Congregations & Fellowships
Advent
Ardmore
Bethabara
Bethania
Bethesda
Calvary
Christ
Christ the King
Clemmons
Community Fellowship
Covenant
Crooked Oak
Enterprise
Fairview
First Moravian (GA)
First Moravian (NC)
Friedberg
Friedland
Fries Memorial
Fulp
Good Shepherd
Grace
Holly Springs Comm.
Home
Hope
Hopewell
Immanuel-New Eden
Kernersville
King
King of Kings
Konnoak Hills
Leaksville
Little Church on the Lane
Macedonia
Mayodan
Messiah
Mizpah
Moravia
Morning Star
Mt. Bethel
New Beginnings Comm.
New Covenant Fell. (Palm Beach)
New Hope (Miami)
New Hope (Newton)
New Philadelphia
Oak Grove
Olivet
Palm Beach
Palmetto Fellowship
Peace
Pine Chapel
Prince of Peace
Providence
Raleigh
Rolling Hills
Rural Hall
Sarasota Fellowship
St. Philips
Suriname Fellowship
Tampa Fellowship
Trinity
Union Cross
Unity
Willow Hill

Claiming Our Common Ground

The Moravian Church is called into being by the Lord Jesus Christ so that it may serve Him here on earth until He comes… The Unitas Fratrum is being called to serve humanity by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ… It recognizes this call to be the source of its being and the inspiration of its services… Jesus Christ is the one Lord and Head of His Body, the Church, and this Church owes no allegiance to any authority whatsoever which opposes His dominion.

These are some of the statements from The Ground of the Unity that define and identify us as a church. In a time when many in our post-Christian culture understand truth to be relative and Christianity to be just one of many religions, it is important that the world be clear about what God's people believe and proclaim. It is imperative that we as Southern Province Moravians claim and articulate our common ground for witness, mission, and ministry. This is exactly the purpose of a vision statement.

As we give attention to developing a vision statement, it is important that we keep before us The Ground of the Unity in its entirety. At the same time our particular context brings particular needs and some statements in The Ground of the Unity merit particular attention. Among these may be mentioned the following:

We believe and affirm that the Church is called into being by the Lord Jesus Christ to serve humanity by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We profess a faith in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that God has revealed Himself once and for all in His Son, Jesus Christ and redeemed us and all humanity by His death and resurrection, and that there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the atonement for the sins of the whole world.

We believe that the Holy Scriptures are the sole standard of our doctrine and faith and therefore shapes our life together.

We believe in and confess the unity of the Church, given in the one Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior.

We believe that there is no distinction to be made among those who are one in Jesus Christ; we, therefore, oppose any discrimination in our midst based on race, social standing, or gender.

We believe that Christ has called us to love and serve our neighbor at home and abroad, including in particular mission service among the peoples of the world as we confess Christ and witness to His love.

Thanksgiving and praise for God's grace are the keynote of our life and ministry, and in that spirit we await the return of Christ, that we might be found ready to meet our Lord with joy.

(Continued on page 7)

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

"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" Mark 11:9

Our prayers are with...

Deaths

Bishop Wil Behrend of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin passed away June 6. He retired from active service in 1990 after serving various churches, president of the Western District Executive Board, and president of the Provincial Elders' Conference, Northern Province. His wife, Ruth, resides at 625 Pony Lane, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin 53590.

Sister Ruth Daetwyler, widow of Vernon Daetwyler, passed away on June 15 in Winston-Salem, NC. Southern Province churches that she served with her husband were Advent and Fairview.

Sister Ruth Barnes, widow of J. Calvin Barnes, passed away June 17 in Winston-Salem, NC. She remained a member of Calvary Moravian where she served with her husband.

Elizabeth "Lyd" Hightower, mother of Felda and Julia Hightower-Secretary at Calvary Moravian, passed away on July 1 in Winston-Salem, NC.

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

Illness

Continue to keep Linda Yarbrough, wife of Wally Yarbrough-Pastor Enterprise Moravian, in your prayers as she deals with health concerns.

Anne Marie Stott, Assistant Director of Sunnyside Ministry, had minor surgery in Winston-Salem on June 24 and is doing well.

Terri Merritt had surgery in Winston-Salem in mid June. She is now home and making gradual progress to a good recovery.

