Andrew David Cox ©2015.

On the day of the event, folks line up long before the doors are scheduled to open.

Greeters welcome and talk with them while they wait. Later inside, volunteers and shoppers enjoy free coffee, doughnuts and good conversation together. Church members and volunteers help make decisions for this event, and shoppers are asked for their feedback, which makes it an evolving ministry that is shaped by both those who serve and those who receive.

One shopper wrote to us and said, “You are a group of people who really care about the kids in our neighborhood.” Yes, we are!

Mission and Service helps us grow in health as the people of God, by building relationships in our communities as we show love to our neighbors in Christ’s name. ■ Linda Wisser is director of Growth and Development for Emmaus Moravian Church in Emmaus, Pa., and Northern Province Healthier Congregations Task Force Member.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

You are God’s Masterpiece— A Tale of Two Weekends

What

do you get when you put 35 thirdthrough eighth-grade girls and 15 women all in the Upper Lodge at Camp Hope in Hope, N.J. for a weekend? How about 20 thirdthrough eighth-grade girls and ten women in the lodge at Camp Zimmerman outside of Gnadenhutten, Ohio for a weekend?

I can tell you from personal experience what we got at two Girls’ Retreats this past January and March: two of the most spiritually uplifting, laughter-inducing, joy-filled weekends you could imagine. God was definitely at work not only in the planning of the weekends, but also in the lives of the campers and staff. And we’re getting ready to do it all again in 2016.

A weekend underway Both weekends started with the girls arriving at camp and taking “selfies” (self portraits) to be used later in the weekend. After some interesting getting-to-know-you games, we began to focus on who we are in God’s eyes.

Every girl was asked to write down all of the negative things that she had been told November 2015

about herself on a piece of paper. As the girls worked, the staff joined in the same exercise.

Some of us took longer than others, but in no time, we were able to fill a cardboard box, covered in gray dots, with all of the negativity that we had heard about ourselves.

“For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Ephesians 2:10 After spending some time talking about how it felt to not only initially hear those things, but also to get rid of them, we heard a reading from Max Lucado’s book You are Special. At the end of the story, the “box of (continued on next page) Rev. Jodie L. Harney is pastor of Mountainview Moravian Hellertown, Pa. Camp Hope photos by Cathy Moyzan.

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(continued from previous page) negativity” was placed into the fireplace and all those mean, hurtful things were burned and gone. The relief on the faces of the campers as well as the staff was amazing to witness; the girls in Ohio broke out into a round of applause and cheering.

That’s how the mood of the weekends was set. Get rid of the bad and make room for the good.

Being God’s Masterpieces We spent Saturday focusing on being God’s Masterpiece using Ephesians 2:10* as our focus scripture for the morning. We came up with many ideas about how we can be God’s masterpieces and what it is that God is calling us to do.

To further the idea of being a masterpiece, each camper and staff member made an “all about me” poster incorporating their “selfie” taken the night before. On our posters, we listed our families and shared many interesting, goofy and fascinating facts about ourselves. Glue, glitter, stickers and feathers helped make the posters even more colorful.

Everyone was given a chance to share their poster and talk a bit about themselves. And as we shared our posters, we spent a little more time focusing on a gospel lesson from Matthew 16:13–16, the passage where Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?”

We played several rounds of a popular camp game called “Shuffle Your Butt.” During this game everyone sits in a circle and the person in the middle calls out something like “Shuffle your butt if you are wearing something green” then everyone wearing green has to find a new seat.

We tweaked the game a bit and said things like “Shuffle your butt if you have ever been

The Moravian

called short” and after several rounds of hearing some negative reminders again we changed the tone of the game completely.

Each staff member shared positive statements with the girls by saying things like, “You are amazing,” “You are unique” and “You are wonderful.” Then we started the game again… this time saying “Shuffle your butt If anyone has ever told you that you are amazing, unique, wonderful, etc.”

Lessons in T-shirts and glow sticks After some much-needed free time, we gathered for the evening activities which included decorating t-shirts and watching a movie. On the front of the t-shirt was a screen-printed tree.

We directed each camper to fill their tree with leaves of positive attributes and if they wished, to draw leaves of negative attributes lying on the ground. Everyone was then given time to sign the back of everyone else’s t-shirts to serve as a reminder that even when we would no longer be together, we still had each other’s backs.

After watching the movie “Tangled,” each girl received some glow sticks. The lesson behind the glow sticks was that in order to truly shine, we all have to be broken and through our brokenness our light can be a beacon to others. Only through our brokenness can we truly shine… a glow stick only works if it’s broken. The scripture focus for the evening’s vespers was Matthew 5:14, which includes “You are the light of the world.”

