Leadership Elected to Guide the Moravian Church in North America, Northern Province, for the Next Four Years

June 15-19, 2006 marked the gathering of approximately 300 delegates representing about 28,000 members in 102 congregations in 13 states in the U.S. and two Canadian provinces. This gathering, called a Synod, is a business meeting held every four years to elect leaders and enact legislation that will guide the church until the next synod. The delegates include pastors and laypersons of each congregation as the decision makers.

During the synod, several individuals were elected to the Provincial Elder’s Conference (PEC) of the Northern Province. The PEC is the highest governing board of the Province, providing administrating leadership to congregations and program agencies. The elections took place during the 40th Provincial Synod held at Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Rev. David L. Wickmann

The Rev. David L. Wickmann was elected to a four year term as president of the Provincial Elders’ Conference (PEC) on Friday, June 16, 2006. Wickmann has been serving in the capacity of Provincial Elders’ Conference President since his initial election in 2002. This re-election as President will carry his term through 2010.

During the commissioning service of the PEC at closing worship, Wickmann said, “I stand ready to serve, God being my helper, to lead the province in the engagement of the great Commission following the resurrected Christ.”

A graduate of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Wickmann was ordained as a deacon in 1967 and consecrated a presbyter in 1973. Since 1973, he has served pastorates as an assistant pastor at Lititz Moravian, Lititz, Pennsylvania (1967-1970); as pastor at Midway Manor Moravian, Allentown, Pennsylvania (1970-1974); as pastor at First Moravian, Dover, Ohio (1975-1981); as founding pastor at Morning Star Moravian, Peoria, Arizona (1981-1984); and as pastor at Nazareth Moravian, Nazareth, Pennsylvania (1984-1992). From 1992-2002, Wickmann served as President of the Eastern District of the Moravian Church Northern Province.

Currently Wickmann is serving many ministries in the church and community. He is Chair of the Financial Committee of Moravian Theological Seminary; President of Citizens for a Better Bethlehem; Member of the Unity Board (Moravian Church Unitas Fratrum); Member of the National Council of Churches of Christ; Head of Communion representing the Moravian Church Northern Province at Churches Uniting in Christ; Member of the Board of Directors at Moravian College, Moravian Theological Seminary, and Linden Hall School for Girls.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wickmann currently lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania with his wife, Linda. They have four adult children: Christy, David, Paul, and Heather. They have one grandson, Mason and one granddaughter, Selah. They are members of Central Moravian Church located in historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Rev. James T. Hicks

The Western District of the Moravian Church in North America elected the Rev. James Thomson Hicks of Green Bay, Wisconsin, as President of the Western District Executive Board (WDEB) during the 40th Synod of the Moravian Church Northern Province. 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.

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 where he currently serves West Side Moravian Church, Green Bay, Wisconsin. 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, and to offer Treatment Instead of Prison (TIP) to non-violent drug offenders. In 2005, Hicks was elected to be a clergy member of the Western District Executive Board through a special election to fill a vacancy left open by the Rev. Elizabeth Miller.

During the commissioning, he said, “The congregations I’ve served have instructed and encouraged me in an understanding of my call which is first to help us be more grace-filled with each other and second, to help us be persons of courage, speaking a bold faith to a world too often caught be fear. I remain committed to this call in my new work to discovering how it will be further shaped and revealed.”

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

Glenn Hertzog

This election makes this the second consecutive term as a lay member of the PEC for Glenn Hertzog. A member of Schoeneck Moravian Church, Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Hertzog is also a member of the Provincial Stewardship Advisory Committee of the Northern Province and a member of the Stewardship Committee at Schoeneck Moravian Church. He is also a member of the Rotary Club in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He has educational experience in economics and engineering and business experience in business and fiscal management. At the commissioning service, Hertzog said, “I am grateful for this new opportunity to serve the Moravian Church, and I will share with you two of my prayers. First, I pray that you will continue to buoy us up with your prayers. We will certainly sink without them. Second, I pray that I will become a better servant, so the balance between questions and answers might be improved.”

William E. Kiessling, Jr.

William E. Kiessling, Jr. is a member of Lake Mills Moravian Church, Lake Mills, Wisconsin. He currently serves on the Endowment Committee and the Facilities Study Committee of Lake Mills Moravian Church. He is also a Trustee and President of the Moravian Ministries Foundation in America; Trustee and President of the Larger Life Foundation of the Moravian Church Northern Province; and Trustee and President of Marquardt Memorial Manor, Inc. In addition he serves as a mentor to confirmands during the confirmation program at Lake Mills Moravian Church. Beyond the church environment, Kiessling is active in his local community through the Lions Club; Chamber of Commerce; Masonic Lodge, Wisconsin and American Bar Association; American Legion; Madison Estate Planning Committee; Municipal Judge; Director of the Greenwood’s State Bank; and Director of Lake Mills Development Committee. Unable to attend the synod, Kiessling made a statement read during the commissioning service by President David Wickmann in his absence, saying, “With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I look forward to assisting in carrying forward the Great Commission given to us by our Lord, in the Ministries and Mission of the Moravian Church, Northern Province.”

