Unity Synod – An Overview and Perspective From a North American Delegate

Held from July 27-August 7, 2009, Unity Synod was a marathon for most of us outside the United Kingdom: 2 travel days, 9 long working days, 2 off-days, spent mostly together, engaged in worship, sharing, and other scheduled times, like a bus trip to the Fetter Lane Congregation in London.

Synod proper took place at the High Leigh Conference Center in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The High Leigh caters to Christian groups of many persuasions, and we shared time with a group of Catholic sisters, a para-church organization from Europe, and a group of U.S. Air Force couples stationed in the United Kingdom meeting for a marriage enrichment seminar. Meeting members of these groups was a bonus, but it could not assuage our disappointment that the British Government had refused to admit five delegates from Tanzania and the entire delegation from Suriname. They fear illegal emigrants taking resources and jobs from citizens, so refuse to admit those without permanent employment, property, and active bank accounts in their home countries. Synod charged the Unity Board to see that this kind of thing could not happen in the future.

Unity Synod passed a number of important resolutions. I would highlight the following: 1) We established a mission board to guide our work and created the position of Unity Business Administrator (UBA). Both these actions should reduce frustrations over lack of communication and progress on Unity endeavors in the inter-synodal periods. 2) As a cost cutting measure we shortened the next Unity Synod to 6 working days. This will require great intentionality! 3) We reduced the classifications of membership in the Unity to three: Unity Province, Mission Province, and Mission Area. We did continue a separate category for Unity Undertakings, and they are underway in both Honduras and the Czech Republic. Both undertakings are indicative that Charismatics and Traditionals in these provinces have, as yet, failed to resolve their differences. 4) Ironically, we gave a unanimous approval to a resolution that spelled out that, while the Spiritual Gifts are present in all our provinces, no specific gift such as speaking in tongues is definitive of Christian discipleship or required of all Christians. 5) We made the hitherto temporarily constituted Unity Standing Committee on Theology a true standing committee and gave it a budget and the assignment of producing materials on the question of ministry to homosexuals. Though the Unity Synod voted not to discuss a resolution from the European Continental Province that would have allowed Provinces to deal with homosexuality independent of the Unity, it left in place the moratorium that declared homosexuality to be a biblical, theological, and pastoral issue that did not rise to the level of the Lordship of Christ, and should not, therefore, separate us despite differing opinions. A percentage of delegates on either side of this issue felt it should at least be discussed, and voted to do so. When that vote failed, one delegate expressed the personal opinion that our unity must be fragile indeed if we could not have such a discussion. 6) We made a Unity-wide appeal on behalf of several projects, including a residence for seminarians and help for retired pastors in Nicaragua. Delegates were saddened that so many of our retired pastors live in provinces where pensions are under-funded or nonexistent. Synod was hopeful that entities like the Moravian Church Fund (MCF) could assist provinces in pursuing adequately funded retirement plans. 7) Finally, it should be noted that Synod reduced the Unity’s annual ministry budget by formula. The Financial Committee cut all recipients of Unity monies to 82 percent of their previous level, then further reduced them to 90 percent of that figure in order to make room for new work. The annual budget was thereby reduced from approximately $749,000 dollars to $575,000 dollars.

Having done my duty to the facts, please permit me the following subjective opinions:

First, though there is ample evidence that a generous approach to living and sharing the gospel is common to Moravians around the world, I am tempted to regard our Unity as a very loose confederation of independent provinces. Most think and act autonomously, albeit with the knowledge that others are watching.

Secondly, I am amazed by the good that can be done in the developing world for very small amounts of money. That said, I do hope our Unity is more than just an organization that exists simply to redistribute wealth. To ensure our integrity as a Unity of equals, each gift must be made with the idea that the recipient will use it to be more self-sufficient, not less. At present a disproportionate amount of the Unity Budget comes from the provinces that are richer in property and investments and poorer in membership. This must change. Taking into account high levels of secularization, developed provinces need to refine and reemphasize evangelism and home mission. As local economies allow, developing provinces need to accent stewardship.

Finally, when all is said and done, I think that the idea and hope of a true world-wide Unity is more important than ever before. The apostle writes in Ephesians 1:10 that God’s eternal purpose is “to gather together all things in (Christ).” We human beings are made or broken by the ideas that use us, and the Moravian idea of a unity called into being by God is a powerful one. Our Unity is small, fragile, and imperfect; but it is also a visible sign and pledge of the future of humanity that is coming to our world in Christ.

A complete record of can be found online at http://moravianunitysynod.org. Additional pictures can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/ngmmv9.