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The Unitas Fratrum
The Unity Board Meeting
Barbados, May 18-24, 2007

Message to the Provinces of the Unity

Dear Sisters and Brothers, We the members of the Unity Board of the Moravian Church, Unitas Fratrum, meeting in the beautiful Caribbean Island of Barbados greet you in the name of Jesus our Chief Elder. We have chosen for our theme: Discerning God’s Mission Through Our Unity.

We expressed our appreciation to our immediate past President, Br. Robert Sawyer (Southern Province, U.S.A.) for the leadership he gave to the Unity during his tenure as President. Sr. Angelene Swart (South Africa Province), Vice President of the Unity Board was elected as President in November 2006. Our meeting elected Br. Paul Gardner (Jamaica Province) as Vice-President. We have been inspired by Br. Sam Gray’s daily Bible Studies throughout the meeting. We enjoyed the generous hospitality of our host the Barbados Conference of the Eastern West Indies Province. It has been a joy to share in worship in the congregations and to have fellowship with members and their families.

As we meet we are cognizant of the fact that we are gathered in a year of special anniversaries. It is the 550th Anniversary of the Unitas Fratrum, the 275th anniversary of Moravian Missions, and the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. It is indeed a moment of special significance and as a Unity we recognize the need to recommit ourselves to be faithful to the Mission of our Lord. We must continue to treasure the legacies of our church and forge ahead to be relevant in the various contexts within which we are exercising ministry. It means that we should be faithful stewards as we build bridges of harmony and peace across the world; across cultures and peoples. The Abolition of the trading in Africans reminds us that we must recommit ourselves to uphold the dignity and worth of all human beings who are created in the image of God.

The reports that we received from the Provinces provided us with an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful things that God is doing in the Provinces of the Unity. The area of new work being undertake represents the church’s commitment to continue to do mission both within and without our respective Provinces. We had to grapple with the challenges being experienced by many of our provinces and empathize with our sisters and brothers as they seek to discern God’s will in the face of many challenges.

The Czech and the Honduras Provinces continue to be a concern of the Unity. We ask you to commit these Provinces of the Unity to our Lord as we pray for real unity in this our 550th year of witness. The fellowship that these provinces enjoyed has been fractured and we remain resolute in our attempt to search for restoration of such fellowship to all parties within the Unity. As we work towards this realization, we must recommit ourselves to the principles of the Unity; affirming and embracing this unity of the church in its diversities. We must remain a single church of mutual accountability to the Unity Synod and the Unity Board.

(continued on Page 3)

Provincial Ties
Published monthly by:
Provincial Elders’ Conference, Southern Prov.
336-725-5811 336-723-1029 FAX
http://www.mcsp.org
Staff:
Wayne Burkette, President
Robert E. Hunter, Asst. To the President
Lynn Kale, Executive Asst.
Becky Honeycutt, Administrative Assistant

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.”
Psalm 86:11

Our prayers are with...

Deaths

Brother Eugene J. Sharpe, father of Susan Hudson- BCE Office Coordinator, passed away on April 25 in Whittier, CA.

Brother Frank Faircloth, father of Beverly Routh (Neil-Pastor of Christ Moravian), passed away on May 6 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Brother Owen Lewis, brother of The Rev. Henry Lewis, passed away on May 15 in Greensboro, NC.

Brother Felda Hightower Sr, father-in-law of Julia Hightower (Felda Jr)-Secretary at Calvary Moravian, passed away on May 30 in Winston-Salem, NC.

We express our love and sympathy to their families and friends.

Illness

Sister Polly Applefield, Moravian Pastor

Sister Marilyn Crawford, sister of Walter Bishop, Moravian Pastor

Brother Dorothy Simmons, mother of Scarlett Dowdy, Educator at Grace Moravian

Our prayers are with these.

Ordination Anniversaries
on page 4

Marriages

Jamie Hyland and Beth Wall-Executive Assistant, Moravian Music Foundation, were married on May 4 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Joshua Michael Tucker and Sarah Katherine Barnes were married on May 5 in Winston-Salem, NC. Sarah is the daughter of Jonathan and Kathy Barnes-Home Church Treasurer, and granddaughter of Betty Barnes and the late Rev. Alan Barnes.

