Moravian Basics: Covenant for

Christian Living

Students Paint Lenten Scripture

Moravians in Mission

…and more!

A P R I L 2 0 1 2

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Moravian Lent and Easter

6 The Easter Morning Sunrise Service

12 Dover First Moravian Church: Painting the Lenten Scriptures

Moravians in Mission

8 Ocean Springs team continues its work rebuilding lives

10 Unity and Southern Province delegation travels to Cuba

16 Tanzania Orphan Program enters its twelfth year

18 Sukuma join the Moravian Church in Tanzania

Moravian Basics

20 The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living

Moravian Music

28 New music submissions accepted through July 31, 2012

In every issue

4 Ponderings: Lenten Services offer prayer, learning…and soup!

27 News Shorts: Church celebrates 555 years, Leatherbound Moravian Book of Worship

29 Offi cial Provincial Elders’ News

Moravian Basics: Covenant for

Christian Living

Students Paint Lenten Scripture

Moravians in Mission

…and more!

A P R I L 2 0 1 2

April 2012 3

Member,AssociatedChurch Press

Visit our website at http://www.moravian.org.Letters to the editor, address corrections, and other correspondence may bee-mailed to the magazine at pubs@mcnp.org.

Christ and himcrucifi ed remain ourconfession of faith

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

On the cover: Layne Gerbig of First Moravian Church in Dover, Ohio painted her interpretation of John 3:1-17.

18 20

Every month, I have a page or two to share my thoughts and ideas about the work I do, the people I meet and the things I experience as part of the Moravian community. When Spring rolls around — al-though as I write this, the calendar says I still have several more weeks until it is “offi cially” here — my thoughts turn to Lent and Easter.

For many years, Lent was that time between Ash Wednesday and Good Friday when I was expected to give things up. As a child, that would be candy or comics (my mother often saw through my efforts to give up brussels sprouts or cream corn). As I grew older, it was giving up television time or soda.

But as I reached adulthood, I gave up giving things up for Lent. I found it wasn’t bringing me any closer to my faith to do without some-thing for a couple of months in the spring.

Since entering the Moravian world, I’ve been looking for ways to give back, not give up; for ways to get involved and learn more about what makes Lent such a special time. I am getting more in touch with my Daily Texts, and leafi ng through a copy of Readings for Holy Week. I listen more intently to the scripture readings on Sunday that tell the story of Jesus’ ministry and last days. The songs I play with the Edge band — the ones about a heart of worship, the wonderful cross, inviting God to fi ll our place of worship, creating a clean heart, the Refi ner’s fi re — all take on new depth and meaning.

This year, I’m also taking time during Lent to learn more about the history of the Moravian Church. Thanks to a special Lenten program at my church, my Wednesday evenings in Lent have become a time for fellowship and learning.

Lenten Services off er prayer, learning…and soup!

Photo

by M

ike Ri

ess (ISSN 1041-0961 USPS 362600)

April 2012, Vol. 43, No. 3

Publications Agreement No. 40036408Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Express Messenger International, PO Box 25058, London, Ontario N6C6A8,email: emi@exmessenger.com

Offi cial 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.

Subscription rates:$15.00 per year, U.S.A. & Canada;$18.00 per year, all other countries.

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Postmaster please send address changes to The Moravian, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245.

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

Michael Riess,Editor

Siobhan Young, Communications Assistant

Interprovincial Board of CommunicationPaul Knouse, Paul PeuckerChair Adam PristasJane Burcaw Richard SidesJane Carmichael Valerie WagnerLance Fox Jill WestbrookGary Kniskern

Design by Sandy Fay, Laughing Horse Graphics, Inc.

Address all correspondence regardingarticles, subscriptions, or advertising toThe Moravian, PO Box 1245,Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245FAX: 610.866.9223Phone: 610.867.0594800.732.0591e-mail: pubs@mcnp.orgwww.moravian.org

Contents © 2012,Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America. All rights reserved

4 The Moravian

PONDERINGS

The Wednesday evening Lenten Services at Edgeboro, themed, “My Hearts One Desire: Five Moravian Leaders that Changed Our Church,” trace the roots of the congregation back to the founding of the Unitas Fratrum. Developed by our pastor, Chris Giesler and student pastor Aaron Linville, the Lenten Ser-vices at Edgeboro feature a different fi gure in Moravian history each week.

The evening starts at 6:00 with a soup and bread dinner. Church board members and volunteers serve up a variety of amazing soups (last week’s vegetable soup and corn chow-der were especially delicious) and a healthy dose of fellowship. Following an hour of food and friendly conversation, the congregation heads upstairs to the sanctuary for worship.

During the service, either Chris or Aaron lead the lesson about the historical fi gure. Through the fi ve week program, they will discuss Gregory the Patriarch, founder of the Unitas Fratrum; John Amos Comenius, a bishop of the Ancient Unity considered the father of modern education; Christian David, one of the original exiles to seek refuge on Count Zinzendorf’s estate; Rebecca Protten, a freed slave from St. Thomas who was an evan-gelist there and later became one of the fi rst black women ever ordained in Christianity; and the Rev. Douglas Rights, one of the four seminarians who helped start the Edgeboro congregation (and father and grandfather to a number of Moravian bishops and pastors.)

This is the fi rst time in many years that the Lenten season has meant this much to me. As I sat with my wife Kathy at last week’s service, I couldn’t help but feel my spirituality grow and my knowledge expand. It is wondrous how an evening of soup, good friends and good learning can bring more meaning to the season. We eat, we pray, we learn… a won-derful way to spend an evening.

In this issue of the Moravian, you’ll fi nd more stories of the Lenten season and how Moravians celebrate this holy time. We share the story of fi rst Easter Sunrise service in Herrnhut and the inspired Lenten artworks painted by young members at First Moravian Church in Dover, Ohio. In addition, you’ll read about mission efforts here in the U.S., in Tanzania and in Cuba.

To strengthen understanding of the Mora-vian Church, we continue our “Moravian Basics” series with the “Moravian Covenant for Christian Living.” For many of us, this may be the fi rst time in a long time we’ve read through this meaningful guide to an expres-sion of a Christian life. I invite you to read and be refreshed.

And while spring is a time for celebrating, it is also a time for travel. As representative for the Interprovincial Board of Communi-cation and editor of The Moravian, I will be travelling to central Pennsylvania and North Carolina for communications workshops; Laurel Ridge for the Moravian Environmental Stewardship Conference; and then to Apple-ton, Wis. for the Northern Province/Western District Synod, followed a week later by a trip to Calgary, Alberta for the Northern Prov-ince/Canada District Synod. I look forward to meeting and working with Moravians across the country, and bringing you news of your church.

