the moravian magazine july-august 2012

Moravian Theological Seminary Commencement

Southern Province Intersynodal Gathering

Canadian District Synod

And more!

J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 2

“This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”it’s supposed to be.”

“This is the way “This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

“This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way it’s supposed to be.”



“This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way it’s supposed to be.”


“This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way “This is the way it’s supposed to be.”




“This is the way “This is the way

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Moravian Education

5 Moravian Theological Seminary concludes 205th academic year

Southern Province

9 Intersynodal Gathering: Moving Forward Together 10 Open the eyes of our heart, Lord:

impressions of the Intersynodal Gathering 11 We Gathered Together:

impressions of the Intersynodal Gathering

Canadian District

14 Canadian District finds God speaking in newness, faithfulness and oneness

18 Synod elects Board of Elders for Canadian District

Congregations in Mission

19 Clean Water Project brings new wells to Nicaragua 21 A new airplane hangar for Alas de Socorro

Moravian Music

23 First Moravian celebrates music director’s 50 years 25 Bethlehem to host 24th Moravian Music Festival in July 2013

IBOC

27 IBOC introduces enhanced Moravian Church in North America web site

In every issue

4 Ponderings: Welcoming Jodi Bortz 29 Official Provincial Elders’ News 30 Obituary: Mrs. Clement E. Semper

Moravian Theological Seminary Commencement

Southern Province Intersynodal Gathering

Canadian District Synod

And more!

J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 2

July/August 2012 3

Member, Associated Church Press

Visit our website at http://www.moravian.org. Letters to the editor, address corrections, and other correspondence may be e-mailed to the magazine at [email protected].

Christ and him crucified remain our confession of faith

In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love

On the cover: Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim, associate professor of Doctrinal Theology, leads graduates during commencement ceremonies at Moravian Theological Seminary. Photo by Colleen Marsh.

19 9

Welcoming Jodi Bortz

As the executive director of the Interpro-vincial Board of Communication, I rely on a solid team to make our office run smoothly and efficiently. This month, I am pleased to welcome a new member of that team who will be helping to keep the “business side” of the IBOC moving forward.

Jodi Bortz of Bethlehem, Pa., joined as our new customer relations/business assistant. Jodi replaces Deb Swanson, who left in April to pursue a new career opportunity.

Jodi brings extensive customer service and business experience to the role. For the past 10-plus years, she worked in areas of in-creasing responsibility in accounts receivable, collections, workflow management and client relationships. She also brings creative and technical skills that will prove beneficial to our online marketing and sales efforts.

Jodi is a member at College Hill Moravian Church in Bethlehem, where she is community outreach coordinator and Sunday School Su-perintendent. She is an accomplished flutist and continues to teach aspiring musicians. She is also the mother of two adorable little girls.

As the part-time customer relations/business assistant, Jodi will handle many aspects of product sales, customer service, shipping, invoicing and payments for products offered by the IBOC. She will be our main contact with customers and congregations; track and pro-cess customer sales, invoicing, accounts receivable and inventory; co-ordinate product shipping; manage our online store; and assist with communication activities and events.

Jodi joins us just as the 2013 Daily Texts preorder process — one of our busiest times of the year — gets underway. We also launched our new website, with a more customer-friendly online store that Jodi will be helping to manage. While she’s only been here a short time, she has done a great job learning the role.

Please join me in welcoming Jodi to our team and thanking Deb for her years of great work with the IBOC.

Peace,

Mike

(ISSN 1041-0961 USPS 362600) July/August 2012, Vol. 43, No. 6

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Official Journal, The Moravian Church in North America, Northern and Southern Provinces

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Postmaster please send address changes to The Moravian, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245.

Continuing The North American Moravian, The Moravian and The Wachovia Moravian.

Michael Riess, Editor

Siobhan Young, Communications Assistant

Jodi Bortz, Customer Relations/Business Assistant

Interprovincial Board of Communication Paul Knouse, Paul Peucker Chair Adam Pristas Jane Burcaw Richard Sides Jane Carmichael Valerie Wagner Lance Fox Jill Westbrook Gary Kniskern

Design by Sandy Fay, Laughing Horse Graphics, Inc.

Address all correspondence regarding articles, subscriptions, or advertising to The Moravian, PO Box 1245, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1245 FAX: 610.866.9223 Phone: 610.867.0594 800.732.0591 e-mail: [email protected] www.moravian.org

Contents © 2012, Interprovincial Board of Communications, Moravian Church in North America. All rights reserved

4 The Moravian

PONDERINGS

Commencement ceremonies marking the conclusion of the 205th academic year of Moravian Theological Seminary were held on Saturday, May 12, 2012. Nineteen students received degrees and certificates in front of several hundred of their friends and family at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pa.

Remembering Moravian bishop and edu-cator Jon Amos Comenius’ philosophy of educating, “not the children of the rich or of the powerful only, but of all alike, boys and girls, both noble and ignoble, rich and poor, in all cities and towns, villages and hamlets,” the seminary awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Father John P. Foley, Chair Emeritus of Cristo Rey Schools.

Fr. Foley’s work and leadership in develop-ing educational opportunities for economi-cally disadvantaged students exemplifies the principles of Moravian education. A native of

Chicago, Fr. Foley was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1967. After 34 years working in and lead-ing Jesuit schools in Peru, Fr. Foley returned to Chicago to open and serve as president of a new Jesuit high school, Cristo Rey. Serving only economically disadvantaged students, Cristo Rey schools welcome youth of various faiths and cultures and offer a curriculum de-signed for high level engagement in learning. A hallmark of the educational program cen-ters on each student working five days each month in businesses and non-profit agencies helping students acquire marketable skills, develop a network of contacts and gain expo-

Moravian Theological Seminary concludes 205th Academic Year

Colleen Marsh is assistant to the Director of Administration for Moravian Theological Seminary. Photos by Colleen.

(continued on next page)

July/August 2012 5

MORAVIAN EDUCATION

sure to career opportunities. Today, Fr. Foley serves as Chair Emeritus of the Cristo Rey Network of 24 schools in 17 states, provid-ing education to 6,500 young people living in urban communities.

In 2008, President Bush awarded Fr. Foley the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest honor for a civilian, for his commit-ment to helping his fellow citizens lead lives of integrity and achievement. In 2012, he was honored as part of President Obama’s pro-gram recognizing Champions of Change for their service to their communities and to the nation. Eclipsing his awards is the witness of the lives of thousands of young people who have been empowered by their Cristo Rey experience to assume leadership roles in the civic, religious, business and cultural life of their communities and nation.