Joe Gray, retired Moravian Minister, appreciates the continued prayers from everyone. Our prayers are with these.

(Continued on page 3)

Births

Allison and Joey Yokely (Pastoral Assistant Macedonia Moravian) have been blessed with a son, Joshua Andrew Yokely born on May 12, 2003 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Congratulations!

Ordination Anniversaries
July

Beth Wall has assumed administrative responsibilities in the Moravian Music Foundation (MMF). Beth is a recent graduate of Salem College in Music and Art Management. In addition to being of great assistance in the administrative details for the recent Festival, Beth played in the Festival orchestra (she's an accomplished violinist). We welcome Beth to MMF!

The Provincial Elders' Conference met on May 20 and June 17, beginning with a time of prayer and intercession.

Bob Sawyer reported on discussions with Judy Knopf about continuation of the visioning process begun in late 2001. The proposed purpose is "to discover anew a strong, clear, and passionate sense of our Moravian Christian identity, which involves our values, beliefs, and our vision of God's call for the Southern Province." The outcome is "to claim our common ground for witness, mission, and ministry as we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Donna Hurt reported Carl Southerland and Carol Foltz are willing to continue as program planners for the Moravian Ministry Association as long as the group wants programs in the current mode.

PEC discussed call processes for Friedland, Pine Chapel, Mizpah, New Hope (NC), Palm Beach, Bethania, Bethabara, and Rolling Hills, and reported on several meetings with church boards. Progress of candidates for ordination was reviewed. PEC joined with the PEC of the Northern Province in appointing Dr. Worth Green (Winston-Salem) and Dr. Ben Wright (Allentown, PA) as the North American representatives to the Moravian Unity's Standing Committee on Theology. Six other representatives are being appointed by the Africa, European, and Caribbean regions.

PEC continued work on appointing key task forces and committees, including the following:

• Task Force to Study Recognition of Specialized Ministries (Synod Resolution #8).
• Commission on Ordained Ministry (Synod Resolution #18 of Health and Well-Being of Clergy is referred to this Commission).
• Stewardship Study Commission (Synod Resolution #38) PEC and the Provincial Financial Board have added the following to the mandate of this Commission: "to recommend provincial structure and organization that would exercise good stewardship of resources and provide effective provincial ministry."
• Provincial Hospitality Center (Resolution #52) is initially referred to the Public Relations Committee.

• Planning Committee for the 2004 Intersynodal Conference. PEC also discussed changing the conference to a Winston-Salem location to reduce the cost.

PEC is receiving suggestions for appointments to these groups.

PEC also renewed the four-year appointment of Br. Bob Hunter as Assistant to the PEC President. PEC heartily affirmed Br. Hunter for his outstanding work and the fine relationships he has with both laity and clergy across the Province. Br. Angetile Musomba, President of the Moravian Unity Board, has accepted the Southern Province's invitation to attend the final celebration for the 250th Anniversary on November 16 at Wait Chapel, and Br. Wayne Burkette agreed to serve as Bishop in Residence at Moravian Theological Seminary during Fall 2003.

(submitted by Bob Sawyer)

(continued from page 2)

Pastoral

Brother Jeff Littrell has accepted the call to become pastor of Bethabara Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC. He previously served at Peace Moravian Church in Charlotte, NC and also as an interim professor of theological education at the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethel, Alaska.

Brother Ofreciano Julias has accepted the call to become pastor of the Palm Beach Moravian Church in West Palm Beach, FL. Brother Julias began his service to the Moravian Church in Nicaragua which included service on that provincial board. For the past three years he has served the New Covenant Moravian Fellowship in Palm Beach County, FL. He will continue his work with them as he serves as pastor to the Palm Beach congregation.

Brother Hal Cole, retired Moravian minister, has accepted the Minister of Visitation position at New Philadelphia Moravian, Winston-Salem, NC where he will be working three days a week.

Congratulations!

Moravian Ministry Association Retreat September 22–25, 2003

The 2003 retreat committee is pleased to announce the speaker and theme for the fall Ministry Association retreat at Laurel Ridge which will be held September 22-25. The speaker is Dr. James Fleming and the theme is "Authority, Justice and Love in the Parable of Jesus."