Blessings to you and yours during this Lenten and Easter season. I hope you enjoy this month’s issue. And I’m looking forward to this week’s soup!

Peace,

Mike Riess, Editor

April 2012 5

At Moravian churches across the Northern and Southern Provinces, Easter morning is an especially wondrous time. In the some-times chilly early morning, Moravians greet the rising sun in their God’s Acres, with hymns, horns and a resounding, “The Lord has risen… The Lord has risen indeed!”

According to an article from the Northern Province Moravian Archives’ series “This Month in Moravian History,” the traditions of the Sunrise Service date back 280 years.

In the early morning of Easter Sunday 1732 the young men of Herrnhut, Germany, gath-ered in the cemetery on the hill overlooking their Moravian community to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It was the fi rst Mora-vian sunrise service. The next year the service was held for the entire congregation. The Eas-ter morning sunrise service has become one of the characteristic liturgical traditions in the Moravian Church.

The fi rst sunrise service seems to have been initiated by a group of single brothers. The Herrnhut diary states: “We agreed among our band [group] of young men that this Easter morning we were to go up the Hutberg early before the rise of the sun. This happened … early before 4 o’clock. After we had spent 1 1/2 hours with singing we returned to have a prayer meeting, during which we sang several hymns and read the third chapter of Peter’s fi rst letter.”

Th e Easter Morning Sunrise Service

Based on an article from the April, 2007 issue of “This Month in Moravian History,” written by Paul Peucker, director and archivist of the Northern Province Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, Pa. Above: An engraving from the mid-1700s depicts an Easter service in Herrnhut, Germany.

6 The Moravian

MORAVIAN LENT & EASTER

The 2011 Easter Sunrise Service in the Salem Congregation God’s Acre follows traditions begun 280 years ago.

Zinzendorf appears to have been present that morning. In a letter to his cousin Ludwig von Castell he wrote: “This morning we had the nicest celebration among our graves.”

In later years Zinzendorf attributed the origins of the Easter sunrise service to an example from the Greek Orthodox Church. Whether or not the fi rst group of single brothers were aware of this tradition in 1732 is questionable. It seems more likely that the young men in Herrnhut followed local tradition.

Until this day it is customary that young people in the Oberlausitz, the region where Herrnhut is located, stay up the night before Easter, and go round singing or making nois-es with fi recrackers. The young men in Her-rnhut apparently combined their Easter night watch with visiting the graves, the same man-ner the women in the Bible had done.

Since the God’s Acre, or cemetery, in Her-rnhut had been laid out the previous fall, 1732 was the fi rst year Easter could be cel-ebrated there.

The typical liturgical form for the Mora-vian sunrise service was established during the 1740s and 1750s. The brass choir woke the congregation prior to the fi rst part of the liturgical service, which was held in the church. The liturgy did not consist of read-ing the Easter accounts from the Bible, but rather took the form of a creed. During the service the congregation proceeded to the lo-cal God’s Acre, where the second part of the

Editor’s Note: As you celebrate Easter in your congregations this year, think about the special traditions and unique ways you celebrate Lent and Easter. Send your thoughts to us at moravianmagazine@mcnp.org for our Easter edition in 2013.

liturgy was read while the sun rose over the graves as a symbol of the resurrection.

The sunrise service soon became an inte-gral part of Moravian liturgical life in every congregation. In 1743 the Bethlehem con-gregation met at 4 o’clock in the morning. The next year the service included a visit to the graves: “The congregation arose at four o’clock in the morning and assembled in the Saal. Following the hymn Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bonds, we all proceeded in pairs, with music playing, to the graves of our brethren, sang and played to the glory of our risen Lamb, and rejoiced that He lives and that we shall live with Him and that death has no power over us. From there we returned after sunrise to the Saal, singing as we went.”

So this Easter, as Moravians sing, “Sing halleluia, praise the Lord!” and “…for us, for us the Lamb was slain! Praise ye the Lord! Amen,” remember those young men in Herrnhut and their early morning cel-ebration of Christ’s resurrection. ■

7

In 2010, the Board of World Mission’s Moravian Disaster Relief team established a base in Ocean Springs, Mississippi to help continue the rebuilding work along the Gulf

Coast. Weldon and Joanie Harris run the Moravian Mission House in Ocean Springs.

As 2011 drew to a close, Joanie and I were refl ecting on the year and realizing how blessed we are to be here in Mississippi. God has continued to provide not only for us, but for the people on the Gulf Coast, especially those who are still in need nearly 6-1/2 years after “The Storm.”

It’s probably a surprise to most people out-side the Gulf Coast that there is still so much work to be done. Other calamities have made their mark since Katrina, and so there is a lot of focus in other areas of the country and the world. But like most disaster areas, the work goes on long after the media has left. It will truly be a generation before the traces of Hur-ricane Katrina are erased… if then.

To that end, the response from Moravian

teams throughout the provinces has been nothing short of inspiring. In 2010, we hosted a total of seven teams here at the Mississippi Mission House.

We bettered that total in 2011 within the fi rst three months! Throughout this year, more teams continued to make their way down. We hosted 21 teams in 2011! It has been a bless-ing to us to see the contributions that people have made of their time and talents to help repair homes on the Gulf Coast.

So what have we been working on? Since March of 2010 we have completed 27 proj-ects ranging from re-roofi ng houses to com-plete rebuilds where we gut a house down to the studs, and rebuild it from the inside out. We have been able to accomplish so much

Ocean Springs team continues its work rebuilding lives

8 The Moravian

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

through three important partnerships: Camp Victor, a Lutheran volunteer camp in Ocean Springs; Adopt A Home Ministries from Seat-tle, Wash.; and Volunteers of America through Pastor Derrick Tapper of Calvary Baptist Church in Pascagoula, Miss.

The Moravian Board of World Missions has agreed to provide funding through 2012. In addition, the three ministries above also pro-vide funding and volunteer resources to com-plete projects that are “in the queue.” This is truly an ecumenical effort!

Below is a glimpse into the people and projects that we recently worked on.

Ann WilliamsAnn contacted us while we were working on another house in her neighborhood.

She had paid two different contractors to start work on her home, and they both ripped her off, which was unfortunately pretty com-mon. We began work on her place back in January of this year. She received her occu-pancy permit just in time for Thanksgiving!