After receiving his award, Fr. Foley de-livered a moving Commencement Address, which was met with a standing ovation. He encouraged the graduates to be creative with

their gifts and look for new ways to attend to those who are most in need. He challenged that, “unless we learn to be creative, to take a risk, we tie the Holy Spirit’s hands. The Spirit cannot work wonders among us if we are only about business as usual. We are all called to establish the Kingdom, nothing less. I exhort you today to accept the call of the King. No one else is going to miraculously appear to make the Kingdom come.” The full text of his address can be found at www.moravianseminary.edu/news/spring12/Foley_Address.html

Six Moravians were among this year’s grad-uates. From the Southern Province:

Zach Dease , a member of New Philadel-phia Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, received the Cora Doster Moses Memorial Homiletics Prize for the best work done in preaching and practical pulpit work by a graduating senior. He will serve in leadership with the mission camp program at Laurel Ridge this summer as he awaits a call to serve the Moravian church.

After earning his MDiv degree from Wake

(continued from previous page)

Zach Dease

6 The Moravian

Forest, Andrew Heil received a Certificate in Moravian Studies from MTS. A member of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, Andrew received the Rev. Elmer D. Bender Memorial Award given to an individual pre-paring for the Moravian ministry who displays outstanding pastoral qualities. Andrew’s wife, Sarah Hubbard, also graduated from MTS this year, earning her Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling degree with cum laude honors.

A member of Konnoak Hills Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, Virginia Tobias-

sen earned her Certificate in Moravian Stud-ies after completing her MDiv from Wake Forest last year. Ginny has returned to her home in Winston-Salem and looks forward to ordained service with the Moravian Church.

Graduates from the Northern Province included:

Ashley Alexander , a member of Faith Moravian Church of the Nation’s Capital,


July/August 2012

Andrew Heil

Virginia Tobiassen

Ashley Alexander

graduated from the dual degree program. She received her Master of Arts in Pastoral Coun-seling degree from Moravian and a MSW de-gree from Marywood University in Scranton, Pa. Ashley has returned to the Baltimore area to pursue a social work position.

Originally from the Jamaican Province, Lloyd Gooden, a member of John Hus Moravian Church in Brooklyn, earned his MDiv degree. Lloyd was awarded the Herman T. Frueauff Memorial Prize in Moravian His-tory for his outstanding class work and re-search in the field of Moravian history. Lloyd has since received a call to Lebanon Moravian Church in Lebanon, Pa. and will be ordained July 22, 2012.

Rhonda Robinson, originally from Bilwi, Nicaragua, now a resident of Bethlehem, earned her MDiv degree and was elected by her peers as the senior speaker. Rhonda is currently working with her husband, Tracy, a 2006 graduate of the Seminary, with Espe-ranza for Bethlehem, a new ministry in the southern part of the city, as she looks forward to service in the Moravian church.

Continuing its rich heritage of ecumen-

ism, students from denominations and faith traditions other than the Moravian church also earn degrees from Moravian Theologi-cal Seminary. Earning the Master of Divinity degree were Chris Druckenmiller (Luther-an), Sarah Fernsler (United Methodist), Comfort Fordjour with a concentration in Formative Spirituality (nondenominational), Monica Guepet (United Methodist), and Jaye Newbold (Lutheran). Receiving the Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling degree were Jeannine Fogler (Lutheran), Fran-ces Folsom (nondenominational), Comfort Fordjour, Patricia Hoyt (UCC), and Alfred Jones III (Christian Methodist Episcopal). The Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree was awarded to Bruce Marold (Lu-theran), Janet Mishkin (Presbyterian), and Lori Van Keuren (Christian Methodist Episcopal).

We joyfully recognize each graduate’s dedi-cation, hard work, and achievement as they move out of our doors and into the world to serve. Please join Moravian Theological Sem-inary in congratulating the Class of 2012! ■


Lloyd Gooden

Rhonda Robinson

8 The Moravian

In late April, more than 200 church lead-ers from across the Southern Province gathered at Friedland Moravian Church in North Carolina for the 2012 Intersynodal Gathering. Participants included Regional Conference of Churches representatives from eight of our ten Moravian fellow-ships and 50 of our 56 congregations. Members of the Board of Cooperative Ministries, the Provincial Elders’ Confer-ence, bishops, and representatives from the Provincial Support Services Board, the Archives Commission, the Implementation Steering Committee and provincial staff rounded out the group. We were blessed by the presence and worship leadership from our seminarians and recent gradu-ates, and by the wonderful hospitality of the Friedland congregation.

The purpose of the gathering was to get “the whole system”—those most directly involved with the new Southern Province provincial organization—in the room for conversations. Friday night discussion groups centered on: “What do we have to celebrate?” “When and in what ways has

God been active in our midst?” “What ‘signs and wonders’ have you seen?” and “What is encouraging, energizing, motivating?”

The 16 groups were each asked to cre-ate a 140-character message that captured the discussion. Here are three examples (abbreviations included!):

•New spirit cooperation and possibilities between churches discovering resourc-

Moving Forward Together

David Guthrie is president of the Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference. All photos by Charles Beaman.

(continued on page 13)

“When and in what ways has God been active in our midst?”

July/August 2012

SOUTHERN PROVINCE INTERSyNODAl GATHERING

Peace is what I felt as I walked under the welcoming trees and heard the birds sing out praises on the church grounds of Friedland Moravian Church. The roots of these giant old trees run deep, like our Moravian Faith. I and others walked quietly among the flat stones of those who are asleep in Jesus. How many of these souls gone before had attended Synod and had the spiritual responsibility entrusted to us gathering today?

I prayed that we would honor our Father with our thoughts and actions and that a spirit of peace and joy would prevail! That He would help us deepen our personal relationship

with Christ as a result of 200 or so coming together. That we would understand the pow-er of the almighty God — that even in small numbers of two or three gathered, much can and will be accomplished in the kingdom of Christ; and that we would be helped to “Move Forward” together and follow the Lamb — going where He Leads us.

We as Christ’s children should not fear the unknown since God does know. We were re-minded that Abraham and Sarah lived in tents and tents are moveable and flexible. Abraham and Sarah went by faith and we go on faith.

“Open your eyes and follow,” was a com-ment made in our small group. This touched me deeply and it reminded of the song “Open the Eyes of Our Heart Lord.” We celebrated our open doors, our Moravian doctrine and new friendships being made.

