The State of the Church
Synod of the Moravian Church in America, Southern Province
2006

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:16 – 20

A Vision for the Southern Province

Following the last synod a group of pastors met with our bishops and PEC members for several months to seek God’s vision for the Southern Province. We experienced a rich time of prayer, conversation, and Bible study. We agreed that God was leading us to the words of St. Paul that I just read, and we agreed that these words had special significance for our life together as a Province.

Our time together was also a time to bear one another’s burdens. We recognized that all too often we have a propensity to find fault with each other within and among our congregations. But we experienced something of the “new creation” and of being reconciled to God and one another that enabled us to speak about differences without finding fault.

As a PEC we do not yet see clearly how God will give us further direction through these words, but we bring them to this synod with the following in mind:

So we, 20,000 Southern Province Moravian Christians, are ambassadors for Christ. We have already talked about the absolute necessity of mission outreach, and about making that the focus of our observance of the 550th anniversary of the Moravian Church, which will be next year. I hope every Ministry Group and Committee will talk about what creative new mission outreach means in your own area. What could be more consistent with our Moravian heritage than multiplying our efforts as ambassadors for Christ?

Meanwhile, how are we doing? What is “the state of the church?”

Congregational Vitality

Overall there are many indications of vital congregational ministry. Some congregations are growing and some are very deeply engaged in mission outreach. Several are involved in creative new community or citywide ministry efforts that are probably unique in our province’s history.

While the last four years have seen significant conflict in several congregations, we are now seeing real healing taking place. Board members, pastors (or interim pastors), and members are putting conflict behind them and moving ahead in ministry. Many congregations are led by very effective ministry teams whose members bring complementary gifts for strong leadership. BEHM continues to offer a “Vital Congregations” program and a number of congregations are benefiting.

Ordained Pastoral Leadership

We are served by selfless servant-minded pastors who show a willingness to lose themselves for others and for our One Lord Jesus. Week in and week out they preach, teach, lead, pastor, and serve in many other roles. They give of themselves in ministry beyond their congregations. Often they serve for compensation lower than what our synods have mandated, but few complain. The major “complaint” we hear from church boards in the course of triennial reviews is that pastors need to exercise better self-care and to take more time for self and family.

However, on a province-wide basis a sense of close community among all pastors is less than what most desire. Our diversity in theology and in practice, potentially a strength, tends to pull us apart more than it should. A series of pastors’ retreats held since the last synod brought moments of hopefulness, although many lament that true community is not yet fully realized.

Our bishops have played key roles in assisting the PEC to build greater unity and in other tasks. We are grateful for their generous contributions of time and gifts in the face of many demands, and we have called on them frequently.

During the intersynodal period the PEC established the Commission on Ordained Ministry. Its members have addressed a wide range of concerns. They have recommended that the PEC further de-emphasize the “performance review” elements in triennial reviews and encourage every church board to establish means of providing feedback to pastors intentionally and regularly. This is fully consistent with PEC directions since PEC has discontinued the practice of asking church staff to absent themselves during the final portion of the review.

At the last synod the PEC noted as a “cause for concern” the lack of full acceptance of women in ordained ministry. We rejoice that the number of ordained women serving under call or appointment has doubled (from six to twelve) since that synod. While the challenge of full acceptance remains before us, we believe the Southern Province has made progress in this area. The PEC expresses appreciation to women serving us as pastors because their effective leadership is a major factor in any progress we have made.

Lay Leadership

The PEC continues to see great strength in lay leadership across the province. We often work closely with those chosen as vice chairpersons of Elders (or Church Boards) in call processes and other special situations. We deeply appreciate these persons. We see in them a strong commitment to Christ and his church, and a willingness to serve sacrificially. Many laypersons have demonstrated both an eagerness to serve and a desire to be better equipped as they have attended and appreciated board leadership workshops. More than 50 are serving as congregational acolytes, along with two who serve as provincial acolytes. All these laypersons give generously of their time and their many gifts to strengthen our ministry.

Ministry with Youth and Young Adults

We see evidence of a very high level of involvement and commitment on the part of many youth and young adults. The rapid growth of mission camps based at Laurel Ridge is one indication. Another is the strong participation of youth at last year’s Mission Lovefeast held at Macedonia. More than a dozen youth have contacted the Board of World Mission expressing interest in various kinds of world mission service. The number of youth and young adults in conversation with the PEC about a call to ordained ministry has increased since the last synod. Pastors and youth leaders talk about a deep sense of and desire for spirituality among youth. There is seriousness both about questions and about commitments.

Nonetheless, few youth are visible in many congregations and church boards often list the desire for more youth participation among their greatest needs.