Dorothy SimpsonMrs. Simpson’s son stopped by another proj-ect site and asked to show us his mother’s

house. It was fl ooded with a few feet of water from Katrina, but she has not been able to live in her house since the storm. She did have the roof repaired to keep the inside of the house from deteriorating. She suffers from Alzheimer’s. Her house needed to be gutted and rebuilt. We began work on her place in

(continued on page 30)

Weldon Harris manages the Moravian Mission House in Ocean Springs, Mississippi with his wife, Joanie. Photos show just a few of the projects worked on by volunteers in the Gulf Coast region.

April 2012 9

On January 13-15 Bishop Sam Gray and David Guthrie visited the Cuba Unity Mission Area. They joined Paul Gardner, Chair of the Unity Board; Jørgen Bøytler, Unity Business Administrator; and Rene Henriquez, a pastor from Grand Cayman who has been involved in contacts with Cuba for many years.

In October 2011, the Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference agreed to a request from the Unity Board Executive Com-mittee to accept partnership with the work in Cuba, which had been supported by the Jamaica Province. Our PEC asked the Board of World Mission to assume responsibility for coordinating this partnership. The purpose of the visit to Cuba was to meet with a group of church leaders and to formally begin this new relationship for the sake of the Gospel.

The Cuba Unity Mission Area began in 1997 and will celebrate 15 years of witness and ser-vice this year. There are four districts: Havana, Matanzas, Camaguey and Holguin. A total of

eight ordained pastors and nine lay pastors provide leadership. The work includes eight congregations and 12 “fraternities” (fellow-ships), and approximately 330 total mem-bers. The ministry of the churches includes worship, Christian education, service to those in need, outreach to children, women’s min-istry, and evangelism.

The Mission Area is led by an executive board and recently became an associate member of the Cuba Council of Churches (with some 27 participating church bodies). Hopefully, the Moravian Church will be of-fi cially recognized by the Cuban government during 2012, which will permit moving for-ward with plans for much-needed facilities and greater opportunities for ministry.

While Roman Catholicism is Cuba’s pre-dominant religion, it is estimated that 1 mil-lion of the 11 million residents of Cuba are evangelical Christians.

On Saturday during the visit we met for sev-

Unity and Southern Province delegation travels to Cuba

10 The Moravian

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

eral hours with pastors and leaders from the various districts. (A trip from Holguin to Ha-vana by car would take 12 hours). The meet-ing was hosted by the congregation of the president of the Cuban Council of Churches.

Our delegation also met with a government minister in charge of relationships with evan-gelical Christian churches and heard a pre-sentation by family members of some Cubans who are imprisoned in the U.S. Later that day a special program was presented by the Moravi-ans in the Havana area that included songs by the children, a special liturgy for women em-phasizing their partnership with Jesus, read-ing a brief history of the Moravian Church, and singing a hymn composed for the occa-sion that gave an outline of Moravian history.

As this new partnership begins there will be many opportunities for cooperation in such things as training of pastors and leaders, furnishing resources translated into Spanish, provision and improvement of worship and gathering spaces, and organizational develop-ment. Your prayers are invited for our broth-ers and sisters in Cuba. ■

The Rev. David B. Guthrie is president of the Provincial Elders’ Conference of the Southern Province and a member of the Board of World Mission. Photos courtesy of Sam Gray. Photos above left and right: Members of a team from the Southern Province, Board of World Mission and Moravian Unity meet with church representatives in Cuba in January.

Hopefully, the Moravian

Church will be offi cially

recognized by the Cuban

government during 2012

April 2012 11

Young artists Bryn Cronebach, Hailey Rogers, Layne Gerbig, Emily Burrell (standing, l-to-r) and Elaine Stingel (seated) painted artworks interpreting scripture during 2011 Lenten Services at First Moravian Church in Dover, Ohio. This painting, done by Bryn, interprets Acts 2:1-4.

April 2012 13

MORAVIAN LENT & EASTER

 It seems strange to sit in the sanctuary dur-ing Lent and watch a young woman painting a canvas in the front of the church, while scrip-ture is being read and the pastor is delivering his sermon. We worship through the written word, vocal messages and music, but rarely do we use visual art to express our praise.

Pastor John Wallace of Dover First Moravi-an in Ohio, had heard of just such a program and decided to try it in his church. He visited the local high school’s art show and viewed the work of some of the young people from the church, then asked them to participate in Sunday Lenten Services.

Pastor John gave the artists a specifi c scrip-ture lesson directly from the Bible, and asked that each interpret it in paint before the con-gregation. Although he provided paint and canvases for them, the only guidelines he gave were to read and understand the passages, pray about them, and decide how they would interpret them.

As it turned out, all of the artists were young women who felt some anxiety about performing their craft in front of a congrega-tion. They worried that they might not fi nish before the end of the service, or that those watching might be judgmental or annoyed by the distraction of their painting. They need not have worried.

Layne Gerbig, daughter of Don and Fran

Gerbig of Dover, was assigned the Scripture John 3: verses 1-17, when Nicodemus came to Jesus and questioned him about his miracles, and Jesus talked to him about being born again through faith. Layne chose an abstract style to interpret the passage. She painted a large sun representing Jesus at the top of the canvas. Then she added numerous smaller dots, all in warm colors, to represent Christians of faith moving toward the light of salvation.

“It is hard to put faith into words,” says Layne, “but with art you can, because you can actually see the symbols. I was really able to express myself through the painting. I was also nervous because I was the fi rst artist, but the congregation was very excited about it, and complimented me highly.”

“Can you think of a more inspirational setting than a sanctuary with the sun shin-

Dover First Moravian Church:Painting the Lenten Scriptures

Lee Elliot is a member of First Moravian Church in Dover, Ohio. Photos courtesy of First Moravian. (continued on next page)

Artist: Layne Gerbig, Scripture: John 3:1-17

14 The Moravian

ing through the stained glass windows?” she asked.

John 11: verses 28-34, was the passage given to Hailey Rogers, daughter of Paul and Linda Rogers of Dover. In interpreting the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, she chose to paint an empty tomb, with the stone rolled away and light shining through the opening. Then she added ribbons of many sizes and shapes to represent the wraps that had been taken from the body of Lazarus.