Our group had small, large and medium churches represented and we talked about

Open the eyes of our heart, Lord: impressions of the Intersynodal Gathering

Jo Beth Holland Boyles is a leader in the Pilot Mountain RCC and a member of Bethabara Moravian Church in Winston-Salem.


Jo Beth Holland Boyles shares her team’s Twitter message with Don Britt during the Intersynodal Gathering

The Moravian

As information began to come in about the Southern Province Intersynodal Gathering for this April, I struggled with why we were refer-ring to this particular halfway point between Synods as a “Gathering” instead of a “confer-ence” as we typically did. I even found myself having to correct myself mid-sentence to stop from referring to it as a conference.

Earlier in the year, churches received a bul-letin insert to help with education about the Gathering and about the changes the South-ern Province was experiencing. The bulletin insert was titled “We Gather together to ask the Lord’s Blessing.” This changed my per-ception of what exactly was going to happen during this proposed Gathering. I no longer envisioned a keynote speaker addressing the gathered body but rather each participant speaking and listening to one another and all of us gathering together to worship.

Since the implementation of the new struc-ture for the Southern Province I have been a part of two different RCCs (Regional Con-ference of Churches) and each of them have functioned very differently. At first I served

a church in which the RCC couldn’t quite get it together because of the vast distance between us. This was recognized and the implementation committee and the Board of Cooperative Ministries gracefully found ways for all of those churches to be part of differ-ent RCCs. Currently I serve a church that is a

We Gathered Together: impressions of the Intersynodal Gathering

Kelly Moore is pastor at Fries Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. (continued on next page)

The Rev. Judith Justice and Hazel Hooker from New Hope Moravian in Miami.

July/August 2012 11

part of a very active RCC and one that meets together monthly.

At the Gathering I found it informative to listen to how the other churches, represen-tatives and RCCs were working together and what they were doing in combined minis-try. These conversations happened formally and informally.

After reflecting on my conversations with Gathering attendees during our time togeth-er I’ve come to see once again that change, even if the end result is positive, is hard! So there was a mix of emotions that filled our time; from fear and apprehension to ex-citement and joy. There’s no doubt that the

church, as it changes, is grieving the loss of what once was, even as we look forward to what will be.

Through all of this, I must confess that at times, I too have wondered what we are doing and why we are doing it this way. The Gathering reminded me once again that the Moravian Church is truly blessed by many people, both clergy and lay, who have dedi-cated their lives to service of our Lord and Savior through the Moravian Church South-ern Province. Many people have given many hours and shed many tears in discernment of the new structure and how to move forward as a Church called by Christ.

I’m truly blessed to be able to serve among so many gifted folks who give graciously of their time, talent and treasure. So I say thank you to those who have worked tirelessly on putting the details into practice; I say thank you to those who have constantly prayed for direction and guidance and for the church as a whole; and I say thank you to those who have faithfully served our province in minis-tries of the past and those who continue to serve as we go forth.

As time passes since our Gathering at Friedland, I feel confident in saying “We have gathered together to ask the Lord’s Blessing” and it is with that blessing that we are called to move on to the great things our Lord has in store for us! ■


The Rev. Gregorio Moody from King of Kings Moravian Church, with Dorothy Pettus of St. Phillips.

The Moravian

es beyond our door creating closeness and new life together better than alone.

•Out of change, disorder; out of disorder, freedom; out of freedom, energy; out of energy, movement; out of movement, mira-cles; and in all things FUN.

•Creative, energetic conversation that joins congregations together that brings our faith to life in our community.

Saturday morning we reflected and shared about the following: “Suppose the Southern Province could choose three things to do more of, or do differently, in order to grow in faith, love and hope and to enhance our shared mis-sion and ministry. What would they be?”

As might be expected, responses to these questions were varied and engaging. Numer-ous ideas were grouped under the eight char-acteristics of healthy congregations: focus on relationship with Christ personally and cor-porately, mission, growth, leadership, wor-ship, cooperation, stewardship and ministry.

Together these ideas and suggestions from meetings of the Regional Conferences of Churches which occurred Saturday evening during the Gathering will provide guidance for the next two years as we continue our journey, moving forward together. ■

the challenges and joys of serving. Most felt the new structure was allowing us to reach out together. One example was Friedberg and Little Church on the Lane going on Sierra Le-one missions. In the Pilot Mountain RCC (of which my home church, Bethabara, is a part) I shared the joint clothes closet that we have with sister church Fairview. Each person in our group had a true love for Jesus and a will-ingness to serve.

Jesus calls us friends and friendship is a blessing that allows us to journey together and bear fruit. Lasting fruit grows and nour-ishes those who partake. The fruit of friend-ship is rooted and grounded in prayer just as our RCC should be.

I was blessed by this meeting and have a true feeling of peace. I love the Lord Jesus and it is a blessing to serve! I will close with the words of hymn 620, “We Are All One in Mis-sion” from the Moravian Book of Worship: “We are called in service to witness in God’s name. Our ministries are different, our pur-pose is the same.” ■

(continued from page 9) (continued from page 10)Forward Our heart

We celebrated our open doors, our Moravian doctrine and new

friendships being made.

July/August 2012 13

Alberta, Canada has a long and storied Mora-vian tradition. But it was a focus on the future that drove the 2012 Canadian District Synod, held in Calgary, Alberta May 4 through 6.

Meeting at Good Shepherd Moravian Church, nearly 80 delegates helped shape the next four years — and beyond — for the Canadian District. The District includes eight congregations and a new church plant in the Calgary and Edmonton areas of Alberta.

Canadian District congregations sent be-tween five and seven lay delegates and their

pastors to the District Synod. In addition, to encourage participation from District youth, each congregation was invited to send two youth delegates.

The Canadian District theme was based on Isaiah 43:19: “God Speaks In Newness, Faith-fulness, Oneness.” To make it even more ap-propriate, they added, “God speaks and we respond in newness, faithfulness, oneness.”

Focus on ministryThrough two-and-a-half days of committee work and legislation, delegates presented both legislation and recommendations for moving the work of the church forward. Del-egates collaborated in teams called “Ministry Focus Groups,” each charged with an area of interest to the District at large: leadership, mission, programs, Van-Es Camp & Confer-ence Center, youth and finance.

The Leadership Ministry Focus Group dis-cussed issues and ideas relating to both cler-gy and lay leadership within congregations and the community. Their legislation called for identifying and encouraging leadership

Canadian District finds God speaking in newness, faithfulness and oneness

The Moravian

CANADIAN DISTRICT

training opportunities for clergy and lay lead-ers, implementing creative outreach to build relationships, and sharing of lessons learned with “The Connection,” a new church plant and community outreach effort of Good News Moravian Church in Sherwood Park, Alberta.

