May 6, 2003
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Ministry,
We greet you in the name of our Lord and Chief
Elder, Jesus Christ. We pray that the celebration of this Easter season
continues to be a proclamation for you of the joy of resurrection and new life.
As you know, in April of 2002 the PEC came to the
conclusion that for reasons of doctrine Br. Truman Dunn could not remain under
call as pastor of Messiah Moravian Church. After this decision was reached and
communicated to Truman, the Church Board of Messiah and the PEC agreed to delay
the implementation of the decision for a year. During this year Truman was asked
to meet regularly with a bishop to discuss and consider his beliefs, to meet
with the PEC to discuss his own journey, and to meet with the PEC and the
Messiah Board to discuss matters of mutual concern involving the ministry and
life of the congregation of Messiah. This year concluded at the end of April.
As the year has drawn to a close the PEC has again
prayerfully considered the decision of April 2002 regarding Truman. We have
asked of each other on PEC many hours of prayer, conversation, struggle and
faithful discernment. We have asked of Truman honest sharing and statement of
his beliefs today as well as his desires for being in ministry. In our
conversations Truman has affirmed his belief in Jesus as his personal Lord and
Savior, and the unique self-revelation of God whose saving grace was given in
Christ for the whole world. He has affirmed the Ground of the Unity as our
belief as Moravians and acknowledged his responsibility as an ordained minister
to teach the Ground of the Unity as that statement of belief. He has affirmed
anew his obedience to the faith and order of the Moravian Church as these are
formulated under Scripture and the Holy Spirit by our Synods and constituted
authorities, and he has affirmed Holy Scripture as the sole standard of our
doctrine and faith. He has affirmed along with the PEC that the interpretation
of scripture and its meaning is a matter for extreme care and gentleness with
one another within the church as this forms the foundation of our faith, both as
individuals and as a wider faith community. He has expressed sorrow and regret
where either the content or responses to the Moses Lectures in 2001 led to
conflict, hurt and division, and with the PEC and the Synod of 2002 committed
himself to working toward healing and unity within our province.
In consideration of Truman's efforts and work over
this past year, the charge laid upon us as a PEC by the Ground of the Unity that
"it is the Lord's will that the Church of Jesus Christ give evidence of and
seek unity in Him with zeal and love," and our earnest desire to adopt
restorative and redemptive measures in our manner of dealing with each other as
ordained servants of the Body of Christ, the PEC has decided that Br. Dunn
should continue his pastorate at Messiah.
As we live, work and serve among the individual
members and churches of our province, we affirm again the straightforward and
historic profession that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord and Chief Elder of this
province. We claim as has our entire Moravian Unity that "God has revealed
Himself once and for all in His son Jesus Christ, that our Lord has redeemed us
with the whole of humanity by His death and His resurrection; and that there is
no salvation apart from Him." (Ground of the Unity) We claim as well
Christ's call for unity in the church and that "as the living Lord and
Shepherd, He is leading His flock toward such unity."
Standing on this foundation of our common faith
and the presence of a living, leading Lord, we call upon our province, its
pastors, leaders and members to truly join together in allowing the Holy Spirit
to come upon us and within us that our hearts might be opened to one another in
renewed love, grace and reconciliation. Along with the Synod of 2002, we call
upon our province, its pastors, leaders and members to covenant to confess and
repent of attitudes and actions that may bring us to brokenness and
discouragement. As faithful witnesses and stewards of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, we call upon our province, its pastors, leaders and members to renewed
and vigorous dedication to the united mission of our Christ-centered province
celebrating this year its 250th anniversary as an essential part of the Unitas
Fratrum.
Working together as a province in the months
ahead, it is our intention as a Provincial Elders' Conference to:
- Continue to work with our bishops in calling our clergy and others to
respond with faithfulness and openness to synod's expressed desire for
dialogue and healing. (Resolution 54)
- Establish immediately a standing Committee on the Ordained Ministry in the
Southern Province to meet regularly and discuss issues and concerns
important and relevant to clergy serving under call.
- Complete and disseminate the process called for in Resolution 50 of the
Synod of 2002 aimed at developing a process and structure for addressing
matters of doctrine and practice that may affect the standing of clergy.
- Consider plans to establish the theme and content of the 2004 Intersynodal
Conference around the discussion, learning and understanding together of our
Moravian theology, doctrine and practice. This event will be a vital and
exciting expression of our ability to talk and work with one another around
our theological beliefs and identity.
- Encourage and equip us as a province to move forward as a people
"Called by Christ to Serve Together" who share the common mission,
values and giftedness, which God seeks to use in the building of His kingdom
on this earth.
We ask for your continued prayers for us and our
province that together we will always be faithful servants, bound together in
love and empowered for God's work, through Christ our Lord.
