Unity Board Meeting Report by Sr Joan Andersen

It was great to feel the unity and diversity around the table at the Unity Board Meeting held in Barbados. There were representatives from most provinces around the world. (See link on right for more information.) The language spoken at Unity meetings is English, but away from the table you could hear Spanish, Swahili, and German. The various English accents lent a special flavour to the discussions. It was interesting to be reminded that South Africa, where Unity Board President Angelene Swart comes from, has eleven official languages. And here in northern Labrador we sometimes think that having two is a struggle!

(Photo courtesy of Moravian Church East West Indies Province web site) Rev. Robert Hopcroft seated at bottom right.

The bus picked up delegates at 7:30 each morning and returned us to our hotel around 9:00 p.m. We had full days, with meals cooked and served by ladies from the Moravian churches in Barbados. (We quickly acquired a taste for flying fish, ocra, and mangoes!)

Each morning started off with devotions at Sharon Moravian Church, conducted by a different minister from the Barbados area each time. Bishop Sam Gray played the organ at these services. Then we moved to the D. C. Moore Educational Centre next door where the meetings were held. There Bishop Gray started each day with Bible Study. This was a very meaningful time. Everyone got a lot from these sessions which had the theme “Discerning God’s Mission Through our Unity AND Discerning Our Unity Through God’s Mission”. There was singing and prayer also.

It was good to hear the reports from each province. I learned that some provinces, especially in Africa, are increasing their congregations rapidly. I presented the report on our Labrador province and told them about our desire to find full-time ministers for each of our four congregations. The Unity promised to support our efforts in prayer. Some suggested we write our request to their provinces to see if any candidates would step forward to serve. They also encouraged us to try to find our own candidates from Labrador to ordain. It was enlightening to hear of challenges faced in other provinces and how they are being dealt with.

On Saturday all delegates were given a bus tour of all the Moravian churches in Barbados. The tour guide was Rev. Dorothea Rohde who is the minister at Gracehill Moravian Church. She gave us some historical insights into the Moravian presence in Barbados. That afternoon we went to a picnic being held by three church congregations as part of their celebration of the 550th anniversary of the worldwide Moravian Church and were happy to have members of the Unity present to join in the festivities. Bishop Sam Gray showed more of his talents by entering the sack race, lime and spoon race, and being a genuine good sport (see below!).

On Sunday each minister was assigned a church in which to lead a service. Since I am not a minister, I got to accompany Sister Angelene Swart to Penuel Church at 8:30 a.m. and Mount Tabor Church at 10:00 a.m. Both congregations are served by Rev. Dr. Cicely Athill-Horsford . Penuel Church is very small and modest, with about fifteen persons present. But the singing and fellowship in that congregation was fantastic. Mount Tabor had an attendance of about two hundred. I was struck by the large number of youth, and persons of all ages who were in attendance. Some of the youth accompanied the singing with tambourines. One young girl sang a solo that she had written herself. Two more youth did the Bible readings. The whole congregation belts out every song of praise with vigor. The singing was lively with some clapping.

The Unity members went to the manse for a dinner prepared for us by church members. Then at seven o’clock we went back into Mount Tabor Church for an evening of song, dance, and instrument playing by mainly youth, and some adult choirs. Several churches took part in this presentation. Each Unity delegate was announced, giving name and where from, and was then led in on the arm of one of the young choir members. It was a gala occasion. One choir had even learned a song in Swahili especially for our African visitors.

This is the 550th anniversary of the worldwide Moravian Church, but it is also the 275th anniversary of the beginning of mission work by the Moravian Church. This work continues, and two new mission areas have been identified. One in Lima, Peru and one in southeast Kenya. Mission work started in the Caribbean, so it was fitting that we should meet together in the Caribbean at this time. We had a warm welcome and were treated royally. All delegates came away refreshed spiritually, with new ideas and information, and supportive of our brothers and sisters in this Moravian family.

Front row: Cora Antonioa (Nicaragua), Clement Mwaitebele (Southern Tanzania).
2nd row: Paul Gardner (Jamaica), Angelene Swart (South Africa), Brinmore Phaul (Guyana).
3rd row: Wayne Burkette (U.S. Southern Province), Peter Green (Alaska), Jackie Morten (Britain), Sadock Simwanza (Tanzania, SW Province),.
4th row: Joan Andersen (Labrador), Maarten Mingoen (Suriname), Bishop Nicodemo (Western Tanzania).
5th row: Frieder Vollprecht (Germany), Leopold Pixley (Costa Rica), Erord Simae (Tanzania, Rukwa Province), Bishop Sam Gray (South Carolina, U.S.A.)Top: Errol Connor (Eastern West Indies).

Sr Joan Andersen

Chair, Moravian Church in Newfoundland and Labrador