“They are also supposed to symbolize the sins we are wrapped in until we decide to follow Jesus,” said Hailey. “The most amaz-ing thing happened while I was painting. The sun came through the window of the church and through the back of the canvas. It cast the shadows of the wooden braces holding the canvas, and it formed a cross right across the painting. I’m a perfectionist and didn’t like the idea of people watching me work, but everyone connected to the cross and the painting, and I realized what you do doesn’t have to be perfect in order for people to be touched by your message.”

“Since having this experience, I now feel

closer to God when I paint. I never really thought about it before, but I do now,” said Emily Burrell, daughter of Terry and Julie Burrell, of Dover. “My verse was John 9: vers-es 1-12, about the man who was born blind and then given sight by Jesus. The disciples had asked if it was his fault or his parents, and Jesus said it was neither, that he had been born blind so that the work of God might be shown. It sounds like it would be simple to interpret, but I found it unclear. Finally, I de-cided on a drooping fl ower to represent the blind man, and light at the top to represent Jesus and his power.”

Elaine Stingel, daughter of CSM John, and Joyce Stingel of Dundee, nearly chose not to participate in the project because she was so busy preparing for graduation, as well as run-ning track for the school. At the last minute she took the assignment of John 20: verses 1-18, in which Mary Magdalene discovered the body of Jesus was missing from the tomb,

(continued from previous page)

Artist: Hailey Rogers, Scripture: John 11:28-44

Artist: Emily Burrell, Scripture: John 9:1-12

15

and then became the fi rst person to see him as the resurrection began. Elaine painted two large angels sitting on either side of the tomb.

“I am a very detail-oriented person,” she said, “but I deliberately left the faces of the angels blank so that anyone viewing the paint-ing might see them through their own eyes. Now I’m so glad I participated. I learned you have to put time aside for God, no matter how busy you are.”

It was Bryn Cronebach, daughter of Mela-nie and Brian Cronebach of Dover, who truly left her mark on the altar. In her nervousness at interpreting Acts 2: verses 1-4, which de-scribes speaking in tongues on Pentacost, she dropped her brush and left a dab of bright or-ange paint on the carpet. “Pastor John said we will leave it there for posterity,” she laughed.

Her painting portrays the Holy Spirit as a large white dove with outspread wings, hov-ering over bright orange fl ames, and music

notes depicting a universal language that can be understood by everyone. “The neat-est thing of all was that one of the women in the congregation, Dawn Miller, wrote a poem about the Holy Spirit while I was paint-ing. Imagine: art, inspired by art, inspired by God,” she said.

The girls agreed on the many benefi ts of the experiment. “We all had control over what we would do,” said Elaine. “This was something that required skills that not everyone has. It is nice to be recognized for your abilities. Pastor John is an artist himself, so he had a true ap-preciation of what he was asking us to do. He said it was interesting to him to be talking to the congregation, while the focus was on us.”

Emily said that church members got to see a side of them they might never have other-wise, and that they themselves discovered hidden gifts in their work. Bryn, whose father is an artist, commented on how nice it was to express feelings through doing something you love, and to know how proud your parents are of you.

For most of us, the thought of ‘religious art’ brings to mind the Italian Renaissance paint-ers, Michelangelo, his painting in the Sistine Chapel; Leonardo de Vinci’s depiction of the Last Supper, and Raphael’s Angels, rather than the simple interpretations of young students. The youth’s paintings touched their congre-gation in new ways. They expressed a unifi ed desire that other churches try the project in hopes that it might give them renewed faith and a different way to offer praise.

“We hope others will try this so that their young members can have this wonderful ex-perience,” said Hailey, and Elaine summed it up nicely when she said, “If you want to get your full measure from your church, you have to put in as much as you take out.” ■

Artist: Elaine Stingel, Scripture: John 20:1-18

…church members got to see a

side of them they might never

have otherwise, and that they

themselves discovered hidden

gifts in their work.

Two young orphans from

Totuo in Tanzania

The Moravian

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

The Moravian Church of Western Tanzania, our partner province, began a comprehen-sive AIDS program in 2001. It has three com-ponents: prevention, treatment, and orphan care. By the summer of 2002, Mama Kimwaga and three women from the Sikonge Moravian Church had enrolled 34 children from the lo-cal village, and the orphan program began to grow. Eleven years later 39 Moravian women are assisting nearly 3,000 children in 34 rural villages and fi ve parishes in the city of Tabora. They provide each child with food, clothing, medical care, school supplies and uniforms, and small personal items such as soap and skin oil.

The only functional change since the pro-gram’s inception has been the addition of scholarships for any orphan able to pass the government’s secondary school entrance ex-

ams. This began in 2006, and the numbers have increased each year; there were 439 children registered for higher education at the end of 2011.

The cost of orphan care has also risen slowly over the years, but in 2011 it still aver-aged $23 per child per year. This has been possible for three reasons: fi rst, Tanzania remains an extremely poor country; the cost of living is therefore very low. Second, the program does not provide total support; it supplements what the extended family is able to provide to bring the child up to economic par with his village peers. Third, 100% of ev-ery dollar donated goes to Tanzania where it is spent by Tanzanians for Tanzanians.

In 2011 orphan expenses reached a new high of nearly $67,000. This number has ris-en yearly due to fi rst, the continual increase in the number of orphans attending second-ary school and second, infl ation, which is now at its highest level in 20 years.

Adopt a VillageThe Adopt a Village program was begun in 2006. The primary motivation was to provide funding for the orphan program, but it was also conceived as a vehicle for churches in North America to form relationships with vil-lages in western Tanzania.

Nearly half of the orphan budget is current-ly generated through Adopt a Village, but the extent of this program’s success in partnering Moravian churches with villages in remote western Tanzania was unanticipated. Multiple Sunday schools in North America have ex-

Th e Tanzanian Orphan Program enters its twelfth year

Orphans from the Mlogolo primary school with Mamas Margaret and Lydia.

April 2012 17

changed pictures and letters with their part-ners in the Sikonge district. A Peace Corps volunteer, who had spent several years in Tanzania, developed a bilingual letter for the children at Emmaus Moravian. It will soon be used to allow Sunday schools throughout North America to communicate with their counterparts in Tanzania.

Four wells with hand pumps have been funded. Classrooms and dormitories at Moravian, government and private schools have been built. Money has been donated for nearly 300 desks and countless church benches. Textbooks have been purchased. Fries Memorial assisted their partner parish in the construction of their church. Most en-couragingly, members of three congregations have actually visited their adopted village; a fourth visitation is being planned for this summer. The magnitude of this response has been impressive by any standard.