The Mission Ministry Focus Group identi-fied ways to enhance the District’s work with both local and international missions. Their legislation set new standards for Canadian funding of the Board of World Mission, af-firmed the work of the Canadian Moravian Mission Society and developed and presented recommendations to “equip, enable and em-power people in the Canadian District to act on their passion for missions.”

A major result of the work of the Ministry Focus Group on Van-Es was the Synod’s ap-proval of a concept for construction of a new lodge facility at Camp Van-Es in Sherwood Park, Alberta, along with authorization of a $700,000 capital campaign to fund it. The Van-Es group also offered recommendations for the District and Van-Es Board to follow and implement to help sustain and improve the camping ministry in Canada.

The Youth Ministry Focus Group proposed the establishment of a Regional Youth Council to discuss and develop programs and themes for camp and district youth events, to ap-point an advisor to the Council and encour-age a Board of Elders of the Canadian District (BECD) member to serve as youth liaison.

Based on legislation brought by the Mis-sion Ministry Focus Group on Program, the BECD was also directed to establish a new District Program Task Force. This new Task Force, with representation from each Canadi-an congregation, will develop and implement programs that promote communication, re-


July/August 2012 15

lationships and impact the wider community. And through the work of the Finance Mis-

sion Ministry Focus Group, the BECD was directed to consider establishment of a Ca-nadian District Financial Task Force with at least one member from each congregation to investigate new approaches for the Com-mon Ministry Funding. Legislation to consid-er standard accounting practices/programs to be followed by all congregations and the adoption of the 2013 Canadian District bud-get were also brought by the Finance group.

Provincial conversationsAs with the other Northern Province district Synods, the Canadian delegates also partici-pated in two group discussions in prepara-tion for the 2014 Northern Province Synod. The first gave delegates the opportunity to continue the holy conversations with the Hu-man Sexuality Task Force that have been oc-curring throughout the Province during the past year.

Delegates also received an update from the Northern Province Restructuring Task Force in a presentation led by Task Force Chair Alice Sears. They then had an opportunity to pro-vide feedback on various aspects of the effort.

New leadershipThe 2012 Canadian District Synod marked the end of the Rev. Steve Gohdes’ eight-year role as Board of Elders of the Canadian Dis-trict (BECD) president. Steve honored outgo-ing BECD members Kerry Bloomer, Ryerson Christie and Pat Wollf, thanking them for their work in guiding the District during the previ-ous four years.

Bryan Peacock, a lay member from Rio Terrace Moravian Church in Edmonton, was elected as the new BECD president. Unlike


16 The Moravian The Moravian

other districts in the Northern Province, the BECD president can be either clergy or a lay member of the church. Additional new mem-bers were also elected to the BECD (see more on page 18).

Synod delegates also elected members of the various boards and commissions of the Canadian District, including the representa-tive to the Moravian Board of World Mission and Camp Van-Es board.

Worship and fellowshipIn addition to the work of Synod, delegates participated in worship and fellowship each day. Services led by the Revs. Rick and Wendy Beck, Josh Viste, Judy Ganz, Carol Vogler and Eileen Edwards brought additional mean-ing and spirituality to the weekend. Services blended both contemporary and traditional music. Members of Good Shepherd joined Synod delegates for an inspiring communion service on Sunday.

The Synod made full use of Good Shepherd’s facilities, with plenary sessions and group worship conducted in the church’s sanctuary, meals prepared and served in their Fellowship Hall and meetings held in their classrooms and conference rooms. The sanctuary also served as a concert hall for a spirited perfor-mance by Marty Antonini and Paradise Road.

As with other Synods in the Northern Prov-ince this year, Provincial Chancellor Rick Santee served as chairman of the Canadian District Synod. Graham Kerslake of Radium, B.C. served as vice chair, while the Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler served as chaplain. Lynne Hen-nig and Ann Tyrell of Calgary led the Synod planning committee.

In a rousingly light-hearted ceremony, the Synod’s Canadian hosts indoctrinated three visitors as honorary Calgarians. Synod Parlimentarian Bob Hawkesworth, a for-

mer Calgary city alderman and member of the Alberta legislature, presented Rick San-tee, Chris Giesler and Betsy Miller, Northern Province PEC president with traditional white cowboy hats, a symbol of Calgary.

To the futureThe Canadian District Synod helped lay the groundwork for the continuing mission and ministry of the congregations in Alberta. Their efforts will guide the District until the next Synod in 2016.

Having heard “God speak in newness, faith-fulness and oneness,” delegates left Good Shepherd Church that Sunday morning with renewed hope and energy for their work and a spirit of faith and love in Christ. ■

July/August 2012

The Moravian Church Canadian District Synod of 2012 elected the District’s Board of Elders (BECD) to serve four-year terms. The Board of Elders serves as the administrative leadership of the District.

Bryan Peacock, a member of Rio Terrace Moravian Church in Edmonton, was elected president of the BECD. Unlike the other dis-tricts of the Moravian Church Northern Prov-ince, the president of the BECD can be either a pastor or lay member of the Church. Outgo-ing BECD president The Rev. Stephen Gohdes, pastor of Christ Moravian Church in Calgary, Alberta, served for the past eight years.

Other members elected to the seven-mem-ber BECD include: The Rev. Dr. Eileen Ed-wards, pastor of Good News Moravian Church and The Connection in Edmonton; The Rev. Josh Viste, pastor of Millwoods Moravian Church in Edmonton; Brandon Salyzyn,

member of Good News Moravian Church in Edmonton; Marion Perrin, member of Rio Terrace Moravian Church in Edmonton; Lynne Hennig of Good Shepherd Church in Calgary; and Doug Thompson of Edmonton Moravian Church.

In addition, the Synod delegates elected chairpersons for the Camp Van-Es Board and the District Mission/Board of World Mission Representative. Election of these board mem-bers required a majority vote.

Marion Perrin of Rio Terrace Moravian Church in Edmonton was elected District Mis-sion Chair, which also includes responsibil-ity as the Canadian District representative to the Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church in America. Alice Sears, also of Rio Terrace, was elected as chair for the Van-Es board, overseeing Camp Van-Es. They will serve in these roles until the 2016 Synod. ■

Synod elects Board of Elders for Canadian District

The newly elected Board of Elders of the Canadian District (BECD) include Marion Perrin, Doug Thompson, the Rev. Dr. Eileen Edwards, Lynne Hennig, Brandon Salyzyn, the Rev. Joshua Viste and Bryan Peacock.