Steve Miller and Suzanne Parker were married on May 27 in Emmaus, PA. Suzanne is an Approved Candidate for Ordination in the

Southern Province and in her last year at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, PA.

Congratulations!

Births

Melissa and Greg Frick have been blessed with a daughter, Emerson McKenna Frick, born on May 11 in Winston-Salem. Proud Grandparents are The Rev. Phil and Paula Bauguess.

Amy and Jody Copley have been blessed with a daughter, Hannah Leigh Copley, born on May 14 in Winston-Salem, NC. Proud Grandfather is Gary Stilley, Provincial HR Manager.

Congratulations!

Graduates

Congratulations to The Rev. Dr. Craig Troutman who received his Doctorate of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in May. Craig is serving at Raleigh Moravian Church in Raleigh, NC.

Pastoral

Sister Rebecca Craver will be ordained a deacon in the Moravian Church on Sunday, June 17-3pm, at Friedland Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Wayne Burkette will officiate.

Brother John Fry has requested and has been granted release from his appointment as pastor at Mt. Bethel Moravian Church, effective June 24. We express deep appreciation to John and Edith for their “post-retirement” service at Mt. Bethel.

Brother Jon Peterson has resigned as pastor of Covenant Moravian Church in Wilmington, NC. He and wife Bonnie will be relocating to Lakeland, Fl where Bonnie has accepted a promotion with her work at New York Times. Jon’s last Sunday at Covenant is June 17. We express deep appreciation to Jon and Bonnie for their faithful and dedicated service to the Moravian Church.

The Provincial Elders’ Conference met for regular sessions on May 7 and 15, 2007. Burkette, Hunter, Hurt, Sapp, Sides and Sparks were present, and each session began with a time of sharing of contacts with pastors and congregations followed by intercessory prayers.

As instructed by the Synod of 2006, PEC began consideration and discussion of Resolution #34 which calls for PEC to develop a definition or description of “conferential government” as it applies to Moravian Church polity in the Southern Province. PEC’s work will be used as a working definition by the Provincial Administration/Ministries Task Force and submitted to the Synod of 2010 for consideration.

Various needs and opportunities were discussed related to congregations and personnel in the Province. Call processes continue at First Moravian (NC), St. Philips, Grace and Bethesda, as does the search for a chaplain for Salem Academy and College. Bro. John Fry has requested and has been granted release from his appointment as pastor at Mt. Bethel, effective June 24. Deep appreciation is expressed to Bro. Fry for his “post-retirement” service at Mt. Bethel. Bro. Jon Peterson has requested and has been granted release from his call to the pastorate at Covenant in Wilmington, effective June 17. Bro. and Sr. Peterson plan to relocate to Florida. PEC extends to Bro. Peterson our gratitude for his years of service at Covenant. Calls to specialized ministry were reaffirmed for Bros. Bert Chin, Logan Jones, Neal Jones and Robert Wolfe. Kim Felton and Randy Noftle were approved as congregational acolytes for the Unity congregation. Bishop Burkette was commissioned to ordain Sr. Rebecca Craver on June 17 at Friedland, and Bishop Sapp was appointed to serve as Bishop in Residence at Moravian Theological Seminary for four days this coming fall.

PEC received and reviewed reports from: BEHM on the search for a director of Sunnyside Ministry; a training program for pastors just out of seminary (to be implemented next year); questions and concerns from the Church Educators’ Committee; a report from the participants in the Moravian-Reformed dialogue; and a report from the Anti-Racism Team.

PEC approved a grant to Christian Gray from the Ader Young People’s Education Fund for summer

summer study at the Brevard Music Center. Approval was also given to a proposal from Moravian Theological Seminary to compose a liturgy acknowledging the 200th anniversary of the Seminary for use on the Prayer Day for Education on August 26. It was agreed that Bro. Hunter would represent the PEC at Florida District Board meeting on May 19 while Bro. Burkette attends Unity Board meeting in Barbados, May 17-25. Bro. Bob Peterson was appointed to fill Sr. Sandra Thigpen’s place on the N. C. Council of Churches House of Delegates.