“Fearfully and wonderfully made” As we began the process of getting ready to go home on Sunday morning, our focus scripture was Psalm 139:14: “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Our hope and prayer was to send each of the girls home with as many positive reminders of the weekend as possible. To do that, every camper reNovember 2015

ceived a small white box that had been filled with all of the positive statements that the counselors shared during Saturday’s game of “Shuffle your Butt” plus positive comments that the campers had written down for each other. After spending some time decorating their boxes, each girl also received a mirror with her name across the top and positive words written all around the edges by the staff to serve as a reminder that regardless of what they see when they look in the mirror, the staff sees all of the positives.

God-inspired, God-filled weekends These two weekends were definitely God-inspired and God-filled. The staff of both weekends shared how God was at work and the girls all left seemingly happier than when they had arrived.

These Girls’ Retreat weekends are available for girls in grades 3–8 in the Eastern District.

The 2016 retreat will take place Friday, January 29th–Sunday, January 31st at Hope Conference and Renewal Center in Hope, New Jersey.

Space is limited to 36 girls so please register soon. Registration forms are available through your church office. The Ohio retreat dates will be scheduled soon so be sure to check with your church office for further information. ■ Moravian-themed Items for Christmas and Other Times

by Linda Wickmann www.lilycreations.net 610-746-0788 Photo note cards Matted prints ready for framing Photo coasters Featuring Moravian Star & Candle Collection note cards 15

BOOK REVIEW

A Time of Sifting: Mystical Marriage and the Crisis of Moravian Piety in the Eighteenth Century Paul Peucker Published by Penn State Press, 2015 Hardcover, 264 pages.

List price $84.95

“It’s complicated.” That’s a phrase I utter routinely while teaching church history to seminarians. I offer that short sentence not to intimidate students or to dissuade them from the study of history, but rather to invite them to slow down and explore the past.

Because the past is complicated, it deserves thoughtful and steady attention. As students wander through centuries gone by, I ask them to consider what they find familiar and expected and what appears surprising or foreign. I encourage students to consider the past first on its own terms, and only after careful study to consider implications the past might have for the present.

Paul Peucker’s wonderful new book explores a complicated moment in the history of the Moravian Church.

The “piety Paul Peucker, author of A Time of Sifting and archivist at the Northern Province Archives.

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of the late 1740s and the subsequent embarrassment” about that period form the subject of his investigation (xii). Focusing largely on the German communities of Herrnhut and Herrnhaag, Peucker argues that the “so-called Sifting Time was a culmination of Moravian theology” over the preceding two decades not simply an isolated aberration (2). A variety of influences shaped thought about God during the early years of the renewed Moravian Church, including the writings of Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, Lutheran theology, bridal mysticism, passion symbolism and an ideal of the childlike nature of the true believer.

As members of early eighteenth-century Moravian communities worked to communicate and practice Zinzendorf’s theology, notions of perfectionism, antinomianism and the connection some drew between sexual intercourse and union with Christ prompted a crisis. Controversy emerged, and by the end of the 1740s, church leaders deemed the beliefs and practices of some members problematic and troublesome, if not heretical and dangerous.

To develop his account of events in eighteenth century Moravian communities, Peucker mines Moravian and non-Moravian sources from the period and attends to subseThe Moravian

quent historical treatments. Few stones seem left unturned in Peucker’s careful examination of sources, and the voices of faithful believers and disillusioned skeptics sit sideby-side on his pages.

Interpretations of how belief should shape practice varied, and some, including Christian Renatus von Zinzendorf, Zinzendorf’s son, enacted their devotion through rituals deemed licentious by insiders and outsiders. When opposition spread, first Zinzendorf then other church leaders took action.

While mostly lauded in the present, the elder Zinzendorf proves a complex figure in Peucker’s history, at once inspirational and dictatorial, egalitarian and controlling. Through a 1749 letter of reprimand and the removal of his son from leadership, Zinzendorf curbed the radical practices that had emerged. Yet, Peucker argues that lasting change appeared only after Zinzendorf’s 1760 death when leaders in the broader Moravian Unity dismantled “important aspects of his legacy.” That transition changed church positions about “women, theology and worship, sexuality and marriage and leadership style” and shaped the Moravian Church into a more mainstream, conventional evangelical Protestant denomination (148).

Part of the strength of Peucker’s account it that it seeks to clarify how the past is remembered. In addition to accessing previously studied accounts of the Sifting Period and uncovering new ones, he explores how the history of this period has been told, including how later generations of Moravians and historians narrated the beliefs and practices of the late 1740s. In doing so, Peucker argues that a number of things often associated with the Sifting Period, including blood-and-wounds theology, adoration of the (feminine) Holy Ghost and an exaggerated emphasis on devotional practices belong not just to a specific, November 2015

troublesome moment, but rather are “general characteristics of Moravian piety in the eighteenth century” (6). As part of his robust historiographical work, Peucker makes clear that past historians—particularly historians within the church—manipulated the historical narrative about the period, sometimes obscuring details deemed unseemly by burning or striking through congregational records and personal correspondence.

