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OUR PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The tragic event of February 1st will linger in our hearts and minds for a long time, perhaps never to be forgotten. Seven astronauts lost their lives for the sake of the mission - which by all accounts was an unqualified success, up until the last sixteen minutes. Faith was a key component in the make-up of these dedicated and outstanding human beings and their lives are worthy of our emulation. I was particularly struck by the taped interview with Mission Commander Rick Husband and his pastor just before the flight. He said he was " trying to live my life the way God intended - to be a good husband.... a good father".  This was a man who openly confessed Jesus as his Savior and was an inspiration to all who worked with him.

Commander Husband was not only a missionary for NASA, he was a missionary for God. His story will be told around the world and it would be interesting to know his impact on the lives of those who initially had only a secular interest in the happenings aboard Columbia, but now know the spiritual depth of this great American.

Most of you are aware of the recent actions taken by the staff of BWM, and the reasoning behind them. Our mission heritage in the Moravian Church is under attack and Satan would like nothing better than to see this conflict result in the cessation of the spreading of the Gospel, and the making of disciples for Jesus Christ. If we don't stand on the Word, together, we could fail to fulfill the Great Commission, which is truly our mission. John Geis

Pray for the Board of World Mission.

OFF THE INTERNET

            From Minnesota

In the discussion about the BWM resignations, some have asked about sending folks to China assuming that we are sending imperialists. As a matter of fact, the BWM under current leadership has been more intentional than its predecessors in doing mission to empower new Christians or "mission fields" to be self-sustaining and able to carry out their own process of new church development. In Labrador we are finally, after 230 years. working very intentionally to develop Labrador leadership. In Mexico we are trying to grow a church among people to the bottom of the political-economic-social

scale, a church that many liberals complain isn't "Moravian" enough, partly because it too quickly is moving to local leadership. In Mexico our staff, who call themselves midwives, look more like civil rights workers in the 1960s than imperialists.

The Asia Ministry in China, while operating out of a conservative theology, has not been there to build a Moravian Church or a U.S.-controlled church and has been sharing Christ's vision of life, working largely among Tibetans, again a group we might fairly call oppressed or neglected.

Hermann Weinlick

               From Florida

 Those who have mentioned the acceptance of Moravian synodical decision in regard to the Mission Board staff resignations should also consider the following:

1. The Board of World Mission is an Interprovincial agency of the Alaska, Northern, and Southern Provinces and our cousins of the Unity of Brethren in Texas. Mission Board staff members may well give much weight to synodical decisions of the four provinces, but they cannot follow all of the provinces   at once when they differ in many policies. So the Mission Board itself must be the place for discussion and resolving issues relating to the common world mission endeavors. This has resulted in the current innovative mission programs which Hermann Weinlick has summarized so well. (See above message)

.2. Unity Synod is a higher authority than provincial synods.

3. Every Moravian is free to seek to change any synodical decision. We should be thankful some Moravians worked in the past to revisit such decisions; otherwise our church would still be submitting the selection of ministers to the lot and only men would be ordained.

Ted Wilde

(Of the many e-mails we received about the very lively topic we feel that these two brothers who have served in places of authority involving interprovincial boards that worked with both provinces, have very sober thoughts that get to the center of the concern. Br. Herman was the Director of Communications and Editor of The Moravian Magazine. Br. Ted was the Executive Director of the Board of World Mission and both have served as pastors, so know both sides.               JHG)