Dr. Fleming serves as Director of Biblical Resources Study Center in Jerusalem, Israel, an ecumenical organization serving the whole body of Christ. He is President of Biblical Resources, which produces audio-visual aids for teaching Bible history, and Director of the World of the Bible Pilgrim Center at Ein Karem, Jerusalem. He has lived and worked in Israel since 1974. He has developed courses of study in historical geography and biblical history, uniquely tying the studies with the biblical text and emphasizing the wedding of theological/faith relationships.

Dr. Fleming holds an Ed.D. degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX. He teaches in the School for Overseas students at Hebrew University in Israel. The director of the program has referred to Dr. Fleming's media lecture room as "the most sophisticated teaching center in the Middle East."

Dr. Fleming divides his time among three major activities-lecturing in the US (including conferences at the Intentional Growth Institute, Lake Junaluska Conference Center, Lake Junaluska, NC), Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and South America; leading study tours to the Holy Land and the Mediterranean world; and directing the World of the Bible Center in Ein Karem, Jerusalem.

The lectures given by Dr. Fleming weave four perspectives to help us understand Biblical

times-archaeology, history, geography and theology. He makes extensive use of slides of the many excavations of places from the past. These bring us close to the lives of the ancient teachers and prophets, and to the peoples that heard Jesus. During our retreat Dr. Fleming will give eight one-hour presentations focusing on the parables of Jesus.

Please keep in mind as you make travel plans that the retreat begins with dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Monday followed by an opening celebration. It concludes with lunch at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday. As you know, the cost of the retreat is covered by an endowment. This year there will be a $30 contribution requested, a portion of which will go towards a book authored by Dr. Fleming which will be our resource for the retreat. The remaining amount will help defray Association expenses for the upcoming year and enable us to make a gift donation. Checks should be made payable to the Moravian Ministry Association. Registration forms will be included in the August Provincial Ties. We look forward with you to a rewarding and enjoyable time of learning and fellowship at Laurel Ridge in September!

The retreat committee: Scott Venable, Chair, Jon Peterson, Judy Knopf, Riddick Weber, Kelly Moore and Joe Moore

For Your Information

• Bill and Betty Campbell will be taking another load of KITS to Maryland, Church World Services in late July. If your church has KITS or money, call him at 336-643-5037.
• The new & revised edition of the Moravian Catechism is now available at Interprovincial Board of Communication office. The price is $1.50 (plus S&H). If you wish to place an order please contact IBOC at 610-867-0593 ext 38.
• Reminder from the Interprovincial Board of Communication: All Congregations are reminded that members of the church receive The Moravian magazine as a privilege of membership. Pastors and/or church personnel responsible for membership should report the names of new members on a regular basis so they can be added to the mailing list. All names and addresses should be reported to the IBOC Office by emailing us at pubs@mcnp.org or by contacting the customer relations assistant at 800-732-0591 ext. 38.

(submitted by Deanna Hollenbach, Director of Communication)

Young adult weekend at Laurel Ridge

A new event is being offered at Laurel Ridge on the weekend of August 22-24. The Young Adult Weekend is designed for post-college (22 year olds plus) young adults and will offer an array of learning opportunities along with worship, fellowship and "being on the mountain." The cost is $50. More information and registration forms are available at the BCE office or the youth and college ministries pages at www.moravianboardofce.org.

(submitted by Brad Bennett)

What Brought Us Together
9th Moravian Women's Conference
June 18 - 21, 2003

The 9th Moravian Women's Conference has just ended or maybe it has just begun for some of us. More than 850 women from 18 of our 19 provinces gathered on the Wake Forest University campus to sing, to study, and to fellowship. Just imagine, women came from throughout our Moravian Unity except for Suriname! It was a glorious and fulfilling event.