Peucker’s account finds grounding in careful explanation of a wide range of topics central to the period—from salvation, justification by faith and eschatology to gender roles, gender identity and sexuality. More than just an exploration of the Sifting period, the book places the events of that period in wider historical context. As a result, the volume offers a chance for amateur and professional historians alike to deepen their understanding of the eighteenth-century Moravian Church.

Modern Moravians may find details of the Sifting Period unusual, or even uncomfortable. And, yet, this is a moment in the church’s history worth visiting. Understanding the past helps make sense of the present. Though we are shaped by our history we are not controlled by it. Believers have always navigated and interpreted faith in context and always will. Christian life nearly always benefits from ongoing communal discernment about belief and practice. Complicated moments in history call for careful attention, and Peucker’s volume offers adept guidance. ■ The Rev. Dr. Heather Vacek is assistant professor of Church History at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and an ordained pastor of the Moravian Church,Southern Province. A Time of Sifting is available from Penn State Press and the Moravian Archives (www.moravianchurcharchives.org).

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IN OUR CONGREGATIONS

Calgary Moravians entertain with biblical musical And

now for something completely different… no, not a Monty Python Show but rather a biblical musical comedy performed at a Canadian Moravian Church!

In June, Good Shepherd Moravian Church in Calagary hosted “And on the Sixth Day…” a fun biblical musical comedy by Jack Sharkey and Dave Reiser with a cast of 11 singers and actors.

“And on the Sixth Day…” is a full length musical in two acts. Act one covered Creation including the Garden of Eden, the Flood, Abraham with Sarah and Isaac, Sodom and Gomorrah, Esau with his brother Jacob, Moses leading his people out of Egypt and the falling of the walls of Jericho. Act two included Samson and Delilah, Jonah, King David and Bathsheba, Daniel in the Lion’s Den and concluded with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

The majority of the cast were Moravians.

The rest were talented performers who we invited to join our group. Two of the cast were professional music teachers who helped guide

us through the difficult musical score. Lana Miller, a member of our congregation and retired drama teacher directed the play; Jean Hergert, an accomplished pianist provided the accompaniment; and two men in the congregation looked after the lighting and sound.

This was a real leap of faith that started last year when Lana made a proposal to the church board and then proceeded to match people to the parts in the play. The cast put in many hours of rehearsal and learned to change costumes quickly, change props off stage, do choreographed dancing and get along with each other (and actually enjoyed the challenge)!

Rehearsals started in mid-February in the church sanctuary, with performances in June.

We opened to a full house on the first night and to about 100 people on the second night.

Although Calgary and Edmonton are 186 miles apart, there were some Moravians who attended from Edmonton Moravian churches.

The royalty fees for this musical comedy were graciously paid for by GSC’s mission

The cast of “And On the Sixth Day…” during rehearsals at Good Shepherd in Calgary.

18

The Moravian

funds. We were also pleased to receive grant money from Shell Canada (as two members of our church are retired Shell employees) to help pay for some of our other costs. Various Calgary groups generously loaned us costumes, lights and staging materials.

All money raised was designated for the HUKWAFA project (one of the Likewise Ministries of the Board of World Missions)—at last count, with ticket sales and donations, we were at $6000. Although all the money raised was donated to the HUFWAFA Project, our church was able to purchase some basic lighting equipment with some of the Shell grant money for future performances.

We were blessed with many talented people (singers/performers) in our two Moravian congregations in Calgary, as well as other individuals from the community, who were so willing to contribute their time and talents to this project.

Our audiences were mostly adult, with some older children, who were all reminded of the struggles in Biblical times but with a comical twist! ■ Ann Tyrell is member of Good Shepherd Moravian Church, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Photos by David Briant.

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.

November 2015

19

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

Orphan Care in the city of Tabora

Drs. Bill and Peg Hoffman send periodic reports of the work going on in Tanzania through the Adopt-a-Village program. This month, they share work with orphans in the city of Tabora.

In 2002 the Moravian Church of Western Tanzania’s orphan program started in the village of Sikonge. Mama Kimwaga and her three assistants began providing food, clothing, health care, school uniforms and supplies, as well as small personal items such as bars of soap, to the initial 34 children.

The following year the church’s provincial offices in Tabora asked that their city be included in the program. The request initially seemed unworkable; the two areas were separated by a four-hour drive on a road that is nearly impassible during the rainy season.