Bro. Bob Sawyer was appointed to serve as the representative of the Southern Province at the Unity of the Brethren (Texas) Convention in July. It was also noted that Dr. Chris Thomforde, president of Moravian College and Theological Seminary, will be visiting in Winston-Salem, June 12-15 and will meet with PEC while he is here.

Triennial Review results for Hope, Unity and New Hope (NC) were reviewed and discussed.

The next scheduled meeting of the PEC will be on June 19, 2007.

(submitted by Wayne Burkette)

(Continued from page 1)

Message to the Provinces of the Unity

We accepted the Moravian Church in Congo and the Moravian Church in Zambia as Affiliated Provinces. The Moravian Church in Northern Tanzania, Moravian Church in Eastern Tanzania and Zanzibar and the Moravian Church in Malawi as Mission Provinces. The South-Eastern section of Kenya was accepted as a new Mission Area under the supervision of Western Tanzanian Province and the San Juan de Lurigancho area of Lima, Peru was accepted as a Mission Area under the supervision of the American Board of World Mission. Our decisions will be taken to The Unity Synod for ratification.

Sisters and brothers, we are conscious of the nature of the world in which we are exercising the ministry of the Church. We ask each Province to be discerning of the time and the context within which such ministry is being exercised. We urge you, therefore, to commit to prayers the work of our Church in all the Provinces of the Unity.

May God grant us success in our work and in our attempt to heal relationships within the Unity.

Yours in His grace,
Angelene Swart, President, Unity Board

June 10th is Prayer Day for Laurel Ridge

The Synod of 2002 called for our congregations to observe an annual Day of Prayer and emphasis on the ministry of our church camps and conferences which are held at Laurel Ridge. This summer marks the 48th season of these times of Christian learning, spiritual growth, and enjoying the beauty and wonder of God's world together on the mountain. Special bulletin inserts have been prepared and sent out to each congregation for this special day. We hope they will be used throughout the province as we celebrate this time of remembrance and gratitude to God.

(submitted by the Laurel Ridge Board of Directors)

Registrations for 2007 Camps

Summer Camp at Laurel Ridge is alive and well! Registrations are coming in, so encourage your youth in 1st – 12th grades to send in their registration forms as soon as possible to ensure a spot. Dates for all camps can be found at:

www.laurelridge.org

Brochures and registration forms are available at your church, Laurel Ridge or the BCE office in Salem.

(submitted by Brad Bennett)

Laurel Ridge needs your help!

Volunteers are needed at Laurel Ridge. Recent high winds caused the loss of trees. We need crews with chainsaws who are able to clear trees from roadways and paths, and woodcutters to help chop and stack. Please call the office to let us know any dates that you could help as we prepare for the opening of summer camp. There are many other volunteer opportunities including painting, cleaning, cabin preparations, etc. We'll provide hot coffee in the morning, a hearty lunch, and a huge thank you. Call 1-888-831-5922 for information.

Ordination Anniversaries:
June

Congratulations and God Bless You!

2007 Summer Lay Seminary

“Bishop Augustus Spangenberg: A Moravian Pragmatist”

The Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Wayne Burkette will lead this summer’s program on the life and ministry of one of the Moravian Church’s most significant leaders in the 18th century. Many past participants have requested more in-depth studies of the lives of historical Moravian personalities through the years. This event will be held in the new Salem Wing of Higgins Lodge.

Presenter: The Rt. Rev. Dr. Wayne Burkette

When: July 6-8, 2007

Where: Laurel Ridge Camp & Conference Center

Costs: $120 per person (double occupancy) includes meals and materials. For registration info contact Laurel Ridge, 888-831-5922 or forms can be found at: www.moravianboardofce.org.

(Sponsored by The Board of Christian Education)

Feet First

Youth in Mission Summit 2 (Ages 17-26)
Laurel Ridge Camp & Conference Center
August 31—September 3, 2007

For more information contact Glenna Tasedan, gjtas29@yahoo.com, 336-922-6762 or the World Mission office-336-773-1732.

(submitted by Glenna Tasedan)

Gemeinschaft Leadership Training

A Two Day Retreat at Laurel Ridge, July 13-15!!

