Service of Installation and Celebration
For Leaders of The Board of World Mission

A service of Installation and Celebration was held on Saturday, October 2, 2004, 4:30 p.m. at the Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, following the Fall meeting of the Board of World Mission on October 1-2, 2004. Installed were the Rev. William C. Sibert, Jr. who accepted the call to serve as Executive Director at the March meeting earlier this year, and the Rev. Samuel Gray who was called to serve as Director of Intercultural Ministries and Communications on June 6th. Together, they bring extensive missionary and theological experience combined with considerable gifts to the ongoing work and future direction of the Board.

As congregants gathered in the beautiful sanctuary of Central Moravian Church, muted rays of autumn sunlight radiated a warm glow through the stained glass windows. Typical of Moravian gatherings, the atmosphere simmered with excitement as old and new friends greeted each other affectionately, sensing that something very special was about to happen. And it did. The service was a song-spiration with “mission” as its focus.

In preparing the congregation for worship, the bulletin depicted a colorful reproduction of the Moravian Seal. Inscribed beneath the seal, were the words: Day by Day his voice is sounding saying, “Christian, follow me.” The Seal was a copy of a photograph, taken by Deanna L. Hollenbach, of The Phillip Taylor Window at Good Shepherd Moravian Church, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Al and Eileen Taylor donated the window in memoriam of their son, who died in his teens. I mention the bulletin because it invoked a powerful symbol of love for me. I thought of the love the Taylors had for their son but most of all, I was moved by their love of Christ as they chose to proclaim: Our Lamb has Conquered, Let Us Follow Him. It was an appropriate message for the Board of World Mission to convey even before a single word was uttered. Love remained the underlying theme throughout the worship service for the remainder of the evening.

As Moravians our priority is adhering to God’s teaching of The Great Commandment to love one another (John 15:9-17), and the Great Commission to go out and preach the good news of the Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20). To follow Christ’s teachings, we cannot and must not be afraid to proclaim him as our risen Lord. As his disciple, each of us must make a contribution worthy of that proclamation as we strive collectively toward a singular goal of mission in Christ. We must be willing to serve faithfully, unselfishly, and sacrificially and then be ready to receive the outpouring of God’s love as we love each other in return. These important themes will guide a renewed vision of the Board’s work and the installation marked an important turning point in the future role of “mission” in the Moravian Church of North America and with its partner provinces around the world. Harkening back to the founding ethos of the Unity and the legacy of our Moravian pioneers, the service provided an opportunity to present part of a renewed vision that the BWM will launch in 2005.

Mission was reflected in the hymns sung during the service and underscored an existing diversity, that could be made richer, to fulfill God’s commandment of preaching the Gospel to all nations. An ensemble led by the Rev. Sam Gray included the Revs. Chris and John Giesler, the Rev. Melissa Johnson, the Rev. Dave Bennett, and the Rev. Christine Johnson, Tina Giesler, Andrew Giesler, Steve Kish, and Marta Tearmae (sister of the Rev. Sam Gray) sang hymns in languages including German, Spanish, Miskito, and Swahili. The combination of piano, keyboard, guitar, and flute, music and song resounded gloriously, making a joyful noise unto the Lord.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Sawyer and the Rev. David Wickman each pledged their support on behalf of their respective province and invited the congregation to join in a special prayer of intercession for those taking on the mantle of leadership. Reflecting an especially poignant moment was the “laying of hands” by Directors as they gathered around Will and Sam, beseeching God’s grace, guidance, and empowerment as they seek to do God’s will.

Observing the spirit of mission in stewardship, the congregation was asked to give generously and the offertory was designated for Hurricane Relief Aid.

Even the Lovefeast mentioned in the bulletin was not typical. There was no sugarcake, no sweet buns, nor ginger beer, none of the usual elements. The focus was on God’s presence in our midst and his unconditional love for us and his forgiveness of our transgressions. The Rev. Gray entreated us to dwell on how we, as Christians, can “feast” on God’s love so that we love each other and our brothers and sisters of different races and other cultures around the world. This Lovefeast conveyed the essence of mission. We concluded by greeting each other with the Right Hand of Fellowship. As the service ended with the singing of “Asithi: Amen” my prayer was that the excitement and passion that permeated the sanctuary was a sign of hope for new Moravian witness.

The celebration was followed by an “International Buffet,” in the Christian Education Building on the campus of Central Moravian Church. The BWM expresses its gratitude to the members of the Northeast Pennsylvania Moravian Mission Society who hosted the dinner.