CANADIAN DISTRICT

Chuck Nienow and Esther Tesh, Coordina-tors for the Clean Water Project, traveled to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua in January of this year and again in March. The project to bring clean water to remote areas of Ni-caragua continues: a well-drilling machine will be replaced with a new one; plans are in place to drill new wells in more remote areas and into villages along the Rio Coco and soon rope pumps will be used on wells in the rural areas.

Prior to our travel to Nicaragua in January, Sister Amalia Bell, director of the Institute for Social Development of the Moravian Church in Nicaragua (ADSIM), had informed us that the team was having problems with the well-drilling machine. We found that it did not run properly and as the mechanic worked, it be-

came obvious that some parts on the machine were badly worn and could not be repaired. The worn parts were removed and we carried those parts with us as we returned to the U.S. We wanted to be sure to purchase correct re-placement parts.

In March we returned to Nicaragua with

Clean Water Project brings new wells to Nicaragua

Esther Tesch and Chuck Nienow are members of Friedberg Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.


A rope pump allows water to be raised without electricity.

July/August 2012

CONGREGATIONS IN MISSION

the new parts. After the machine was re-paired, Jessy Downs, supervisor of well-drilling, and the team used the newly repaired machine to drill a well at the Her-rnhut Moravian Church, in the Loma Verde neighborhood of Puerto Cabezas. Recently the team drilled a well in Krukira, located a short distance from Puerto Cabezas.

Although the team is using the repaired ma-chine to drill wells, we are concerned about the obvious wear on this machine. It has had a lot of use! Therefore, a new well-drilling ma-chine has been purchased for the Clean Water Project. The new machine, made by the Deep Rock Company, is similar to the old one.

Sister Amalia Bell provided us with esti-mates for nine wells that ADSIM would like to drill in Northeast Nicaragua. The proposed wells include: •A well at Herrnhut Moravian Church, in

the Loma Verde neighborhood of Puerto Cabezas

• four wells to be located in the communities of Krukira, Betania, Panua and Iltara

• two wells in Waspam, one at Moravian High School, one at the Moravian Church

• two wells in communities on the Rio Coco River — San Carlos and Santa Isabel. As we reviewed the list of proposed wells,

we were excited to learn that ADSIM planned to drill wells in communities on the Rio Coco, a river which serves as the border between Nicaragua and Honduras. Chuck had always dreamed that the Clean Water Project would be able to drill wells in more remote commu-nities needing clean water. The project’s cur-rent machine and the newly purchased one both fit easily into a long motorized canoe for river travel.

Drilling wells in San Carlos and Santa Is-abel will require the team to be away from Puerto Cabezas for several days. To reach the Rio Coco, the team must travel three to four hours overland from Puerto Cabezas to Was-pam. From Waspam they will travel by canoe on the Rio Coco for about five hours before reaching San Carlos and drilling a well there. An additional three hours of river travel will be needed for the team to reach Santa Isabel where they will drill the next well. It is grati-fying to see ADSIM moving forward to make clean water available in communities along the Rio Coco.

ADSIM wants to use a rope pump on wells drilled in rural villages. Rope pumps are becoming widely used in Nicaragua. One manufacturer of these pumps is the Bombas de Mecate Company, located just outside of Managua. In March we visited their factory to verify whether these pumps could be used on wells drilled by ADSIM and cased with four-inch pipes. Imagine our excitement when the first well that we saw during the visit was a four inch well with a rope pump.

The rope pump technology is simple and works well in places where electric pumps are not practical. The pump consists of a continuous loop of rope with molded plas-tic or ceramic pistons (cups) attached to it. This rope passes over a large flywheel, and as the flywheel is turned the rope passes down into the water, then up through a vertical pipe which is submerged several feet below water level. The vertical pipe allows only a small clearance, as the rope and pistons pass up, thus permitting the pistons to push the wa-ter up and out the top of the pipe above the ground surface.



20 The Moravian

The “Wings of Mercy” are prepared to serve Honduras even better, thanks to a new hangar in Ahuas.

Brother George Goff maintains an ac-tive aviation ministry in Ahuas, Honduras. More than 20 years ago he was recruited to this ministry by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). This organization sent him to the U.S. to learn airplane mechanics and to become a pilot.

Although MAF’s work in Ahuas ended in the 1990’s, MAF gave George the plane that he had been flying. George continued his avia-tion ministry as Alas de Socorro or as it is fre-quently called, ‘Wings of Mercy.’

A new airplane hangar for Alas de Socorro

Esther Tesch is a member of Friedberg Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. Photos by Esther and Jay Moser.


Members of the team who helped bring a new hangar to Ahuas, Honduras.

July/August 2012 21

CONGREGATIONS IN MISSION

Six years ago Alas de Socorro was given a second plane through the efforts of various individuals and U.S. Moravian Churches. This was to insure that when maintenance work is being performed on one plane, a second plane is always available for flying. Over the years George has flown many ill patients from remote villages to the Moravian Clinic and Hospital in Ahuas, provided flights for doc-tors, nurses and dentists traveling to outlying areas and supplied short-term missionaries with air transport to various locations in east-ern Honduras.

During a discussion with Brother Goff in early 2011 regarding the Alas de Socorro ministry, he shared two major needs. One was a much-needed overhaul on the airplanes. The other was to replace a hangar originally built by MAF, but damaged over the years by the tropical weather and termites. George said that he needed “a new hanger before that one falls in on the plane.”

Many people worked to help make the new hangar a reality. The Board of World Mission provided funds to purchase hangar materials. New Philadelphia and Friedberg Moravian Churches worked together to raise additional funds to send a team to Honduras to erect the new hangar as well and for work that needed to be done prior to the team’s arrival. The team, assisted by many helpers, held two very elegant dinners, one at New Philadelphia and one at Friedberg. Each dinner was followed by a Gray Family concert. In addition, many individuals and groups made significant mon-etary contributions to the Hangar Fund.

Brother Mark Ebert assisted local men in Honduras to take down the old hangar, im-prove the hangar’s concrete floor and make

concrete blocks which they used to build a foundation for the new hangar. All funds not used for hangar construction were given to Brother Goff for Alas de Socorro.

In January a team led by Brother Karl St-impson traveled to Ahuas to erect the new hangar. Other team members included Gladys Stimpson, Jerry Taylor, Mike Sloan, Sandra Gray, Rick Green, Chuck Nienow and Esther Tesh. It was quite a challenge to erect the han-gar without the help of a lift or crane that one might use in the U.S.

