The Changing Faces of The Moravian
A Conversation With a Past Editor

“A small desk, a chair, a secondhand typewriter, two small office files, and three files of ‘cuts’ (photo engravings),” were what made up the office equipment for the editorial staff of The Moravian in the early 1950’s. While the office conditions and the style of the magazine have surely changed since the Rev. Hermann Weinlick sat down in the editor’s chair in 1987, the traditional types of articles had remained the same. By the time Brother Weinlick gave up his position as editor in 1998, he had successfully changed the style of the articles in The Moravian.

When Weinlick began his duties as editor in 1987, he had three long-term goals, “To make sure that this was a magazine of two provinces, not just the North; to be visible in all parts of the church; to be a magazine for all voices in the church, across theological and other lines.” Brother Weinlick felt The Moravian magazine was more of an internal newsletter for the Moravian Church than a magazine that addressed the issues of today and he wanted that to change. In an interview with Brother Weinlick on this issue he stated, “I felt the magazine had been a sort of house organ and opened it up to more diverse expression of opinion in articles. Generally I think I was successful in that effort. I perhaps went overboard in allowing almost any expression in letters to the editor.” In allowing any opinion in his letters to the editor, Weinlick showed no discrimination, and this may be what the magazine needed to transition into The Moravian as it is known today; a magazine that covers the issues of today of which Moravians, and all members of society, need to be aware.

On this topic, Weinlick said, “In church publications it is easy to focus on the internal life of the church; to neglect the issues facing the society in which we live, to which we do have a word as followers of Christ.” Brother Weinlick was able to discuss the issues of today and church issues while remaining flexible and laid-back about what went into the publication.

In his easygoing way of running the magazine, Weinlick did feel some resistance from members of the Moravian Church. In addition to being the editor of The Moravian magazine, Weinlick was also the editor for the Daily Texts. In regard to the Daily Texts, Weinlick said, “For allowing quite a bit of freedom in the prayers of the Daily Texts I was censured by one Provincial Synod.” But again, in order to express the issues of our society, and in order to meet one of his long-term goals of, “[being] a magazine for all voices in the church, across theological and other lines,” Brother Weinlick had to take chances, even if they went against what would be acceptable by his reader’s standards.

Some of Weinlick’s articles that went against the norm of what Moravians expected in The Moravian included topics of AIDS, loneliness, suicide, cancer, racism, and homosexuality. While Weinlick wrote very few of these articles, as the editor he acted as a gatekeeper and decided what went into print, often times soliciting articles from various sources on subjects that he would like to see in print. Brother Weinlick said it best in the June 1990 issue of The Moravian when he stated, “only as we acknowledge and face the demons of racism and sexism [and so on] in ourselves and the church, and repent, can God’s Spirit exorcise them.”

Today, The Moravian freely offers articles that discuss many of these issues (although some still generate resistance) and it’s able to do so because of the major step that Weinlick took. In speaking of the Moravian Church in the June 1989 issue of The Moravian, the Rev. Weinlick writes, “I have seen and personally experienced some of the weaknesses to which the evangelical church is subject: distrust of education and the arts, narrowness in biblical interpretation, slowness to recognize the gifts of women, authoritarian answers to many questions, suspicion of efforts to combat social evils.” In seeing and experiencing these things, Brother Weinlick tried to improve certain conditions and he took a big step in a positive direction.

John S. Groenfeldt

The late Rev. John S. Groenfeldt was editor of The Moravian from 1947-1967. While his writing experience was limited to college and high school publications, he had a knack for the job and his 20 year tenure showed his passion for the magazine.

Groenfeldt was the first full-time General Secretary of the Christian Education Board of the Northern Province and editor of The Moravian and, until 1952, The Moravian Missionary. When Groenfeldt began his duties The Moravian was a weekly church paper that had a newspaper format and The Moravian Missionary was a monthly paper about Moravian missionaries. In 1952, by authorization of the Northern Provincial Synod, the two publications combined to form The Moravian magazine.

In the May 1967 issue of The Moravian, in regard to his past 20 years of service, Brother Groenfeldt is quoted as saying, “The editorship has been a challenging assignment, always demanding the very best in thought and skill that could be brought to it as a ministry to the entire church.”

Following his service as editor of The Moravian, Brother Groenfeldt began responsibilities as the President of the Provincial Elders’ Conference in the Northern Province. He served as President from 1966-1982. Born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, the Rev. Groenfeldt was the son of the Rev. Samuel and Mrs. Amy Groenfeldt. He was married to the former Eva R. Williams of Madison, Wisconsin.

Andrew David is a professional writing student from Kutztown University completing an internship with the Interprovincial Board of Communication of the Moravian Church in North America.