Moravian Church in North America

(A gathering of Bishops from around the Moravian Unity at Christiansfeld, Denmark) Watchword for the week: The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. Psalm 146:8 How should we come before the Holy One and bow before God on high? God has shown us what is good and what […]

Festival of Jesus Christ as Chief Elder Jesus Our Treasure Mistakes at times, can lead to great discovery. The task of Chief Elder of the Moravian Church in 1741 proved to be overwhelming for Leonard Dober, and so a special synod of young minds was convened to elect his replacement. After many failed attempt by […]

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost The Neighbor A religious leader asks Jesus a question: “What is the most important commandment?” As the Gospel of Mark tells the story, the questioner is friendlier than in Matthew’s Gospel. The questioner and Jesus agree that God may command us mortals. Jesus gives a twofold answer: “Love God with all […]

(Bishop Amy Gohdes-Luman, Director of Mission Engagement for the Board of World Mission,  installs members of the Canadian District Board at their recent Synod) The Watchword for the week: Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your […]

Pastors from the four Moravian settlements named to the UNESCO World Heritage List; Revs. Jorgen Boytler, Peter Vogt, Janel Rice, Sarah Groves and Jill Vogt  To the Worldwide Moravian Unity  Dear Brothers and Sisters,  Greetings from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where we have gathered as pastors and church leaders to participate in a conference celebrating the recent […]

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost On the Margins One of the most important words for us to notice in this passage comes in verse 51, when Bartimaeus says to Jesus, “My teacher, let me see again.” It helps us to understand that at one point in his life, Bartimaeus was not blind. Living with blindness in […]

The Watchword for the week: The Lord has done great things for us. Psalm 126:3 Gracious God, amid a busy day We pause to build our lives around you. Amid a busy life We pause to build our lives around you. Amid the pain that we carry in our hearts, We pause to build our lives […]

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost True Discipleship Two of Jesus’ disciples came to him, lobbying for him to do whatever they asked of him. In Mark 10:36, Jesus responded, “What is it you want me to do for you?” They requested specific positions near Jesus’ glorious throne. Wow! How ambitious and a smack of self-centeredness! Their […]

The Watchword for the week: For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 Praise be to you, creator God; to you be glory and praise forever! Just as your creative power moved over the face of the earth, Pour out […]

On Thursday, Oct. 17, Moravian representatives, government and community leaders and guests will gather at Moravian University’s Foy Hall for the ceremony marking the inscription of Moravian Church Settlements on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  The ceremony will be live-streamed beginning at 3 p.m.; tune in here to view the event.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Moravians and guest from Germany, Denmark, Northern Ireland and the U.S. joined in a worship service to celebrate the inscription of Moravian Church Settlements on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  Pastors from the four Moravian settlements that make up the new UNESCO World Heritage site — Christiansfeld (Denmark), Herrnhut (Germany), Gracehill […]

The Watchword for the Week: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. Hebrews 4:14 Glory be to you, Lord our God; you have chosen us in Jesus Christ, our Lord, before the founding of the world. You […]

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost Investing Her children were quite surprised to find that Mother did not have a single dime to her name upon her death. A woman with such a frugal lifestyle was surely storing away and planning to leave a hefty inheritance for her offspring. They wondered, where did all the money go? […]

Moravian Magazine, Issue 1 2023 Read Issue 1, 2023 Online Moravian Magazine, Issue 2 2023 Including the 2022 Board of World Mission Annual Report  Read Issue 2 2023 Online Moravian Magazine, Issue 3 2023 Read Issue 3 2023 Online   Moravian Magazine, Issue 4 2023 Read Issue 4 2023 Online

NORTHERN PROVINCE Pastoral Updates The Rev. John Fritts has been granted permission to retire from the active ministry of the Moravian Church, effective December 31, 2024. Brother Fritts was ordained on August 10, 2014, and has served in the Moravian Church at the congregations of Redeemer (Philadelphia, Pa.), Covenant (York, Pa.) and Advent (Bethlehem, Pa.), […]

As we approach the close of another year, we find ourselves reflecting on the many ways we’ve been blessed and the ways we can extend those blessings to others – we are blessed to be a blessing. In our work at the Board of World Mission, we are consistently reminded of a profound truth: when […]

When more than 180 delegates and guests arrived in Bethlehem for the 2024 Eastern District Synod in June, they were prepared for four days of learning, discussion, worship, governance and fellowship. What they weren’t prepared for, however, was a power outage that would upend the proceedings and offer a glimpse at the resilience and flexibility […]