After much consideration, a separate but similar program was constructed to meet the needs of orphans in Tabora; 70 children were registered in the city during the first month.

The two programs proved to be very dif 20

ferent from the start. Villages are small and self-contained. People know one another and communicate continually. In this environment, enrolling orphans is relatively easy as all the children are well-known to the entire community.

Compared to a village in the bush, the city of Tabora is enormous; the total number of orphans there dwarfs the program’s capacity to care for them. Initially the ladies knew only a few of the potential registrants. Since it was usually impossible for them to be sure a child was truly an orphan, a note from the local community leader was required to document the individual’s status.

The needs of the city orphans were also far greater. There are no fields in the city where food may be grown. Housing is often woefully substandard, and sometimes lacking altogether. The social support system generated by tribal relations in the villages, imperfect as it may be, simply does not exist in the city; orphans and their caregivers have too often been left to fend for themselves.

The Tabora orphan team is supervised by Kefas Kabata, the only man in either program

responsible for orphan care. While he lives in Sikonge with his family, the four orphan ladies live in different parts of the city; all are members of the Moravian church.

The one advantage Tabora’s children have is educational opportunity. Unlike their village counterparts, schools in the city have teachers in all subjects required by the government examinations. This enables a far greater percentage to pass their exams and proceed to secondary school, and beyond; it also results in significantly greater costs per child compared to the village program. The average cost per child, per year, for the entire program is $33 USD; in the villages this is $23 USD, while in the city of Tabora it exceeds $122 USD. Although the cost of care in the city of Tabora is five times that in the villages, these children are no less deserving. Both programs therefore treat all orphans equivalently. However, due to financial constraints, the number of orphans registered in Tabora has been limited to 360; in the Sikonge program the number of villages, rather than the number of orphans, has been limited by Mama Kimwaga’s ability to supervise them.

Orphans account for over 15 percent of the Tanzanian youth population. Due to the country’s poverty, which is exacerbated within these broken families, these children rarely experience opportunities equal to those of their non-orphaned peers. By providing the financial resources necessary to remain in school, the orphan program gives them the chance to become productive citizens, advancing not only their own lives but contributing to their country as well. ■ The Drs. Bill and Peg Hoffman oversee the Adopt-a-Village program, an outreach ministry based at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.

November 2015

ASSISTING SYRIAN REFUGEES The Syrian Refugee crisis affects more than 12 million people, more than those impacted by the Haiti earthquake, Katrina, and the tsunami hitting Japan combined. Michael and Brenda Brent (above), two missionaries supported by the Southern Province Mission Society, recently traveled to the border between Croatia and Serbia with a group from their church in Zagreb to bring food, water and clothes to distribute to the refugees. They ask for your continued prayers as they try to help the refugees.

Our mission agencies in Europe are also beginning to address the needs as refugees come into their countries. In particular, Raimund Hertzsch with the German Mission board reports that many are arriving in Germany and they would appreciate support from the North American churches for the near future.

The Board of World Mission will be sending support from our disaster relief funds. Additional donations to this cause can be sent to BWM disaster relief, 1021 Center St., PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18018, or you can donate online at www.moravianmission.org.

STUDYING MORAVIAN DOCTRINE

Covenant for Christian Living Part IX

In our January issue of the Moravian Maga-

zine, we introduced a new regular feature, “Studying Moravian Doctrine.” Following the outline established by Jesus Still Lead On, An Introduction to Moravian Belief, we will cover different aspects of two central documents outlining Moravian doctrine and belief each month. In 2015, we are working through the Moravian Covenant for Christian Living (MCCL); in 2016, we’ll cover the Ground of the Unity.

This month will cover the parts of the MCCL dealing with “Witnessing to Our Faith,” “Temperance” and “Opposition to Racism.”

Thanks to Dr. Craig Atwood and the editors of Jesus Still Lead On (produced in 2005) for this material. If you are interested in obtaining the entirety of Jesus Still Lead On, please contact the IBOC or visit store.moravian.org.

The full text of the Moravian Covenant for Christian Living and the Ground of the Unity are available as a free download from www. moravian.org. Printed copies are available from the IBOC. Witnessing to our Faith We will at all times be ready cheerfully to witness to our faith (1 Peter 3:15,16) and if need be, to suffer reproach for Christ’s sake (Luke 6:22,23). Being aware that our witness is made by both what we do and what we avoid doing, we will endeavor to let our manner of life “be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27), “not being conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). But in our yearning for the redemption of the

22

whole creation, we will seek to meet the needs of the world in self-giving love, and as true yokefellows of Jesus Christ, willingly share in the fellowship of his sufferings, walking in his strength, by whom all things “are given us that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Commentary: Many people, including many Moravians, report that they are uncomfortable witnessing to others about their faith in Christ. This may be because of how some churches use the word “witness.” Many times witnessing to faith seems like an effort to convince other people that they are wrong for believing what they believe and that they must join a particular church. The Covenant understands witnessing to our faith to be a cheerful sharing with others the joy and comfort we have in following Jesus Christ.