Our nationally known speakers, Ann Weems, Anne Graham Lotz, and Liz Curtis Higgs challenged us to think about our life in Christ. Ann Weems, a poet and writer, shared with us the story of the Christian nurture she received in her Presbyterian family. Just as it is for her and for us "it's about Jesus." Anne Graham Lotz challenged us "to stop running on empty." We are busy women in our churches and communities. Her question was "Does our "busyness" separate us from Christ?" And then Liz Curtis Higgs, a writer (and former Moravian/Lititz, PA), enriched us with laughter and humor as we looked at ourselves. She reminded us that we see the blemishes in ourselves, but God sees our beauty. She shared with us her findings in her studies of the "Bad Women of the Bible," and "The Really Bad Women of the Bible," titles of two of her books. She made us laugh until we cried, but she helped us to celebrate who we are as women in God's world. A powerful statement to us from her was "you cannot out sin the grace of God!" The magnitude of God's love and grace for us is beyond our comprehension

What brought us together? Our belief in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior brought us together! This is our common ground as Moravian women from around the globe. We were blessed with Holy Communion served by twenty-seven Moravian women pastors from around the world. We laughed, we cried, we sang, we prayed, we hugged, we shared, we met new sisters, and we grew in our belief of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. "This knits us together, no longer we roam. We all have one father and heaven is our home!" We have descended the mountain top to share ourselves with you. We are beginning a new life in our faith journey in Christ.

(submitted by Mallie Graham)

Changing the Channels offered at New Philadelphia

Did you know…..
...that children store media violence in the same part of the brain that stores traumatic memories like war or rape?

...that over a thousand studies have clearly linked media violence with increased aggression later in life?

...that recent deregulation from the FCC will probably result in less programming for children and a decrease in local news?

Changing the Channels is a dynamic, two-part workshop for parents, grandparents, and teachers who want to know more about how media violence and vulgarity affects their children -- and our society. The Rev. John Jackman, Executive Director of Comenius Foundation, will summarize the studies in plain language, and explain why the television business works the way it does -- and what you can do to make a positive difference for your family.

The workshops will include information about video game violence, and each workshop will include a period for questions and answers. The workshops are free and open to the public.

Rev. John Jackman has led workshops for the National Association of Broadcasters, the American Film Institute, Digital Video Expo, the Library of Congress, and numerous colleges and universities across the country.

When: Wednesday, July 23 &
Wednesday, July 30
6:30 - 8:00 pm

Where: New Philadelphia Moravian Church, 4440 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, 336-765-2331.

Sponsored by: Comenius Foundation and New Philadelphia Moravian Church

Newsletter Notes

The month of June was highlighted by two major Moravian events plus one that got a lot of newsletter play. By all accounts, the 21st Moravian Music Festival June 8-14 was a tremendous success. More than 160 registered to attend the week of seminars and rehearsals at Salem College, and the evening concerts drew significant audiences from the wider community. A feature on National Public Radio had people calling from the West Coast to learn more about Moravians and our music. The ninth Moravian Women's Conference June 18-21 proved the truly global nature of our church. More than 850 Moravians from 17 (or 18) of our 19 provinces gathered at Wake Forest University for meetings, services, food, fun, and fellowship. It was truly a celebration of Moravian women's commitment to God and each other. On the lighter side was an event engineered by the 250th Anniversary Committee of the Province and widely promoted in last month's newsletters. "Moravian Day at the Ballpark" at Ernie Shore Field on June 22 featured a "dizzy Dieners bat race," a "bishops' bun toss" (no bishops), 250th anniversary coffee mugs, and a Moravian band which played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (honest!). Oh, and a baseball game (the home team won). More than 3,600 turned out, and if they had all been Moravians it would have been the largest gathering of us since the Quincentennial Celebration in 1957 when we packed the old Memorial Coliseum. (At least two fans, though, were from Temple Emanuel. Gotta keep things ecumenical, you know.)

It was "wonderful" at Kernersville June 1 with a day-long dedication of its new organ. First was a lovefeast at 11 a.m. with adult choir, children's choir, soloists, etc., all from the congregation. Then at 4 p.m. was a recital by Janette Fishell of East Carolina University. The organ itself is positively splendid. It was built by John F. Nordlie and his company of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. When completed it will have 50 ranks, 40 registers, 44 speaking stops, and 2,667 pipes. The key actions are mechanical "tracker," not electric. And yes, the "Zimbelstern," the tinkly sleigh bells, really do work. All Kernersville - the congregation, boards, organ committee, contributors, doubters, and

supporters - should take a quiet bow for this glorious addition to the praise of our Lord and Savior. For those who missed the dedication, we will have opportunity to hear the organ in several more recitals: Sept. 21 with John Mitchener of the North Carolina School of the Arts, Nov. 9 with Virginia Vance of Peace College, Jan. 11, 2004, with Susan Bates of West Market Street Methodist Church in Greensboro, and May 23, 2004, Matthew Brown, organ student at NCSA. And be sure to pass the hat again for those of us who want to contribute to this marvelous work of art.