We were greatly assisted by two local men, Dion and Wayley, who took positions atop the scaffold to fit the ribs together. When our time in Ahuas ended, three ribs and the back pieces still needed to be added to complete the building. Brother Goff and local workers finished adding the ribs. In February a team led by Tommy Wagner added the hangar’s back panels before installing electricity in the structure. Brother Goff had asked for a hangar that was termite proof and hurricane proof. This new metal building should serve those purposes for many years.

Overhauling planesAlthough George regularly services the

planes and keeps both in excellent condi-tion, when a plane has flown enough hours, it should come back to the U.S. for a major overhaul that is beyond what George can do in Honduras. In addition, this plane needs instruments which permit it to fly during in-clement weather.

And while Alas de Socorro has a newly con-structed hangar, there is still work to be done to raise the $25,000 needed to bring a plane from Honduras to Missionary Maintenance Services in Ohio for a much-needed overhaul. Efforts continue to make this a possibility. ■


22 The Moravian

At the age of 80, George Kiorpes plays water volleyball three times a week, tends over 50 rose bushes and a large fruit and vegetable garden and teaches piano students in his home. He also plays the organ and directs the choir every week at First Moravian Church in Greensboro, N.C. — and has for over 50 years. That is almost half of the church’s 103 year history!

On June 3, his 50th anniversary as Direc-tor of Music, Dr. Kiorpes was honored dur-ing a worship service that featured several of his musical compositions and arrangements. He sat in the audience, for once, as others took his place playing the organ and directing the choir and the handbells. A pianist played two of his compositions, and the congrega-tion sang one hymn composed by him and another with a verse added, by Morgan Owen, that paid tribute to him.

Taking as his text Ephesians 5:19-20, Rev. John Rainey, the eleventh pastor to serve with George at First Moravian, urged us to wor-ship and praise God by “singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” Not-

First Moravian celebrates music director’s 50 years

Karen Meyers serves on the Board of Elders and the Worship and Music Committee at First Moravian Church in Greensboro, N.C. Photos by Karen and James Piedad.


Above: Pastor John Rainey, right, recognizes Dr. George Kiorpes and his wife Sue. Right: George at the organ at First Moravian Church.

MORAVIAN MUSIC

23

ing that not just the musically talented but all of us are directed to sing, he thanked George for “allowing people of varying musical ability to use their talents in giving praise and glory to God.” To commemorate the occasion, the congregation presented George with a spe-cially engraved set of wind chimes to hang in his garden. The celebration continued after the service at a covered dish luncheon, one of George’s favorite First Moravian traditions.

George Kiorpes and his wife Sue joined First Moravian in 1960, after visiting the church the previous year, when he was asked to sub-stitute occasionally for the regular organist. He was hired as Director of Music in 1962, and the church was fortunate enough to get a second fine musician as well. Sue Kiorpes started and continues to direct the church’s band, while also singing in the choir, playing handbells, accompanying the Morning Star Singers on the piano and organizing all the music for the annual Candle Tea.

The Kiorpeses are active in all phases of the church’s ministry. Sue, a former mem-ber of the Board of Elders and Chair of the Board of Trustees, is in charge of contacting visitors to the church. George’s expertise in the kitchen is almost as legendary as his skill at the keyboard. His spaghetti sauce always draws a crowd to Wednesday night suppers, and he once cooked a seven-course Greek dinner for 100 people at the church. Had he simply been a musician employed by the church, George says, he would not have kept playing for 50 years. But this is his church, and he is staying.

Trained as a classical pianist, George holds undergraduate and master’s degrees, plus an artist’s diploma, from Peabody Conservatory

and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University. He first came to North Carolina to teach at Greensboro College, and then taught piano-related courses at the Uni-versity of North Carolina at Greensboro for 45 years before retiring in 2010. During that time he served for 20 years as chair of the piano division and was an active performer, known especially for his performances of Chopin. He also published piano composi-tions with three different publishers.

Fifty years ago, George, whose background was in the Greek Orthodox church, had little knowledge of Moravian music. But he soon came to respect the hymns, chorales and an-thems that make up our rich musical heritage.

“For me,” he says, “it was really a treat to find such good American church music.” He enjoys having the choir at First Moravian sing such classics as “It is a Precious Thing” or “Hearken, Stay Close to Jesus Christ,” but he also admires some of the more recent addi-tions to the Moravian canon. And in fact, he has added to that canon with his own com-positions, most notably the “Anniversary An-them” that he wrote for the 100th anniversary of First Moravian Church in October 2008.

George has taken pride in having the choir at First Moravian sing challenging music over the years. One especially memorable chal-lenge occurred in 1983, when they were giving a special performance of the historic “Psalm of Joy,” which was compiled by Jo-hann Friedrich Peter for the country’s first 4th of July celebration in Salem in 1783. In the midst of the choir’s performance at First Moravian, the power went out. But the choir kept singing, the strings kept playing, soon the power was restored, and George Kiorpes kept on playing the organ — right up to the present day. ■


24 The Moravian

The 24th Moravian Music Festival is now only a year away…and it will be here before we know it!

The Festival, to be held July 14-20, 2013 on the campus of Central Moravian Church and Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is sponsored by the Moravian Music Founda-tion. The Festivals, which are held every four years, are opportunities for music lovers to gather and enjoy learning music new to them, hearing and presenting concerts and wor-shipping together in an atmosphere of warm fellowship surrounded by music.

Participants in the Festival have opportu-nities to sing in the Festival Chorus or play in the Festival Band. Under the leadership of conductor John V. Sinclair and accompa-nied by Susan Keck Foster and the Festival orchestra, the Chorus will present a concert including several Moravian anthems newly-edited from the archival collections, plus the complete Easter Cantata by Ernst Wilhelm Wolf. Under the leadership of Allen Frank, the Festival Band will present a concert including a variety of concert band music and church music, appropriate for a wide range of ages and experience.

In addition, Festival-goers may also choose to participate in one of four activities, includ-ing the Festival Handbell Choir; the Festival Trombone Choir; Instrumental Chamber Mu-sic; or Choral Music Reading Sessions.

The Festival now features children’s ac-tivities for those entering grades 1-5. Our children will enjoy a Bible school program including a new musical (to be presented on Friday afternoon), and a variety of outings and activities. Not to be left out are our Youth (grades 6 and higher), who are welcome to sing in the Festival Chorus or play in the Fes-tival Band, and there will be activities espe-cially for this age group, too.