Notice that witnessing is not simply verbal; it includes our behavior in the world. Sometimes our strongest witness is when we do not participate in the petty cruelties and violence we see daily in our world. That is not all, though. Like the preceding paragraph, this one calls us into active expressions of our faith formed in love.

Theologically, we recognize that this is a fallen and sinful world, but that all of creation is in a process of redemption. Moravians understand Christian love to mean self-giving love modeled on the love of Christ who shared in the sufferings of the world. We see here the paradox of the New Testament: by sharing in the sacrifice and suffering of Christ on behalf The Moravian

of the world we experience the joy and peace of Christ while we are in the world.

Questions: • Have you ever “cheerfully witnessed” to your faith? What does this mean for you? Is this different from other forms of witnessing that you have experienced?

• Have you ever been rejected or criticized for being an active follower of Christ? What happened? How did you respond?

• What are things that we can do as part of witnessing to our faith? What are things that we should avoid doing simply because others know that we are Christian?

• What does it mean to you to share in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ and walk in his strength?

Temperance Remembering the admonition of Scripture to be temperate in all things (1 Corinthians 9:25), we shall endeavor to look upon our bodies as temples of God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We must also remember to respect the welfare of others who may be affected by our actions (Romans 14:20,21). We are aware of the problems that can be caused by the intemperate use of such things as alcoholic beverages, food, tobacco, drugs, and other things. We consider it the responsibility of every Christian to decide most carefully how they can be used in good conscience. We regard intemperance in any area of living as being inconsistent with the Christian life.

Commentary: Much of the Covenant deals with our responsibilities toward brothers and sisters in Christ and the world in general, but this November 2015

chapter concerns our own bodies. If we acknowledge that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, then we acknowledge that they ultimately belong to God not us. Self-abuse is therefore an offense against God. According to the Covenant we are to treat ourselves and our bodies with the same loving care we show to others in the world.

A central feature of the Moravian Church in its early days was a focus on living a disciplined and temperate life. This was continued into the Moravian communities of the 1700s.

Moravians were expected to maintain control over their desires and avoid a lifestyle of excess and greed. For a time in the late 19th and 20th centuries this general attitude of common sense and temperance slipped into an attitude of prohibition of alcohol and tobacco. With the writing of the current Covenant, there was a move toward moderation and personal decision rather than prohibition.

Questions: • What does it mean that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit?

• Does this mean that we are to worship our bodies and care only about our own health? (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) • What does “intemperance” mean to you?

What are the dangers in intemperance?

• What are your views on the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other things? What is the difference between moderate use and addiction?

• How do our actions affect the welfare of others when it comes to what we eat, drink, or use?

• How do you think the church should deal with the issue of addiction? Is condemnation enough?

Opposition to Racism We recognize no distinction between those who are one in the Lord. We believe that God in Jesus Christ calls his people out of “every race, kindred, and tongue,” pardons them beneath the Cross, and brings them into a living fellowship with himself. We regard it as a commandment of our Lord to bear public witness to this and to demonstrate by word and deed that we are one in Christ.

Because we hold that all people are God’s creatures (Genesis 1:27) and that he has made of one blood all nations (Acts 17:26), we oppose any discrimination based on color, race, creed, or land of origin and declare that we should treat everyone with love and respect.

Commentary: This statement is in conformity with The Ground of the Unity’s statement against racial prejudice. It is important for Moravians to recognize that our church’s doctrine condemns all forms of racism and discrimination.

This is not left to individual conscience but is 24

a point of doctrine. For us, racial discrimination is a violation of the Gospel. This is consistent with our church’s practice for centuries.

Moravian missions began with bringing the Gospel to Africans enslaved on the island of St. Thomas. Though their masters told them they were worthless and did not have souls, Moravian missionaries brought the message that they were so precious to God that he died for them. Because of Christ, African slaves could be brothers and sisters with Europeans.

Although we have failed to live up to our ideals in the past, our church has never justified racism theologically. Notice that in paragraph 33 we extend our condemnation of discrimination to include persons who are not Christian. The Moravian Church opposes anti-Semitism and other forms of oppression based on religion as an offense against the God who made us all.

Questions: • Why does the Church need to have a statement that “we recognize no distinction between those who are one in the Lord”?

• Do we live up to this statement in practice?

• In what ways do we as a church bear “public witness” to the fact that we are all one in Christ? In what ways do you do this?

• Is racism and discrimination one of those areas where we should keep in mind that we are bearing witness to Christ in what we do and refrain from doing?