Financial Resources

Our life together continues to demonstrate that when individuals are motivated they contribute generously. By almost any standard we are a church that is richly blessed. Nonetheless, a number of congregations find it increasingly difficult to balance a budget that includes the minimum amounts for staff, facilities maintenance, and participation in provincial, interprovincial, and Unity ministries. Some of their pastors are not receiving the salaries mandated by our synods. These congregations have very limited funds for programming and for local mission outreach. Other congregations balance their budgets but are not able to fund all the additional mission outreach they would like to. An increase in the average age of members contributes to a decline in membership in many congregations. Thus congregations and the PEC need to work together to find ways of continuing to minister and serve and to be engaged in vital mission outreach without being completely caught up in a struggle for survival. While different strategies will be needed in different situations, stewardship education is an ongoing necessity for us all.

PEC members have frequently participated in conversations about the amount congregations are required to contribute to the provincial budget. While these contributions have increased on a “per member” basis, they have actually decreased as a percentage of congregational budgets. The sum of all congregational budgets is increasing more rapidly than the provincial budget. This is in part because provincial boards and agencies have cut staff, increased cooperative efforts, and cut operating costs, including staff compensation increases. While provincial boards and agencies continue to provide leadership and service with minimal budget increases, it is clear that good stewardship of resources on a province-wide basis still needs attention. The PEC has taken note of a significant and positive change in the effectiveness of the Treasurer’s Office since the last synod.

Interprovincial Ministry The PEC affirms that our interprovincial ministries are strong as well. The Board of World Mission is articulating a four-fold vision with corresponding new initiatives. New faculty members and a new curriculum at Moravian Theological Seminary are strengthening the process of preparing men and women for ministry and are placing increased emphasis on the joy of serving in parish ministry. The Board of Communications and the Moravian Ministries Foundation also continue effective work.

Biblical and Theological Concerns

During the last four years we have seen increased conversation on biblical and theological themes. We find that many more Southern Province Moravians are familiar with The Ground of the Unity than was the case four years ago, and therefore this basic statement of Moravian belief is playing a stronger role in shaping our life and practice. While conversations on many subjects are taking place, two areas seem to emerge as ones of particular interest and importance.

In both these cases we are talking about church doctrine, and determining doctrine is the prerogative of Unity Synod alone. It is not the task of this synod to restate doctrine, although we could develop recommendations for Unity Synod. But it is certainly in order to speak and to listen to one another about our concerns, to be clear among ourselves what is our belief, and to communicate accurately what we believe to those around us.

One subject of discussion is the authority of Scripture. Some are concerned that the authority of Scripture is being diminished. Some fear that other documents or opinions are given greater weight than the Bible, or that texts are misinterpreted or ignored. Some are concerned that the Bible is being elevated almost to the point of being worshiped itself, rather than being that through which the God we worship is revealed. Some are concerned about an overly literalistic interpretation.

In this context the PEC reminds delegates of our Synod theme and the need to LISTEN. The authority of Scripture is central to who we are and we affirm in the Ground of the Unity that Scripture is our “sole standard.” Each of us needs to LISTEN to the cautions and concerns of others and to seek to understand the reasons for them. It is very often the case that we more clearly HEAR the voice of God as we listen to the concerns of one another.

Another area of conversation is our understanding of salvation. Some of us are especially concerned about witness in a cultural context where relativism is increasingly common and in a world where many seem to think that one religion is as good as another. For some, “tolerance” implies an absence of firm conviction and clarity of belief. Some emphasize the urgency of proclamation and remind us that this proclamation is at the heart of who we are.

Some caution about arrogance and the danger of appearing to condemn persons whose destiny is in God’s hands alone. Some emphasize the importance of meeting others where they are and the necessity of respect for all persons in a society of many cultures and religions.

Again, in this context the PEC reminds delegates of our theme and the need to LISTEN. Each of us needs to LISTEN to the concerns of others to seek to understand the reasons for them. Some of us need to listen more carefully to the cautions of those who clearly say that salvation is God’s work, not ours. Some of us need to listen more carefully to those who speak of the urgency of proclamation and who remind us of how central to our belief is the atonement through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.

Conclusion

The state of the church is reflected in us, the delegates called and chosen to be here. We are different in many ways, and with passion we come with different perspectives, each seeking to be faithful to the one Lord and Master we follow. That is as it should be. We talk about division in our province, but I believe that we are actually less divided than it sometimes feels like. I also believe in my heart that if we speak clearly, listen attentively, and pray fervently that we will hear the voice of God. We will probably hear that voice affirm much of who we are, what we preach, and what we do. We will probably also hear of changes we need to make. I believe that God is ready to give us the clarity we all seek if we truly LISTEN and HEAR, because listening to each other is part of hearing the voice of God.

And we need to HEAR the voice of God in order to SERVE, because that’s why this church exists.

An address to the 2006 Southern Province Synod given by The Rev. Dr. Robert E. Sawyer on April 19, 2006 on behalf of the Provincial Elders’ Conference. The Rev. Dr. Sawyer served for three terms as President of the Provincial Elders’ Conference, South. The last time a Southern Province Synod was held was in 2002.