Joellen LaPrade

Joellen LaPrade is a member of Main Street Moravian Church, Northfield, Minnesota, where she serves as treasurer and is a member of the Worship Committee. She has also served as past member of the Board of Trustees of Main Street Moravian Church from 2002-2004. At the commissioning, she said, “I’m pretty new at this, but I can do all things through Him who strengthens me: here I stand, very honored to represent you, humbled, and so much in need of your prayers.”


Jill Westbrook

Jill Westbrook is a member of Sharon Moravian Church, Tuscarawas, Ohio. Westbrook has been serving on the Eastern District Executive Board since 1996, a position she has resigned to serve as a lay member of the Northern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference. In addition to her service to the church, she serves the community as a member of the University of Akron High School Counselor Advisory Board, a member of the Kent State University Engineering Technology Advisory Committee, a member of the Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling, and chairperson of the Tuscarawas Area Counselors Association. Ms. Westbrook also served as secretary for the provincial synod. During the commissioning service, she said, “During the past 10 years, I have viewed my role on the Eastern District Executive Board as that of a humble servant. However, this past fall, while attending a meeting of the PEC and representatives of the district boards, the Rev. Betsy Miller told me that I needed to own the fact that I was a leader in the Moravian Church. Brothers and sisters, I pledge that during the next four years, I will serve you and God as a dedicated, humble leader.”

The elected persons join the two existing District Presidents who were elected by their peers to serve a four-year term at their own District Synods which were held in 2004. The terms for these two positions end as of 2008 at which time another election will be held to fill them. The existing officials are:

The Rev. Gary Straughan

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Straughan graduated from Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1963, and received a Master’s of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary, also in Bethlehem, in 1966. He was ordained a Deacon in 1966 and consecrated Presbyter in 1972. He has served as the pastoral leader at Freedom Moravian Church, Appleton, Wisconsin (1966-1969); Sturgeon Bay Moravian Church, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (1969-1976); Wisconsin Rapids Moravian Church, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin (1976-1987), including a co-pastorate at Rudolph Moravian Church, Rudolph, Wisconsin, (1976-1981); Downey Moravian Church, Downey, California (1987-1993); Hope Moravian Church, Hope, Indiana (1994-1998); and Lititz Moravian Church, Lititz, Pennsylvania (1998-2002). In conjunction with the time that he served as pastor of various congregations, Rev. Straughan also served on the Western District Executive Board, the Pacific Southwest Moravian Board, and the Eastern District Executive Board. As President of the Eastern District Executive Board he also serves as a Vice President of the Provincial Elders’ Conference, Northern Province.

Rev. Straughan is married to Amelia (Amy) nee Romanchuk. He is the father/step-father of five adult children, Kevin, Georgina, Todd, Vanessa, and Alexander; and the grandfather of eight. The Rev. Straughan and Amy reside in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Rev. Steve Gohdes

Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Gohdes is a 1983 graduate of Moravian College and a 1986 graduate of Moravian Theological Seminary, both located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a deacon of the Moravian Church in North America in 1986 and was consecrated a presbyter in 1989. He has served as a Pastor at Glenwood Moravian Church, Madison, Wisconsin (1986-1990); Heimtal Moravian Church, South Edmonton, Alberta (1990-1992); Bruderheim Moravian Church, Bruderheim, Alberta (1992-1996); and Christ Moravian Church, Calgary, Alberta (1996 to present). He has also served as a church developer in Southwest Edmonton from 1990 to 1992. In addition to his pastoral service to congregations, he has served as Director of the Primitive Church Camp in the Western District of the Moravian Church of the Northern Province, as a camp director at summer camps at Camp Van Es in the Canadian District of the Northern Province, as a volunteer hospital Chaplain and long-term care worship leader in various areas in the United States and Canada. He has also served as chaplain at the Bruderheim Volunteer Fire Department. His community service and activities include serving as a little league baseball coach, an Alberta Basketball Official Association referee, and serving on the Calgary Basketball Official Association as Executive of Education.

As President of the Board of Elders, Canadian District, Gohdes also then serves as a Vice President of the Provincial Elders’ Conference, Northern Province.

Gohdes and his wife, Heidi, reside in Calgary, Alberta. They are parents of a son, Daniel and a daughter, Kari, who are currently attending Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Moravian Church was founded in Bohemia, the current-day Czech Republic, 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.