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MISSION SOCIETIES – IMPORTANT ARMS (AND FEET) IN THE BODY OF  CHRIST

Most ONWARD readers are aware of the work of the Mission Society of the Moravian Church, Southern Province, since it is responsible for the publication of this newsletter.  But did you know that there are Mission Societies in various regions and Districts of the Northern Province and Alaska Province, most of which are connected to the SPG (Society for Promoting the Gospel)? They help Moravians and Moravian Congregations to be involved in the mission to which the whole church is called by its Lord and Savior.

The Northeast Pennsylvania Moravian Mission Society is the result of a merger of the Women’s Missionary Society and the Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Mission Council. Its purpose is to provide leadership in the building of inspiration and education for mission in local congregations in the Lehigh Valley, the Pocono Mountains, and the Reading areas, and to support endeavors for mission together. Each year the NEPMMS provides grants to various mission projects and ministries (youth mission trips, hurricane relief, BWM, Guyana flood relief, etc.). The president of the NEPMMS at this time is Norman Prochnau (Central).

The Canadian Moravian Mission Society operates under six Synod mandates: sending missionaries; volunteer training programs focus on HIV/AIDS; improving communications between the congregations regarding local outreach opportunities; holding a mission awareness event; endorsing partnership projects. Toward the realization of these goals the Society has helped to send Moravians to Honduras and St. Kitts on mission trips; worked with and through Regional Volunteer Coordinator Dale Taylor to prepare more people for “sending;” supported the “Dear Brothers and Sisters” orphan project in Tanzania (the chair of the society, Alice Sears, also chairs the BWM’s HIV/AIDS Initiative Sub-Committee); identified congregational representatives in most of the Canadian District congregations; held a Mission Event October 15-16, 2005, with presentations by BWM HIV/AIDS Coordinator Judy Harke; supported many partnership projects (Second Mile Projects, Habitat For Humanity, Rajpur Foster Child Project and others). 

The Penn-Mar Mission Society serves the Moravian congregations in south central Pennsylvania and Maryland.  The Society supports numerous mission projects and has a partnership with the Colegio Moravo (Jon Amos Comenius School) in Bilwi, Nicaragua. We will present more information on their ministry in a future issues.

The Southern Wisconsin Moravians for Mission (SWMM) has the following mission statement: “to foster, nourish and stimulate interest in missions and mission work.” The SWMM is made up of members and friends of seven Moravian congregations in southern Wisconsin. Its goal is to “share the good news of Jesus Christ through our ongoing support of mission work.”  This support takes on three aspects: prayer support, financial support and educational / informational support. The group’s vision is “to creatively present missions and mission work to our member congregations, to help stimulate interest and involvement in the mission field.”

Another “congregational mission cluster” is also forming in Central Wisconsin and is taking steps toward recognition as a Mission Society. The recent growing need for a more intentional and developed disaster response ministry has led other congregations to join forces in mission and ministry. There is much “mission energy” in Illinois, Michigan, New York and other areas.  A group of California Moravian men (from Downey, Morongo and Palo Alto) braved a snowstorm and treacherous roads to gather at a BWM-led retreat at Lake Arrowhead, where they explored the implications of being “called in… to be sent out!”

Please hold these Societies and organizations in prayer, that God might use them to equip the saints for ministry and to get Moravians out of the pews and into the fields!