Orphan care began as one of three compo-nents of the Tanzanian comprehensive AIDS plan. Four years ago the Moravian Church of Western Tanzania, in partnership with the district and federal governments, assumed

total fi nancial and medical responsibility for the prevention and treatment arms. The or-phan program, which now functions as an independent entity, continues to be funded primarily by Moravians from North America.

Adopt a Village originally requested that participants pledge $1,000 for each of three years, but the needs of the orphans remain ongoing. The majority of churches that origi-nally joined the program have remained com-mitted to these children beyond the three-year mark, for which the Moravian women in Tan-zania who provide their care are extremely grateful. A donation of any amount will help; as little as $25 will support an orphan for over a year. Checks can be sent to Board of World Mission, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245. Put “Adopt A Village” in the memo line.

These children represent the future of Tan-zania. They need our help to realize their full potential and become productive citizens in their developing country. ■

Bill Hoffman is a member of Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Photos by Peg Hoffman.

Moravian Pastors in Tanzania consecrate the new church in Mabangwe, Tanzania.

MORAVIANS IN MISSION

A new Moravian church, located in the Su-kuma village of Mabangwe, was consecrated to Christian service on December 18, 2011. The celebration marked the culmination of nearly fi ve years of evangelism, planning, ne-gotiations, and construction.

Mabangwe is located 60 kms south of Sikonge, 140 kms south of Tabora, in west-ern Tanzania. The area is inhabited primar-ily by Sukuma, an animistic people, most of whom have never heard the name of Jesus. The tribe, valuing cattle more than education, typically keeps their children out of school to tend to their herds. Although the necessity of

providing forage for their animals requires most to live as nomads, many of those in the Sikonge district have settled in villages easily recognized as Sukuma by the distinctive grass roofs on their homes.

Oscar Pyumpa, a Moravian pastor from the Nyamwezi tribe, began visiting the Su-kuma located on the edge of his parish in 2007. As his evangelism began to bear fruit, he sought assistance in his effort. Bibles and hymn books were provided by both Central Moravian Church and the Society for Promot-ing the Gospel. The Society also gave the pas-tor funding for a motorbike and helmet that

Sukuma Join the Moravian Church in Tanzania

April 2012

enabled him to more easily reach this rather remote area.

As the congregation grew, the elders re-quested and received permission to use the local primary school as a temporary place of worship. Their attention was then directed to-wards the erection of a permanent sanctuary.

In December 2008, Pastor Pyumpa accom-panied two Central members to the building site. The foundation was in place. The con-gregation had been cutting bricks from clay, drying and fi ring them, and then using them to erect the walls. Construction had begun in earnest.

In July 2010, a contractor experienced in church construction from the village of Sikonge inspected the site. While the walls had been nearly completed, they were judged of inadequate strength to support the weight of a roof. Members of the building commit-tee were assembled and in the subsequent discussion it was decided that their work would continue under professional supervi-sion. Funding to fi nish the structure was to be provided by the Society and Central Moravian.

The church was completed in May 2011, but scheduling diffi culties delayed the conse-cration until after the short rainy season had begun in December. Mchg. Richard Lwali, the executive secretary of the Moravian Church of Western Tanzania, presided. Ten pastors, two evangelists, and three choirs, includ-ing one from a Sukuma congregation begun only months before, managed to arrive in spite of rain soaked and rutted mud roads. The rain was quite heavy at times, but nothing dampened the enthusiastic joy the Sukuma

expressed during the service. Members of the congregation spontaneous joined the choirs in the dancing and singing. Two young Su-kuma, a man and a woman, both of whom graduated as evangelists this January, were introduced to the adulation of all present. Near the conclusion of the 3 ½ hour service, fourteen children were baptized.

As the benediction was given, the rain miraculously stopped and the congregants were able to walk the 400 yards to their pre-vious house of worship where the festivities continued with the traditional chicken and rice dinner.

Before the baptism the congregation con-sisted of 76 adults and 34 children. Witness-ing the enthusiasm and determination of these Sukuma leaves no doubt that their num-bers will continue to grow. ■

Bill Hoffman is a member of Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Photos by Peg Hoffman.

Mchg. Richard Lwali, executive secretary of the Moravian Church in Western Tanzania, displays a plaque presented by Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.

20 The Moravian

MORAVIAN BASICS

In our July/August issue of The Moravian, we shared one of the basic tenets of the Moravian Church: The Ground of the Unity. Thanks to the positive response to reprinting this cen-tral document of our Church, we are printing another key pillar of our faith, the Moravian Covenant for Christian Living as part of our occasional series on Moravian Basics.

The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living is an attempt to state in clear arrangement and contemporary form a document which has long served the Moravian Church. The Church today has need of a clear statement of its faith and life through which each member may become aware of the nature of his/her Christian commitment. Such a document can become an invaluable aid in the instruction of both new and present members and a mean-ingful guide in the expression of the Christian life. That such a revision of the Agreement should have been made is entirely in harmony with the spirit of the early Moravian Church which believed that all forms should be up-dated and made relevant to the present life of the Church.

The Moravian Covenant in its original form was adopted by the Moravian Church at Her-rnhut, Saxony, as the Brotherly Agreement on May 12 of the year that marked the Church’s spiritual renewal, 1727. The Covenant was not intended to be a “discipline” forced on the congregation from above, but rather an “agreement” into which the members en-tered voluntarily. This pervades the Covenant, which in itself is only a recommended form, to be voluntarily accepted by each of the local congregations before it becomes effective for their congregational life.

Most of the Covenant deals with the Chris-tian life, and since it is in terms of everyday life that the Christian witness is often most effectively borne, the document is subtitled “Principles by Which We Live and Bear Our Witness.”

The theme of “witness” is carried out in all the sections. The introductory sec-tion, “Ground of Our Witness,” deals briefl y with the faith and doctrine of the Moravian Church, something that is not explicitly dealt with in older forms of the Covenant. Section I,

Th e Moravian Covenant for Christian Living

21

“The Witness of the Christian Life,” describes the “how” of the life in Christ and thus forms a basis for all that follows. The following sec-tions then consider various areas of Christian responsibility. Section II deals largely with Christian responsibility in the local congre-gation and in relation to Christians of other churches; III, responsibility in the home; IV, one’s duties as a citizen; and V, as a Christian in the world.

While new Moravian Church members and confi rmands study this guide, it’s quite pos-sible that lifelong Moravians have never read this important document. This version of the Covenant for Christian Living was revised ac-cording to the Northern and Southern Prov-ince Synods of 1998 and approved by the PECs meeting jointly in 2001.