This year our leadership training has been changed from three days to two days. It begins Friday, at 1:30 p.m., July 13 and concludes Sunday, July 15, at 4 p.m.

Gemeinschaft is the spiritual formation program of the Moravian Church designed to nurture and challenge the Christian journey of Moravians in a small group context. Participants find this training to be an encouragement and a blessing.

For more information, contact Judy Knopf, Director of Gemeinschaft at jknopf@mcsp.org or go to our website at the Board of Christian Education, http://www.moravianboardofce.org/gemeinschaft/.

(submitted by Judy Knopf)

Now taking preorders for Daily Texts 2008!

All congregations of the Moravian Church, Southern Province have now received pre-order forms for the Daily Texts 2008. Orders placed with the Moravian Book & Gift Shop before July 16 , 2007 will receive a 15% discount. The Moravian Book & Gift Shop can be contacted by calling 336.723.6262 or by emailing childrensbooks.mbg@mcsp.org.

Pastors: Please remember to share with your members the many different versions that are available to them ... while the traditional paperback is still the most popular item, there is increased interest in The Journal and the Flip Calendar. Your help in spreading the news about these versions is greatly appreciated - as our lives grow busy the flip calendar is a great reminder to start each day with scripture and faith on kitchen counters, desk tops, and by the telephone or computer! The Journal is ideal for those who like to write or for those who need an appointment book to carry them through each day. If you haven't had the opportunity to show these versions to your congregation, contact the Interprovincial Board of Communication today at 800.732.0591 for a FREE SAMPLE COPY to display at your church (while supplies last) *. For more information about the Daily Texts 2008, visit www.moravian.org/publications or call 800.732.0591 and ask for Customer Relations. * Please note while Southern Province congregations place their orders with the Moravian Book & Gift Shop in Winston-Salem, the free samples of the Journal and Flip Calendar are available directly from the Interprovincial Board of Communication, Moravian Church in North America, who publishes the Daily Texts each year.

(submitted by Deanna Hollenbach)

Fundraising Opportunity

“Salem Gardeners” by Richard Hedgecock

Richard Hedgecock of Kernersville, NC has two new prints depicting persons in traditional Moravian dress tending their gardens in Old Salem. This is offered to our churches as a fundraising opportunity. Twenty-five percent of each sale will be donated to the purchaser’s choice of Moravian churches.

Contact Richard Hedgecock for more information: 336-996-5211 or visit his web site at [www.richardhedgecock.com] or contact the PEC Office for information and order forms.

MORAVIAN ARCHIVES

457 S. Church Street, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101

Telephone: 336-722-1742
web: MoravianArchives.org
e-mail: MoravianArchives@mcsp.org

Congregation Records which should be deposited in the Archives.

All of the following, when brought to the Archives, are immediately available for use in the Archives (board minutes and correspondence of the past seventy years by written permission of pastor or chairman of board concerned, only).

1. Items which should come to the Archives at the end of the year:

1. Elders minutes
2. Trustees minutes
3. Congregation Council minutes
4. Year-end reports given out at Congregation Council
5. Year-end financial report (if not included in previous item)
6. Budget (if not in year-end reports to Congregation Council)
7. Joint Board minutes
8. Minutes and year end reports of other committees such as Stewardship or Christian Education

2. Items which should come to the Archives when they are produced (or may be placed in a special folder marked Archives and then be brought to the Archives each year):

1. Directories of members (membership lists)
2. Memoirs
3. Histories of the congregation; histories of organizations within the congregation
4. Special brochures concerning any facet of church life
5. Programs and printed materials used for anniversaries, dedications, etc.

3. Items which should come to the Archives a few years after they have been completed or filled up:

1. Church registers (registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials)
2. Congregation diaries
3. Building plans for church-owned buildings
4. Minutes and year-end financial reports from organizations within the congregation such as Women’s Fellowship
5. Photographs (but PLEASE identify the people on the back of the photo)
6. Journals/Ledgers

4. The Archives should be on the newsletter mailing list so each issue comes to the Archives automatically. (Be sure our mailing address is correct: Moravian Archives, 457 S. Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.)

