Moravian Church Western District Elects The Rev. James Hicks
to the Western District Executive Board

The Western District of the Moravian Church in North America elected the Rev. James Thomson Hicks of Green Bay, Wisconsin, as a member of the Western District Executive Board (WDEB). The Western District of the Moravian Church in North America consists of 39 recognized Moravian Congregations throughout California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as growing and emerging churches and fellowships in development in Indiana, Minnesota, and California.

This special election started taking place in February 2005 after the Rev. Elizabeth Miller resigned her position on the board to serve the District as the Director of Congregational Leadership and Resources. As stated in the bylaws of the WDEB, such a vacancy “will be filled during the intersynodal period by mail ballot according to rules and regulations set forth in the Book of Order of the Moravian Church, Northern Province.” A simple majority of eligible votes cast was required for election. After a series of mail ballots, the Rev. James Hicks was voted as the clergy representative to fill the vacancy receiving 43 of the 69 eligible votes returned. The Rev. Hicks’ term begins immediately and will continue until April of 2008 at which time the synod (business meeting) of the Western District will determine the makeup of the Western District Executive Board.

The Western District Executive Board, which consists of the President, two clergy members, and four lay members, has supervisory responsibility for the congregations and clergy of the District, works with congregations in calling pastors, addressing conflict, establishing quotas, managing finances, and determining budgets for the various ministries that congregations do together. The Board and the President are concerned with everything from conflict management to Evangelism. They represent the entire District and not geographic areas.

In running for the position, the Rev. Hicks stated, “I welcome the opportunity to broaden my understanding of the Church’s ministries and to exercise my gifts and graces through a wider circle of leadership.”

He continued to say, “Many have expressed concern about the future of the church. I believe our concern should be focusing on following Jesus and what he taught us to do. He does not ask us to worship him. He asks us to follow. It is why we proclaim together, ‘Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow him.’”

Born in Staten Island, New York, Hicks is a 1975 graduate of Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and attended the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California, where he received his Master of Divinity Degree in 1979. He was ordained a Deacon of the Moravian Church in North America in 1980 and was consecrated a Presbyter in 1989. He has served the Moravian Church as the pastoral leader of Fargo Moravian Church, Fargo, North Dakota from 1980-1986. From 1986-1987, the Rev. Hicks served as Clinical Pastoral Education Chaplain Resident II at Methodist Hospital, Rochester, Minnesota. From 1988-1997, he was released for service to Central United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and served as an Intentional Interim Pastor at Brookfield Presbyterian Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin from 1999-2000 before returning to the Moravian Church to serve West Side Moravian Church, Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he continues to actively serve. In addition to his pastoral duties, the Rev. Hicks has served as the Chairperson of the Building Committee of Mt. Morris Camp and Conference Center of the Moravian Church from 1997-2001 and currently serves his community as the Chairperson of the Religious Leaders Caucus of JOSHUA (Justice Organization Sharing Hope United for Action). JOSHUA is engaged in building relationships with a broad spectrum of persons to address the need of neighbors for affordable housing.

Hicks, and his wife, Joy, reside in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are the parents of two adult daughters, Emily and Hilary.

The Rev. Larry Christianson, President of the Western District Executive Board, commented on the election of the Rev. Hicks, saying, “In a spirit of partnership, the entire WDEB and district staff joins me in welcoming Jim aboard, and affirming his ministry gifts as we all serve our Lord together in the administrative leadership of our Western District."

The Moravian Church was founded in Germany more than 500 years ago and at that time was officially called the Unitas Fratrum, or Unity of the Brethren, which remains the church’s official name today. The Moravian Church is one of the oldest Protestant denominations dating back to 1457 in Europe and first coming to America in 1735. Moravians have a strong tradition of ecumenical work and are best known for their missionary work and rich musical heritage. The Moravian Church in North America is comprised of the Northern and Southern Provinces. The Northern Province has approximately 28,000 members in 102 congregations in 13 states in the U.S. and two Canadian provinces. The Southern Province includes nearly 20,000 members in 58 congregations, which are located primarily throughout the Southeast. Moravians now number more than 789,000 worldwide and are spread across five continents and more than 20 jurisdictional provinces.