Rev. David L. Wickmann Re-Elected Provincial Elders
Conference President of the Moravian Church — Northern Province
The Rev. David L. Wickmann was elected to a four-year term as president of the Provincial Elders Conference (PEC) of the Moravian Church, Northern Province on Friday, June 16, 2006.
The PEC is the highest governing board of the Moravian Church Northern Province, providing administrating leadership to congregations and program agencies. The election took place during the 40th Provincial Synod held at Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA, from June 15-19, 2006. The synod is a gathering of clergy and laypersons representing about 28,000 members in 102 congregations in 13 states in the U.S. and two Canadian provinces. Provincial synods (business meetings) are held every four years.
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.
In his acceptance speech, Wickmann said, “I stand ready to serve you for the next four years as president of your Provincial Elders’ Conference. Let us continue to seek the face of God as we reclaim the Great Commission. Let us listen for God’s voice and let us act in accord with the consensus which develops.” As PEC President, Wickmann’s vision for the future of the Moravian Church is to become a servant, meeting the needs of the communities in which the church has a presence. He said, “Where there are floods, we will help rebuild; where there is drought, we will provide food; where there is abuse, we will provide compassion. We will find needs within the communities in which we live and we will minister to them, in the name of Christ. Today is the day and now is the time to do our work; let us do it for the sake of Christ.”
He continued, “ I believe we have been called by Christ to make an impact in our local communities, our municipalities, and in the two nations in which our congregations are located. Leadership is the key element in this process, leadership that is able to gather the diverse constituencies and can galvanize the Church into action.“
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, 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 Finance 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 of Moravian College; Moravian Theological Seminary and Linden Hall School for Girls.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Wickmann currently lives in Nazareth, PA 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.
One of the oldest Protestant denominations, the Moravian Church dates back to 1457 in Europe. Moravians first came to America in 1735. Best known for its missionary work and its music, Moravians also have a strong tradition of ecumenical work. The Moravian Church in America is comprised of the Northern Province and the Southern Province. The Southern Province includes nearly 20,000 members in 57 congregations, which are located in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. The worldwide Moravian Church consists of 19 provinces with nearly 789,000 members, half of whom live in Africa.
