See Next Mission Staff letter

Dear organizers of this website, I wish to reply to an aspect of the MBWM's acceptance of our resignations. Much could be said about the whole thing, but I in particular want to draw to the wider Moravian Church's attention the inaccuracy of something reported in Dave Wickman's Feb 10 letter (that I did not see until this morning). I copied out the following paragraphs from that letter:

Fourth, considering the commitment to continue to reach unreached peoples, the resigned staff was challenged to establish an organization through which they would minister on behalf of the Lord Jesus. This new organization would be funded initially on an annual basis using Board of World Mission funds collected from congregations, as is currently the case. It is entirely possible that, at some point in the future, the Board of World Mission may feel there is an opportunity to minister to another group of unreached people. Should that be the case. or should the new organization not need the Board of World Mission. They will be free to act on their own. They are not connected to the Moravian Church but it is anticipated they will receive funding from the Moravian Church as long as their mission and the vision of the Board of World Mission are reasonably the same.

It is for this reason that the funding requests for the Board of World Mission will remain the same for each congregation. It is vitally important that this new effort be supported by the prayers and the dollars of each congregation. In the near future each congregation will receive information from the Board of World Mission (in fact, this might already be in your hand) concerning this new venture and the vision being articulated by the Board of World Mission.

It is absolutely not true that the Mixtec ministry will continue to be funded through the MBWM in any way. Any individual donors that mistakenly send funds to them will have those sent forward to our new funding body (a partnership of Ardmore Moravian and the Mennonite Brethren Missions and Service Int) until we can contact them for direct supporting. It is true that the MBWM did propose this funding, but we in no way wish to remain attached to them in an official connection. We believe that money always has strings, and did not wish for there to be been the appearance that we had acquiesced in the core issues. As we have expressed to the leadership of the Board, we have resigned from them primarily because they can no longer lead us forward in what God has called us to do. Their way of understanding God and His Revelation to us (and the nature of our sinful state) indicates to us that they are sufficiently different from us that they are not able to help direct our steps. Leaders are not there to be submitted to (primarily), but in the Eph 4:11-16 model, to help lead us forward. They have forfeited that position by showing us their differences, and/or refusing to act clearly in these areas. So, as one of the persons chiefly involved in the Mixtec outreach, I wish it to be known that there will be absolutely no funds transferred to our work from the MBWM. Please do not give to the MBWM or the Northern Province any funds that you intend to reach the work going on in southern Mexico. If further clarification is needed, please feel free to contact us. The address where funds might be sent to will be shortly available. In the interim, Ardmore Moravian can receive funds. Thank you for your interest in this work of God. May He bless you all, Robert Thiessen.