• If you believe that all humans have one Creator and are all related, would this change how you treat people outside of your own circle of friends and family?

• What are concrete ways we show respect to people who do not look and talk like we do?

Next month: Conclusion to Covenant for Christian Living ■ The Moravian

OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS Prayer Watch The Moravian Church has experienced spiritual renewal and strength through a covenant of prayer. In 1727, the church in Herrnhut, Germany, covenanted for an “Hourly Intercession” which continued for one hundred years with a great blessing to the entire Moravian Church.

The Unity Prayer Watch established in 1957 (the quincentenary of the Unitas Fratrum) has continued to bless us. The 1988 Unity Synod affirmed the importance of this experience for the worldwide Moravian Church.

Under the schedule adopted by the 2009 Unity Synod, Dec. 1–31 is assigned to the Northern Province and Jan. 1–18 to the Southern Province. Each Provincial Board will supply assignment of specific dates to individual congregations, with suggestions for prayer topics.

Prayer Day for the Bible Societies, November 22, 2015 On Sunday, November 22, we will join with churches of many other denominations in emphasizing the importance of the Bible. Our church is part of the American and Canadian Bible Societies, which do much to publish and distribute the Word of God. World AIDS Day, December 1, 2015 The Synods of 2006 resolved to recognize World AIDS Day on December 1 and proclaim it as a day of commemoration and prayer by our Moravian churches. Congregations are encouraged to schedule an AIDS Awareness Day and to find a way to support an AIDS ministry focusing on areas of education, prevention and ministering to caregivers, orphans and those living with HIV. November 2015

NORTHERN PROVINCE Prayer Day for Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary, November 22, 2015 On Sunday, November 22, congregations of the Northern Province are asked to remember in prayer all who share in the important work of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary. Let us pray for the administration, the faculty and the students.

New Philadelphia, Ohio Brother Dennis Rohn has accepted an appointment to serve as part-time pastor for Schoenbrunn Moravian Church, New Philadelphia, Ohio. Brother Rohn began his work September 1, 2015.

Watertown, Wisconsin Brother Kurt Liebenow, who has been serving as pastor at Christian Faith Moravian Church, DeForest, Wis., has accepted the call to serve as pastor for Watertown Moravian Church, Watertown, Wis. Brother Liebenow will be installed into his new work Nov. 22, 2015.

St. Michael, Minnesota The Emerging Ministry known as Safe Harbor Church in St. Michael, Minn. became Safe Harbor Moravian Fellowship effective Oct. 5, 2015.

Rudolph, Wisconsin Due to declining membership and in accordance with ¶1019 of The Book of Order, Rudolph Moravian Church, Rudolph, Wis., closed as of Oct. 31, 2015. A final service of worship and thanksgiving was held Oct. 25, 2015.

Elizabeth D. Miller, Provincial Elders’ Conference 25

Statistics of the Moravian Church Northern & Southern Provinces CF = Confirmed Communicants T = Total

AVG = Average Worship Attendance * = No membership statistics received for 2014

The Northern Province • Statistics December 31, 2014 Eastern District

CONGREGATION

CF

T

AVG

DIST. OF COLUMBIA Washington, Faith

135

178

98

Bevon White

MARYLAND New Carrollton, Trinity Thurmont, Graceham Upper Marlboro, St. Paul’s

112 292 134

161 345 177

55 99 62

Tammie L. Rinker Sue Koenig William T. Andrews

NEW JERSEY Cinnaminson, Palmyra Egg Harbor City Riverside, First Union, Battle Hill

122 272 185 38

158 338 225 55

51 67 50 33

Adam Spaugh Bruce Weaknecht Richard L. Bruckart Lillette George

NEW YORK Bronx, Tremont Terrace Brooklyn, Fellowship Brooklyn, John Hus New York City, First New York City, United Queens, Grace Staten Island, Castleton Hill

146 62 283 101 451 197 175

172 111 361 121 778 333 238

83 55 240 48 166 145 62

Staten Island, Great Kills Staten Island, New Dorp Staten Island, Vanderbilt Ave.