The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living

Formerly known as The Brotherly Agreement of the Moravian Church

Principles by Which We Live and Bear Our Witness

The Ground of Our Witness

1. We are called into a Christian fellowship by the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the eternal purpose of God the Father (Ephe-sians 3:11) by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:18-21), and as members of Christ’s Body, the Church, to serve all people by proclaim-ing the Gospel and witnessing to our faith by word and deed.

2. The Triune God as revealed in the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments is the only source of our life and salvation; and this Scripture is the sole standard of the doctrine and faith of the Unitas Frat-rum and therefore shapes our life.

3. With the universal Christian Church, we share our faith in the Triune God, who revealed Himself in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior of all people. We par-ticularly declare His living presence and Lordship over the Church, joy in the ben-efi ts of His life, sufferings, death and res-urrection and emphasize a close bond of fellowship with each other in His name. We believe that Christ is present with us in Word and Sacrament. We decline to determine as binding what the Scriptures have left undetermined, or to argue about mysteries impenetrable to human reason. In this regard, we hold to the principle “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.”

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MORAVIAN CONVENANT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

22 The Moravian

4. We thankfully recognize the value of the historic creeds of the Christian Church in calling upon believers in every age to give an obedient and fearless testimony, rec-ognizing Jesus Christ as Lord. A Moravian confession of faith is to be found in the Easter Dawn Liturgy.

I. The Witness of the Christian Life

5. We believe that as in baptism we have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection, so we have died to sin and should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-11).

6. When seeking guidance we fi nd that the simplest expression of Christian living is contained in the earliest of Christian confessions, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” This implies that obedience is due Him as the absolute Ruler and Lord of our lives. Not only His teachings (e.g., Matthew 5-7) but, even more, the example of His life (Philippians 2:5; Ephesians 4:20) provide an understanding of the obedi-ence that He desires. Although the early Church, guided by the Spirit of Jesus, did not develop a code covering all issues, it offered guidance in various areas of Christian living (e.g. Colossians 3:1-4,6; 1 Peter 2:11- 3:12; Ephesians 4:1-6:20).

7. Living the Christian life depends not only on our own effort but upon God our Father, who in Jesus Christ accepts us as heirs of God (Galatians 4:4-7) and strengthens and sustains us (Philippians 4:13).

8. We realize that our Christian faith must continually be nourished if it is to remain

living and vital. Therefore, we desire to grow in our Christian lives through family devotions, personal prayer and study, and the opportunities for spiritual develop-ment offered by the Church.

II. The Witness of a Living Church

A. The Moravian Unity

9. Recognition of Authority — As members of the Moravian Church we will abide by the decisions made by the offi cial boards of our congregations, and agree to be governed, both as individuals and as a congregation, by the enactments of the Unity Synod of the Moravian Church and of the Synods of the Province to which our congregation belongs.

10. Stewardship — We deem it a sacred re-sponsibility and genuine opportunity to be faithful stewards of all God has en-trusted to us: our time, our talents, and our fi nancial resources. We view all of life as a sacred trust to be used wisely.

11. We will support, according to our abil-ity, the fi nancial needs of the local con-gregation, the District, the Province, and the Unity. We will consider the support of the benevolent causes of the Mora-vian Church, both at home and abroad, as a privilege, an opportunity, and a responsibility.

12. We will also recognize the support of worthy causes outside of the Church as part of our stewardship.

13. Personal Relationships — Since disciples of Jesus are to be known by the love they have to one another (John 13:35), we will cherish Christian love as of prime importance.

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MORAVIAN CONVENANT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

April 2012 23

14. We will be eager to maintain the unity of the Church. Realizing that God has called us from many and varied backgrounds, we recognize the possibility of disagree-ments or differences. Often these differ-ences enrich the Church, but sometimes they divide. We consider it to be our responsibility to demonstrate within the congregational life the unity and togeth-erness created by God who made us one. How well we accomplish this will be a witness to our community as to the valid-ity of our faith.

15. We will endeavor to settle our differences with others in a Christian manner (Gala-tians 6:1), amicably, and with meditation, and, if at all possible, avoid resort to a court of law (Matthew 18:15-17).

16. Worship and Sunday Observance — Re-membering that worship is one of our proper responses to Almighty God, an ex-perience designed for our benefi t, and a part of our Christian witness, we and our children will faithfully attend the worship services of the Church.

17. We, therefore, will be careful to avoid unnecessary labor on Sunday and plan that the recreations in which we engage on that day do not interfere with our own attendance or that of others at divine worship.

18. Holy Communion — In the celebration of this Sacrament we receive the renewed assurance of the forgiveness of our sins, and of our fellowship with Christ; unite with one another as members of His Body; and rejoice in the hope of His return in glory. Therefore, we will commune faith-fully and thus renew our pledge of alle-giance to Him.

B. The Unity We Seek

19. We will have fellowship, in all sincerity, with children of God in other Christian churches, and will carefully avoid all dis-putes respecting opinions and ceremo-nies peculiar to one or another church. In this fellowship we will cooperate with

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MORAVIAN CONVENANT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

24 The Moravian

other churches in the support of public charities or Christian enterprises, which have a just claim upon us as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

20. We realize that it is the Lord’s will that the Church of Jesus Christ should give evidence of and seek unity in Him with zeal and love. We see how such unity has been promised us and laid upon us as a charge. We recognize that through the grace of Christ the different denomina-tions have received many gifts and that the Church of Christ may be enriched by these many and varied contributions. It is our desire that we may learn from one another and rejoice together in the riches of the love of Christ and the manifold wis-dom of God. We welcome every step that brings us nearer the goal of unity in Him.

III. The Witness of the Christian Home

A. Marriage

21. We regard it as a sacred obligation to hold to the ideal of Christian marriage as a lifelong commitment given by our Lord in His teaching. We consider it essential,

therefore, that all persons contemplating marriage should receive premarital coun-seling and that our young people should be instructed, beginning in adolescence, in the meaning and obligation of Chris-tian marriage. This instruction should be given through the Church and home.

22. We regard Christian marriage as a life-long covenant before God which requires the continuous loyalty of the man and the woman toward each other. Any breaking of the marriage bond is a result of sin and causes human suffering; therefore it is the duty of husband and wife to meet all fric-tions, offenses, and disagreements with a humble, forgiving spirit that persistently works for reconciliation. If at any time the stability of their marriage is threat-ened, the couple is to seek the counsel of a pastor, of other spiritual leaders in the Church, or of other professional Christian counselors as soon as possible before any other action is taken.