Festival Seminars and Workshops are de-signed to broaden the knowledge and appre-ciation of Moravian music. A variety of topics provide historical background as well as useful “how to” techniques to improve one’s musical abilities. In 2013, Festival participants have the opportunity to improve their singing and choral conducting, hone worship planning and leadership skills, learn more about Finale and Sibelius music software, and hear from archivists C. Daniel Crews and Paul Peucker.

Dormitory housing will be at The HILL, lo-cated on the south campus of Moravian Col-lege and within a block of Central Moravian Church. The HILL is organized into several floors of suites where each person will have a private sleeping room with shared shower/

Bethlehem to host 24th Moravian Music Festival in July 2013


The Rev. Dr. Nola Knouse is director of the Moravian Music Founation.

July/August 2012 25

IBOC introduces enhanced Moravian Church in North America web site

Dr. John Sinclair

LeAderS for The 24Th MorAViAN MUSiC feSTiVAL iNCLUde …

Dr. John Sinclair , Continuing Conductor , who conducted the Moravian Music Festivals of 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2009. He is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Florida, and Director of Music for Rollins College, and a renowned master teacher . Once you’ve sung under John’ s direction, you’ll want to come back, again and again!

Allen Frank, Band Director, assistant conductor of the Festival Band in 2009, and American conductor of the Unity Brass Festival in South Africa in 2007. Allen has performed as a tuba soloist with the Allentown Band and is currently a member of the Mainstreet Brass Quintet, and he is Director of Bands at Wilson Area High School in Easton, Pa.

Susan Keck Foster , rehearsal accompanist and organist, is a former faculty member of Shenandoah Conservatory and is currently Organist for Home Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, N.C. and accompanist for the Danville Area Choral Arts Society. She has performed extensively in the Eastern United States, as well as in Europe and in Mexico.

Jan Harke, handbell choir director, Minister of Music at Palmer T ownship Moravian Church, has been a church musician at a number of Moravian and Lutheran congregations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsyl -vania, and North Carolina. She is also the administrator of the Provincial W omen’s Board of the Northern Province of the Moravian Church.

Don Kemmerer, Trombone Choir Director, has been Director of the Bethlehem Area Moravians Trombone Choir and director of the Bethlehem Municipal Band for many years, and conducted the Moravian Music Festival Band in 2006. Don is Director of T echnology of the Swain School, a private independent school in Allentown, Pa.

restrooms. (We heard good reports from the Eastern District Conference housed at The HILL last year!) A local arrangements com-mittee, ably chaired by Rebecca Kleintop Ow-ens, is working diligently to make sure that every aspect of your Festival experience is exceptional!

Your congregation may be able to provide some continuing-education support for pas-


Don KemmererAllen Frank Susan Keck Foster

tors and church musicians to attend next year’s Festival. Further information and reg-istration forms will be available by early fall, and be sure to check our website frequently for updates — www.MoravianMusicFestival.org! As we now are saying frequently and joy-fully — Next Year, in Bethlehem!

So put July 14-20, 2013 on your calendar, and start making your plans to join us for a lively week of music, worship and fellow-ship! ■

IBOC introduces enhanced Moravian Church in North America web site

The Interprovincial Board of Communica-tion has a new way to reach Moravians and non-Moravians alike — the newly redesigned www.moravian.org web site!

“We’re excited to introduce this enhanced resource for the Moravian Church in North America and all who are interested in learn-ing more about our faith,” says Mike Riess, executive director, Interprovincial Board of Communication (IBOC). “We’ve been work-ing to create a more useful and engaging web presence for the church, and we think this new site is a strong start.”

A new viewAt the redesigned moravian.org site, visitors can:

•gain a greater understanding of what makes the Moravian Church a welcoming, friendly, spiritual and loving Christian faith tradition;

•see the powerful work going on in our con-gregations and ministries;

• learn about our foundations of faith, our traditions and customs and the rites and sacraments that form our worship;

•read what’s happening throughout the North American Church and find out more about upcoming events; and

•discover resources that can help nurture personal relationships with God.


July/August 2012 27

Each page of the new moravian.org site shares the Moravian Daily Texts, the oldest continuously published daily devotional that is “new every morning.” The new site also features the weekly bulletin message that’s shared by Moravians across the U.S., Canada and Caribbean, and “Daily Prayers for Mora-vians,” a special devotional written every week by Moravian Bishop Chris Giesler for use in everyday reflection.

The new moravian.org brings The Mora-vian Magazine into the digital realm, in both text and interactive formats. As the official journal of the Moravian Church in North America, The Moravian shares the news, faith and life of the Moravian Church in North America and around the globe.

Visitors looking for a Moravian congre-gation in their area can now use our new Congregation Finder, which allows visitors to search by ZIP Code or state to locate Moravi-an churches in the U.S. and Canada. The new site also includes links to church agencies, ministries and the Unitas Fratrum to help visi-tors get a better sense of the worldwide Mora-vian Church.

And the new site offers an enhanced, easier

to use online store, where visitors can find and purchase a broad range of books about the Moravian Church, its history, its theology and its worship. “The new store site allows us to share more about our offerings, in-cluding multiple product images and eventu-ally, sample pages of our books,” says Mike. “It also streamlines our ordering systems, making processing orders from the web more efficient.”

In collaborationThe new web site was developed in col-laboration with Mosaic Interactive, a web development company in Bethlehem, Pa. “Mosaic’s designers and technicians created the platform and provided us with the tools to build the content,” says Mike. “With this new framework, we have complete control over the content of the site, including when things appear, what topics we want to cover and how often we want to update material. This level of control will greatly improve our ability to share news and information about the Mora-vian Church in North America in a timely and engaging way.”

The new moravian.org web site is the first step in a larger plan to improve the online presence of the church. “In the future, we plan to offer more online resources for pas-tors, lay leaders and congregations,” says Mike. “We’re also looking at new informa-tion-sharing capabilities and social media connections that will help expand and grow the site’s usefulness over the coming year.”

The Moravian Church in North America web site can be found at www.moravian.org.

“We invite you to explore the new mora-vian.org today,” continues Mike, “and we want to know what you think. Please send your thoughts, ideas, comments and suggestions about the new site to us at [email protected]. ■


The Moravian

NORTHERN PROVINCE

Prayer Day for World Peace and Nuclear Disarmament August 5, 2012In accordance with legislation enacted at the 1982 Synod of the Northern Province and af-firmed by the 1990 Synod, the first Sunday in August has been designated as a day of prayer for world peace and nuclear disarmament.