116 231 81

148 284 109

47 88 52

OHIO Dover, First Dublin, Redeemer Gnadenhutten, Heckewelder New Phila., Fry’s Valley New Phila., Schoenbrunn Tuscarawas, Sharon Uhrichsville, First

497 54 278 75 98 296 108

587 64 317 92 121 350 133

177 33 73 32 54 72 43

John B. Wallace Vacant Darrell F. Johnson Christine S. Johnson Vacant Rebecca J. Sisley William A. Rinderknecht

ONTARIO Toronto, New Dawn

122

164

135

Rowan Simmons

PENNSYLVANIA Allentown, Calvary Bethlehem, Advent Bethlehem, Central Bethlehem, College Hill Bethlehem, East Hills

168 291 837 249 367

194 346 1004 284 415

79 109 358 88 120

Janel R. Rice Laura Gordon C. Hopeton Clennon David C. Geyer Derek A. French

26

PASTOR

Desna Henry Goulbourne Wellesley Ferguson Michael E. Johnson Charles C. Harewood Nigel Powell Earl Goulbourne Andrew Meckstroth M. Lynnette Delbridge Tracy A. Pryor Duane E. Ullrich Wellesley Ferguson

The Moravian

Bethlehem, Edgeboro Bethlehem, West Side Canadensis Coopersburg, MorningStar Easton, First Easton, Palmer Township Emmaus Hellertown, Mountainview Lancaster Lebanon Lititz Nazareth Nazareth, Schoeneck Newfoundland Philadelphia, Redeemer Reading York, Covenant York, First TOTALS

321 134 41 139 147 571 451 123 92 111 666 390 403 94 75 81 130 110

405 149 48 167 188 713 519 142 101 153 782 509 472 103 82 128 145 131

136 49 25 50 46 187 110 27 40 51 268 118 174 45 47 42 71 53

10,652

13,300

4,413

J. Christian Giesler Keith K. Harke Gregg C. Schafer Jay Petrella Patricia D. Honszer Melissa L. Johnson Reed Acheson Jodie Lean Harney Dean Easton Lloyd Gooden Mark V. Breland, Dean R. Jurgen Jeffrey D. Gehris, Sr. Terry L. Folk Gregg C. Schafer Nasel Ephraim Ronald Rice Jeffrey Coppage Sayward E. Lippincott

Western District CALIFORNIA Banning, Morongo Downey

88 109

122 155

42 32

ILLINOIS West Salem

215

274

100

Jason O. Andersen

INDIANA Hope

364

491

142

Andrew Kilps

MICHIGAN Daggett Unionville Westland, Grace

41 223 39

48 271 49

23 64 30

Gary Straughan Jane Gehler Vacant

MINNESOTA Altura, Our Savior’s* Chaska Maple Grove, Christ’s Com. Northfield, Main Street St. Charles, Berea Victoria, Lake Auburn Waconia

113 126 99 30 102 93 316

141 149 132 30 131 104 378

72 76 55 18 59 56 85

David W. Sobek Michael Eder Jennifer Moran Vacant Franklin Jones Brian R. Dixon Amy Gohdes-Luhman

NORTH DAKOTA Davenport, Canaan Durbin, Goshen Fargo, Shepherd of the Prairie Leonard, Bethel

141 121 66 81

184 157 82 98

43 34 36 25

Beth Rohn-Habhegger Reid Lauderman Eric D. Renner Reid Lauderman

November 2015

Vicki Jens-Page Vacant

27

WISCONSIN Appleton, Freedom* Cambridge, London DeForest, Christian Faith Ephraim Green Bay, West Side Lake Mills Madison, Glenwood Madison, Lakeview Pittsville, Veedum Rudolph Sister Bay Sturgeon Bay Watertown, Ebenezer Watertown Wisconsin Rapids, Kellner Wisconsin Rapids TOTALS

173 85 120 132 238 573 76 113 51 24 123 538 179 209 26 236

211 100 150 138 315 650 92 120 58 29 132 612 212 275 29 273

58 34 49 80 77 147 38 44 23 19 63 144 72 82 19 84

5,263

6,392

2,025

Garritt Fleming Jane Follmer Zekoff Kurt S. Liebenow Dawn E. Volpe Marian Boyle Bruce J. Nelson Katie Van Der Linden Staci Marrese-Wheeler Wanda Veldman Christine Stack Kerry D. Krauss Matthew R. Knapp Sanette Francis Vacant Christine Stack Mary Louise Plummer

Canadian District ALBERTA Bruderheim Calgary, Christ Calgary, Good Shepherd Edmonton Edmonton, Millwoods Edmonton, Rio Terrace Sherwood Park, Good News S. Edmonton, Heimtal TOTALS

128 114 139 91 121 107 37 36

151 201 173 111 131 144 48 39

57 77 63 44 61 51 28 24

773

998

405

Vacant Stephen A. Gohdes Richard Beck, Wendy Beck Rebecca Craver Joshua R. Viste James Lavoy Ian D. Edwards, Eileen Edwards Matthew J. Gillard

Northern Province Recapitulation Eastern District Western District Canadian District Total Province 2014 Total Province 2013 Increase/Decrease