23. Following the example and teaching of our Lord, we acknowledge the respon-sibility to deal compassionately and re-demptively with human frailty and sin in every area of life, including the failure of marriage. As ambassadors of Christ we are called to be agents of reconciliation, we recognize that persons of sincere faith and with good counsel may still decide or be forced to divorce. We believe it our Christian responsibility to pray for, sup-port, and encourage those who have di-vorced, the children of the divorced, and all who are wounded by divorce.

B. Family Life

24. As parents, remembering that our chil-dren are the property of the Lord Jesus

(continued from previous page)

April 2012 25

Christ (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 1:19), we will bring them up in the nurture and admo-nition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) and take all possible care to preserve them from every evil infl uence. For this reason we will seek to approve ourselves as fol-lowers of the Lord Jesus Christ, setting an example for our children. We will give faithful attention to the spiritual develop-ment of our children, both in the home and in the church. We will endeavor to conduct regular family devotions.

IV. The Witness of a Christian Citizen

A. Recognition of Civil Authority

25. We will be subject to the civil authorities as the powers ordained of God, in accor-dance with the admonitions of Scripture (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14) and will in nowise evade the taxes and other obli-gations which are lawfully required of us (Romans 13:7).

B. Responsibilities

26. Considering it a special privilege to live in a democratic society, we will faithfully fulfi ll the responsibilities of our citizen-ship, among which are intelligent and well-informed voting, a willingness to as-sume public offi ce, guiding the decisions of government by the expression of our opinions, and supporting good govern-ment by our personal efforts.

C. A Higher Loyalty

27. Though giving our loyalty to the state of which we are citizens, we do recognize a higher loyalty to God and conscience (Acts 5:29).

D. Peacemakers28. For the sake of the peace which we have

with God, we earnestly desire to live peaceably with all people and to seek the peace of the places where we dwell.

V. Our Witness in the World

A. Love Toward All29. We will not hate, despise, slander, or oth-

erwise injure anyone. We will ever strive to manifest love towards all people, to treat them in a kind and friendly manner, and in our dealings with them to approve our-selves upright, honest, and conscientious, as becomes children of God. Together with the universal Christian Church, we have a concern for this world, opening our heart and hand to our neighbors with the message of the love of God, and being ever ready to minister of our substance to their necessities (Matthew 25:40).

B. Our Manner of Life

30. 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

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MORAVIAN CONVENANT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

26 The Moravian

sake (Luke 6:22,23). Being aware that our witness is made by both what we do and what we avoid doing, we will endeav-or 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 whole creation, we will seek to meet the needs of the world in self-giving love, and as true yokefell-ows of Jesus Christ, willingly share in the fellowship of his sufferings, walking in his strength, by whom all things “are giv-en us that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

C. Temperance in All Things

31. Remembering the admonition of Scrip-ture 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 oth-ers who may be affected by our actions (Romans 14:20,21). We are aware of the problems that can be caused by the in-temperate use of such things as alcoholic beverages, food, tobacco, drugs, and other things. We consider it the respon-sibility 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.

D. Unity

32. Christian: 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 fel-lowship with himself. We regard it as a commandment of our Lord to bear pub-lic witness to this and to demonstrate by word and deed that we are one in Christ.

33. Universal: 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 discrimina-tion based on color, race, creed, or land of origin and declare that we should treat everyone with love and respect.

E. Other Areas

34. We realize that all areas of Christian life and conduct cannot be covered in this statement of principles by which we live and bear our witness, and we call atten-tion, therefore, to the Christian’s respon-sibility to follow Christ as Lord of all areas of life.

VI. Discipline

35. We make it a duty of the Board of Elders, which is charged with the spiritual wel-fare of the congregation, to see that this Moravian Covenant be adhered to and faithfully observed; and we will cooperate with the Board of Elders in its efforts to maintain the discipline of the congrega-tion. As a redemptive community we will be much more concerned in aiding than censuring those who falter, being con-scious of our own need for correction and forgiveness.

This document is also available online at www.moravian.org and from the Interpro-vincial Board of Communication. ■

(continued from previous page)

MORAVIAN CONVENANT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

April 2012 27

NEWS SHORTS

Moravian Church celebrates 555 years

On March 1, 2012, the Unitas Fratrum, the worldwide Unity of the Moravian Church, cel-ebrated its 555th anniversary. To mark the occasion, The Rev. Dr. Paul Gardner, chair-man of the Unity Board, shared this letter with all Provinces of the Church:

Dear Brother and Sisters,In the name of our Chief Elder, Jesus Christ,

I greet you on behalf of the Unity Board!On this day we mark the Anniversary of the

founding of the Unitas Fratrum (1457). It is a day for quiet refl ection and thanksgiving to our Chief Elder who has guided our Church throughout these 555 years. We stand collec-tively on the shoulders of the pioneers of the Unity; the Brothers and Sisters who unselfi shly laboured for the cause for which Christ died.

May we pray for a greater unity within the Unity, deeper fellowship, mutual under-standing and respectability as we discern to-gether God’s direction. There is much work to be in all our Provinces, may we use this day to rededicate ourselves to the mission of our Church.

The New Testament Text from the Watch-word; Hebrews 10:23 — Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised His faithful.

May God bless you always.

Regards,The Rev. Dr. Paul Gardner

Leather-bound Moravian Book of

Worship now available

By popular request, the Interprovincial Board of Communication is once again offer-ing a leather-bound edition of the Moravian Book of Worship.

This beautiful edition is bound in navy blue leather, stamped with a silver foil, with a ribbon bookmark sewn in. The specially-trimmed pages have silver edges.

Ideal as a gift or for your own personal use, this special edition is available from the IBOC for $35. Regular hard-bound and large print editions of the Book of Worship are also available. Visit www.moravian.org, or call 1.800.732.591, ext. 38. ■

28 The Moravian

MORAVIAN MUSIC

While Moravians are known for their rich musical heritage that dates back hundreds of years, there is also some great new music be-ing written that continues that tradition.

The Moravian Music Foundation has been gathering up this new music for a new pub-lication. The Foundation continues to seek submissions for a collection of newly-written Moravian songs and hymns.