Prayer Day for Public Education August 26, 2012Congregations of the Northern Province are asked to observe Public Education Awareness Day on the last Sunday in August. Prepared liturgies, intercessory prayers for students and all who teach in and administer public schools and sermons at worship may call at-tention to our responsibility for public educa-tion and seek the blessing of God upon these endeavors.

New Philadelphia, OhioSister Christine S. Johnson has accepted an appointment to serve as part-time pastor of Fry’s Valley Moravian Church, New Philadel-phia, Ohio. Sister Johnson began her new work June 4, 2012.

Elizabeth D. Miller Provincial Elders’ Conference Northern Province

SOUTHERN PROVINCE

Retirements

Brother Carl Southerland has requested and been given permission to retire from the active ministry of the Moravian Church ef-fective June 30, 2012. Brother Southerland earned his M.Div. at Moravian Theological Seminary and his D.Min at Drew University. During seminary he took a year to serve 22 congregations in Alaska in education and youth work. After he completed his seminary studies he took another year to serve as an intern in the Board of Christian Education office. He was ordained a deacon at Home Moravian Church on May 9, 1976 and con-secrated a presbyter on June 14, 1981 at First Moravian Church in Greensboro, N.C. His first call to service was as Director of Youth/Education for the Board of Christian Education. He then served as pastor at First Moravian, Greensboro, N.C.; Fries Memorial, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Unity Moravian, Lewis-ville, N.C.; and as Associate Pastor at Home Moravian in Winston-Salem, N.C. We express deep appreciation to Carl and Pam for their faithful and dedicated service to the Moravian Church over the past 41 years and wish them many blessings as they begin new service where Carl will serve as Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, N.C.


July/August 2012 29

OFFICIAl PROVINCIAl El DERS’ NEWS

Ad Policy for The Moravian — The Moravian accepts paid advertising that is consistent with the magazine’ s objectives and editorial convictions as they are stated in the purpose and mission of the Interprovincial Board of Communication. Advertisements for activities, services and products of specific interest to members of the Moravian Church have priority. The Moravian does not accept purely editorial advertisements that advocate specific ideas or issues. Articles, columns and letters to the editor are the appropriate vehicles for the presentation of ideas and issues. The Interprovincial Board of Communication is responsible for the content and design of the magazine, including adver tisements. Ad rates and specifications are available www.moravian.org.

ViSiT The MORAVIAN MAGAZINE oN fACeBooK!

The Moravian Magazine is now on Facebook! Visit <www.facebook.com/MoravianMagazine> to learn more about what’ s happening with the magazine, view current and back issues online and interact with The Moravian editorial staff.

So next time you’re on Facebook, check out The Moravian Magazine and hit the “Like” button to become a fan! And while you’re there, let us know what you think.

Sister Judith Justice has requested and been given permission to retire from the ac-tive ministry of the Moravian Church effec-tive June 30, 2012. After a career as a social worker and administrator in human service organizations Sister Justice responded to the call to ministry. She earned an M.Div at Mora-vian Theological Seminary and graduated in 1995. She was ordained a deacon at Home Moravian Church on June 18, 1995 and be-gan her first pastorate at New Hope Moravian Church, Newton, N.C. She was consecrated a presbyter on September 9, 2001 at New Hope Moravian, Newton, N.C. She served there un-til the end of 2002. After a sabbatical, Sister Justice accepted a call to become pastor at New Hope Moravian in Miami, Fla., where she has served for the past six years. The Provin-cial Elders’ Conference expresses gratitude to Judith for her committed and faithful service to the Moravian Church and wishes for her many blessings in retirement.

David Guthrie Provincial Elders’ Conference Southern Province

Mrs. Clement E. SemperSister Dorothy E. Semper died in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, May 12, 2012 at age 96. She was born August 4, 1917 in Altura, Minn., a daugh-ter of Paul G. and Stella (Scherffius) Simon.

Sister Semper graduated from Catholic High School, Rollingstone, Minn. and Teach-ers College, Winona, Minn. She was united in marriage to Brother Clement E. Semper on June 11, 1941 at Hebron Moravian Church, Altura, Minn.

She served alongside her husband in pas-torates in Minnesota (Altura-Hebron), Michi-gan (Unionville), Wisconsin (Green Bay-East Side), New York (Staten Island-Castleton Hill), Maryland (Trinity), and Pennsylvania (Emmaus).

Son, Robert, and two grandchildren survive Sister Semper. She was predeceased by son, David, in 2009 and her husband, Clement, on February 5, 1996.

A memorial service was held May 19, 2012 at Kortz Hall, Moravian Hall Square, Naza-reth, Pennsylvania. Memorial contributions were designated for Moravian Hall Square Good Samaritan Fund or the Board of World Mission. ■


30 The Moravian

OBITUARy

Visiting Laurel Ridge?

Join us for worship and community!

MOUNTAIN LAUREL

MO

RAVIAN FELLOW

SHIP

18

18

88

Laurel Ridge MoravianCamp & Conference Center

Laurel SpringsPost Office

Mountain LaurelMoravian Fellowship

(at Transou UnitedMethodist Church)

Jefferson (13 mi.)

Sparta(13 mi.)

Worship ServicesSecond, Fourth & Fifth Sundays, 11 a.m.

Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship meets at Transou United Methodist Church

Highway 88, Laurel Springs, N.C.Just 6.4 miles from Laurel Ridge

For information, contact:Julia Simmons (336)657-3032

George Bloodworth (336)846-7038

ADSIM is the social development arm of the Nicaraguan Moravian Church. As Direc-tor, Sister Bell oversees projects which seek to better the lives of Nicaraguan People. She is committed to the Clean Water Project and to drilling wells for communities in need.

Sponsored by the Mission Society of the Moravian Church, South, this project is sup-ported by the donations of many individuals and churches through contributions to the Mission Society (designated for Clean Water Project). Project funds will support several of the proposed wells (two have been drilled already). Other wells will be drilled as addi-tional funds become available. ■

Clean Water(continued from page 20)

July/August 2012 31

The world’s oldest daily devotional…that’s new

every morning!For more than 280 years, the Moravian Daily Texts has offered an inspirational connection to the Holy Scriptures every day! Each entry in this beloved daily devotional includes “watchwords”—Old and New Testament verses to accompany readers throughout the day—combined with beautiful hymn texts and heartfelt prayers. The North American 2013 Moravian Daily Texts will be available this fall in convenient paperback, elegant hardcover, easy-to-read large print and insightful journal editions.

Daily Texts 2013 Pre-order Special:Order before August 7, 2012 and save 15%!

Visit store.moravian.org, or call 1.800.732.0591 ext. 38

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