Rev. April 2007

Newsletter Notes

From around the Southern Province

In just three months flat, Covenant has raised the funds to purchase its new piano. That’s the Yamaha digital, which can deliver 250 instrumental sounds and voices including drums. Thraump! It helped to have a big donation kick off the campaign. Okay, King, let’s see you top that fund-raising feat for your new organ.

Grace has a catchy acronym for its outreach ministry: G-MOM. That’s Grace Moravian Outreach Ministry, of course. To raise funds, the G-MOM committee is selling Grace Moravian license plates.

Now that its 15.39 acres of additional land are completely paid for six years after signing the deed, Olivet is ready to embark on the next stage. And what will that stage be? The congregation is studying possibilities including a family life center. Stay tuned.

Among the special services for Moravian Music Sunday on May 6 was the dedication of the Ida Roberts Memorial Chapel Organ in Kernersville’s Memorial Chapel. It’s a honey of an organ and will greatly enhance worship opportunities at Kernersville.

Calling all Clooney fans! (Which we understand is half the human race in these parts, the female half, that is). King’s May newsletter tells all about George’s visit to the Fontaine family’s famous lemonade stand. And the newsletter has PICTURES, two pages of ’em. And HIMSELF is in FIVE of ’em. And . . . hey! Where’d everybody go . . . uh, oh, somebody had better warn King.

Richard W. Starbuck
Moravian Archives

Classified

The Moravian Music Foundation seeks interested applicants for the position of Assistant Director, to begin September 1, 2007. The Assistant Director manages the Bethlehem office, with the following responsibilities: assisting visiting researchers; answering inquiries from scholars, performers, clergy, and church musicians; making public presentations on MMF’s behalf; representing MMF at church and civic events; working with the Director and other staff members and the Board of Trustees on public relations and development. Some travel is involved. Interested persons are invited to contact Nola Reed Knouse in the Winston-Salem office by mail (457 S. Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101); e-mail (nknouse@mcsp.org);

or telephone (336-725-0651), by July 15, 2007. You are invited to send a letter of application, resume, and the names and contact information for three references we may contact.

Clemmons Moravian Church is seeking a person with the leadership, organizational and communication skills to effectively perform the duties of full-time Director of Christian Education. This position offers a competitive salary based on experience plus benefits. Please send a letter of interest with references and a resume to Clemmons Moravian Church, PO Box 730, Clemmons, NC, 27012 to the attention of the HR Committee or to hrcommittee@clemmonsmoravian.org. A job description may be requested via the email address.

Mayodan Moravian Church is seeking an organist. Contact Pastor Tim Byerly at 336-548-2645 or tbyerly@earthlink.net for more information.

The Moravian Springplace Mission to the Cherokees

Big — no, BIG news for Moravian Church history.

The Springplace Diary, the diary of the Moravian Church’s mission to the Cherokee Nation, has been published — some of it.

The Moravian Springplace Mission to the Cherokees has just been published by the University of Nebraska Press. It’s in two volumes — a total of 1,013 pages of the Diary, plus copious notes, biographical data, Moravian Church calendar, glossary of Moravian terms, indexes, etc. — and it covers the years 1805-1821.

The two-volume set retails at $99.95, and can be ordered from the University of Nebraska Press at 1-800-755-1105 or [www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bookinfo/ 5150.html], or through Moravian Book & Gift Shop, 336-723-6262.

The original Diary is housed at the Moravian Archives in Winston-Salem.

This is a tremendous publication event, not only for the Moravian Church, but also for American history. As one scholar has put it, the Moravians’ Springplace missionaries kept “the only record of daily life in the Cherokee Nation.”

(submitted by Richard Starbuck)

Address Book

Steve & Suzanne Parker Miller
111 East Elm Street
Emmaus, PA 18049 Suzparkermiller@gmail.com

David & Terri Merritt
4821 Lighthouse Court
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
336-785-7684

Rebecca Craver
716 Radclyffe Street
Bethlehem, PA 18017
610-217-2162
rlittlelady@excite.com

Jon and Bonnie Peterson (effective 6-18-07)
6034 Charloma Drive
Lakeland, FL 33813

Moravian Church in America, South
Provincial Elders’ Conference
459 South Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Address Correction Requested

For Your Calendar

Deadline for the July Issue of Provincial Ties is June 26