While we rejoice that many of our congre-gations are already using a wide variety of newer songs for worship, we do not plan to publish a collection of pieces which are avail-able elsewhere – instead, this is our oppor-tunity to make available the songs and hymns that Moravians have written within the past few years and are writing now. Songs includ-ed in the collection will be those judged most appropriate for congregational use.

With the help of the Provincial Elders Conferences of both Northern and Southern Provinces, a committee has been formed to guide this project to completion, projected for Summer 2013 to coincide with the 24th Moravian Music Festival July 14-20, 2013.

We don’t yet know how big the collection will be. We do know, however, that a lot of

Moravians are writing new songs and hymns, and we will carefully and prayerfully consider each submission. To date, the committee has worked its way through more than 130 songs; the deadline for receiving new songs is July 31, 2012.

This collection will be available in both pa-per and electronic formats, to allow the great-est fl exibility and usefulness.

We invite you to send your songs and hymns to: New Song Book, c/o Moravian Music Foundation, 457 S. Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101; or e-mail them to nknouse@mcsp.org. You may send words only; music only; words and music together; or audio fi les. We can accept electronic fi les in Sibelius or Finale; Word documents for the text or text and chords; .MP3 fi les; people showing up to sing for us while we record it and try to write it down; and so on.

In order to be considered for the collec-tion, all songs should be received by July 31, 2012 — so start writing! ■

The Rev. Nola Reed Knouse is director of the Moravian Music Foundation.

New music submissions accepted through July 31, 2012

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 specifi c interest to members of the Moravian Church have priority. The Moravian does not accept purely editorial advertisements that advocate specifi c 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 are available by contacting Deb Swanson at deb@mcnp.org.

April 2012

OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS

NORTHERN PROVINCE

Bronx, New YorkBrother David Wickmann, who has been serving as part-time pastor of Tremont Ter-race Moravian Church, Bronx, New York, concluded his work with the congregation February 12, 2012.

West Salem, IllinoisBrother Jason Andersen, who has been serv-ing as pastor of Freedom Moravian Church, Appleton, Wisconsin, has accepted the call to serve as pastor of West Salem Moravian Church, West Salem, Illinois. Brother Ander-sen will begin his new work June 18, 2012.

Hope, IndianaBrother F. Jeffrey Van Orden, who has been serving as intentional interim pastor of Church of the Redeemer Moravian Church, Dublin, Ohio, has accepted an appointment to serve as the transition pastor of Hope Moravian Church, Hope, Indiana. Brother Van Orden will begin his new work May 7, 2012.

Elizabeth D. MillerProvincial Elders’ Conference

SOUTHERN PROVINCE

Charlotte, North Carolina Brother Mohamed Braima, who along with his wife Safi atu, has served as a missionary in Sierra Leone, West Africa for the past six years, was ordained as a mission pastor in the Moravian Church at the request of the Board of World Mission on February 12, 2012 at Lit-tle Church on the Lane in Charlotte, NC. The Rt. Rev. Sam Gray offi ciated.

Brother Braima was born in Sierra Leone and came to the US in the 1970s to further his education. He is a long-time member of Little Church on the Lane and lived in Char-lotte for 30 years. He graduated from Re-formed Theological Seminary with an M.Div. in 2006. That year he and Sister Braima re-turned to their home town, Luawa Yiehun, a village 270 miles east of Freetown, the Sierra Leone capital. Their dream was to build a church and a school.

In 2008 they completed and dedicated a church. In 2009 the fi rst building of the Moravian Secondary School was opened and they are now teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.

VISIT THE MORAVIAN MAGAZINE ON FACEBOOK!

The Moravian Magazine is on Facebook! 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.

CORRECTION: In the article, Moravian Youth “Stand Up for Jesus” in our Jan/Feb issue, Tremont Terrace Moravian Church was missed as one of the participating congregations. We apologize for this omission.

April 2011. The outside is complete, and we hung the drywall by the end of the year.

Aaron and Jessica BarksdaleAaron and Jessica and their two small chil-dren inherited this home recently from Jessi-ca’s mother who passed away. It was fl ooded during Katrina and it needs a lot of fi xing up. Since they were not the owners at the time of the storm, they do not qualify for grants or as-sistance in rebuilding. Jessica needed a new kitchen, so we worked to help.

We still have much to do in Mississippi and volunteers are needed anytime over this next year. We are currently working in the town of Moss Point and area helping families that have had little or no help since Hurricane Katrina.

If your team is interested in participating in this worthwhile ministry, we could use your help! Go to the link below and click on Missis-sippi Mission House Calendar to check avail-ability of the Mission House. If your team is more than eight people, then you are encour-aged to stay at Camp Victor Volunteer Camp in Ocean Springs. Cost is $125 per person per week, and includes three meals a day. Contact Weldon Harris at wharris3@gmail.com for more information.

For more project information, and a com-plete library of project photos, you can visit the MS Projects Home page at http://tinyurl.com/MSProjects-HomePage. ■

Ocean Springs team(continued from page 9)

30

OBITUARY

Sister Jo Anne Atkins Chadwick

Sister Jo Anne Atkins Chadwick, widow of The Rev. Truett Chadwick, Sr., passed away on February 15, 2012 at Salemtowne Retirement Community in Winston-Salem, N.C. She was 88. Sister Chadwick graduated from Flora MacDonald College in 1945 with a Bachelor of Music degree. She married The Rev. Truett Chadwick in 1947 and during their 54 years of marriage they served seven congregations in the Moravian Church, Southern Province. Sister Chadwick taught school in several school systems in North Carolina as well as private piano lessons. She had a beautiful so-prano voice and enjoyed classical music and opera. She was also an avid sports fan. She was a member of Home Moravian Church and was a devoted wife, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She is survived by one son, two daughters, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Funeral services were con-ducted at Home Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. by The Rev. Carl Southerland and The Rt. Rev. Lane Sapp with burial in God’s Acre at Bethania Moravian Church. ■

A unique opportunity to reachMoravians across North America!When developing marketing and promotional plans for your event, product or service, be sure to include The Moravian Magazine in the mix! Advertising in The Moravian gets your message to more than 17,000 Moravian households in the U.S., Canada and around the world. Our cost-effective advertising options offer a unique opportunity to spread your message, promote your event and offer products and services to a Moravian audience. For more information and to get started advertising in The Moravian, visit www.moravian.org or e-mail pubs@mcnp.org.

Some restrictions apply; contact IBOC for full details. ©2012, IBOC

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orav

ian,

P.O.

Box

124

5, B

ethl

ehem

, PA

1801

6-12

45

P

erio

dica

ls