Konnoak Hills carries on despite rain, cold, and lack of lights. The neighbor-hood music festival which the church held on May 17 suffered from rain and cold, and yet the "let's make the best of it" spirit was already looking forward to next year. Because of a delay in shipping replacement lights, the rededication of Konnoak's renovated sanctuary had to be postponed from June 1. The new rededication date is July 27, and the anniversary covered-dish lunch has been moved to that date as well. The rededication will be the culmination of the $220,000 renovation project.

Breathless report from Moravia: "All permits in hand, new septic tanks, pump and 300? of line installed. Footings dug and poured. Foundation laid. Sub floor installed . . . MUD! 112 engraved pavers ordered. Sinks and tables ordered. Building committee now ready to choose tile, light fixtures, cabinets, and paint colors. Windows, trusses, and doors ordered. Designs being considered for the BELL placement. . . . We will soon receive the $20,000 grant from the Brethren's Church on Staten Island." Culmination of the $160,000 addition to the worship facilities will be the dedication service, which will be "on a Sunday afternoon in the fall." To help pay for the project Moravia can take Bill Campbell up on his promise: "anytime there are at least 100 in the worship services during June, July, and August, he will make a donation of $100.00 to the building fund." Let's see. That's 14 Sundays time 100. . . . That should buy a window or two plus give him a crowd to preach to as well. Put it that way, and he can't lose.

Aiming to make even more music in the future, Friedland is proceeding with an addition to its music room.

Good Shepherd is studying its future and has taken the step for revitalization with the assistance of the Board of Evangelism and Home Missions. BEHM will work with the church to help build upon the visioning work that the congregation has already done.

Churches exist on financial participation as much as attendance participation, and we are reminded of this blunt fact especially in economic downturns. Our giving depends on our fears and our wants. Our fears are driven by external factors over which we have little control and thus are best addressed with prayer. We have more control over what we want, what we envision, and Christ the King provides us with an example. The congregation pledged $1,000 toward sending Michael and Caroline Woo of Ardmore to Asia in a mission to unreached people, but that pledge fell $1,000 short of what the Woos needed. "My heart ached a little," Br. Frank Venable reported. But after the commissioning service, a young couple of Christ the King came forward and declared, "Frank, we would like to match the $1,000 gift for the Woos." May this spirit of giving infuse and direct our wants as we seek to further Christ's kingdom here on earth.

(submitted by Richard Starbuck)

Continued from page 1

The simple but powerful words at the conclusion of our Lenten Liturgy proclaim what has been and remains the central focus of our message: Christ and Him crucified remain our confession of faith. The P.E.C. has asked Judy Knopf, who has previously given leadership in visioning, to guide us in claiming and articulating the unity we have in a manner that meets the unique needs of the Southern Province.

We have learned from the stories of our biblical ancestors that vision comes within the context of a deeper spiritual life and only after a period of waiting on God: Moses and the journey of God's people (Exodus 13.17-22), Jacob (Genesis 28.10-22), Mary (Luke 1.8-21, 26-45), Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10). We believe that a vision for the Southern Province will come only after an intentional time of prayer, scripture study, and rediscovery of our Moravian Christian identity.

The P.E.C. plans to invite a group of core leaders to participate in a spiritual discernment process of prayer, reflection, inquiry, conversation, and listening. They will synthesize the visions from our 2002 Synod and current emerging visions; review the historical images, events, and stories that have shaped our identity and beliefs; and, discern and formulate the vision for the Moravian Church, Southern Province. Their work will be submitted to clergy and lay leaders for response.

(submitted by Bob Sawyer)

For Your Calendar: July

Deadline for the August Issue of Provincial Ties is July 31.

Address Book

Sam Gray: samjgray49@aol.com

Moravian Church in America, South
Provincial Elders’ Conference
Drawer O, Salem Station
Winston-Salem, NC 27108

Address Correction Requested