CF 10,652 5,263 773

T 13,300 6,392 998

AVG 4,413 2,025 405

16,688 17,044

20,690 20,947

6,843 7,253

-356

-257

-410

*Not Available for 2014

28

The Moravian

The Southern Province • Statistics December 31, 2014 CONGREGATION

CF

T

AVG

PASTOR

FLORIDA Longwood, Rolling Hills Miami, King of Kings* New Hope* Prince of Peace West Palm Beach, Palm Beach*

92

108

66

56 75 411 26

97 83 587 41

55 54 240 34

GEORGIA Stone Mountain,First Church*

113

120

50

Stephen Weisz, Interim

216 262

216 283

83 89

Steve Craver, Interim David Merritt

200 138 511 140 84 199

248 140 565 204 89 256

110 53 218 155 44 72

157

207

78

52 476 363 188 40 118 345 101 120 409

60 563 425 203 49 146 399 121 134 483

32 191 190 96 27 59 144 58 70 178

Judy M. Knopf John G. Rights Cornelius B. Routh Wayne Burkette, Interim Roger Kimball, Interim Zachary Dease Jeannie Leake Hemrick, Interim Betty Helms Russell Williams Craig S. Troutman

161 238 139 105

182 274 164 122

58 116 80 36

John Rainey Aaron Linville Wayne Byerly, Interim Rachel Connelly

262 179 94 24 325 265 303

303 205 113 24 414 311 319

144 90 32 19 155 108 136

Timothy G. Sapp Vacant Jeffrey Jones Richard G. Spaugh Lane A. Sapp David A. Marcus, Jr. C. Scott Venable III

NORTH CAROLINA Advance, Macedonia Bethania Charlotte, Little Church on the Lane Peace Clemmons Durham, Christ the King Eden, Leaksville Greensboro, First Church Huntersville, New Beginnings Kernersville, Good Shepherd Kernersville King Lewisville, Unity Lexington, Enterprise Mayodan Mount Airy, Grace Newton, New Hope Oak Ridge, Moravia Raleigh Rural Hall Mizpah Rural Hall Walnut Cove, Fulp* Wilmington, Covenant Winston-Salem, Advent Ardmore Bethabara Bethesda* Calvary Christ Fairview November 2015

Wilma E. Israel Vacant Vacant Joseph E. Nicholas Frank Barker, Interim

Rusty Rushing, Interim Keith Copeland, Interim Q. Ray Burke Francis P. Venable Robert E. Peterson Tony Hayworth, Interim Christopher C. Thore

29

Friedberg Friedland Fries Memorial Home Hope Hopewell Immanuel New Eden Konnoak Hills Messiah New Philadelphia Oak Grove* Olivet Pine Chapel Providence St. Philips Trinity Union Cross VIRGINIA Ararat, Willow Hill* Cana, Crooked Oak* Mt. Bethel

887 418 121 1,223 133 171 74 225 136 1,093 183 512 83 22 42 211 323

1,056 489 142 1,507 164 211 75 254 161 1,298 217 581 94 38 50 230 386

368 175 66 281 79 74 41 100 91 429 96 174 46 22 20 103 165

James C. Newsome, Dan Nelson Douglas Gebhard, Interim Joseph L. Moore, Kelly H. Moore Richard L. Sides, Virginia Tobiassen Andrew Heil Walter Bishop Cheryl Cottingham John D. Rights Gerald Harris, Interim Worth N. Green David Berrier, Interim Matthew W. Allen James Demby Robert Peek Russell May John P. Jackman Timothy Byerly, Interim

70

84

65

Chuck Harmon, Acolyte

38 60

52 76

42 48

Gary Easter, Acolyte Charles W. Fishel

Southern Province Recapitulation Total Dec. 31, 2014 Dec. 31, 2013 Increase/Decrease

CF 13,012 13,084

T 15,423 15,639

AVG 5,905 6,219

-72

-216

-314

*Not Available for 2014

Statistical Summary of the Sunday Church Schools December 31, 2014 Northern Province: Eastern District Western District Canadian District Totals: Northern Province: Southern Province: Grand Total 30

Pupils

Staff

Totals

1,762 1,022 110

370 174 20

2,132 1,196 130

2,894 3,619 6,513

564 626 1,190

3,458 4,245 7,703 The Moravian

GROWING FAITH takes inspiration.

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EADING THE WORK OF MORAVIAN MINISTRY is a divine gift — but it requires financial gifts as well. That’s why leaders of faith in our churches and agencies are often called to be leaders in fundraising. Fortunately, Morning Star Campaign Services is here to help. As a program of the Moravian Ministries Foundation, Morning Star provides full-service advice and support for capital campaign fundraising, stewardship education and development, and long-range planning to help you build a solid financial platform for doing the work of faith. From understanding the fundraising possibilities to capturing their full potential, Morning Star can help you grow the resources needed to continue growing our faith.

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