Unity Synod, the constitutional body of the Unitas Fratrum, convenes representatives from all Provinces and Mission Provinces every seven years to make decisions about the worship, witness, and work of the Worldwide Moravian Church. This gathering took place in Cape Town, South Africa, from September 4-10, 2023.
One Synod action that was particularly noteworthy as it relates to the work of the Board of World Mission was the approval of Brazil and Bolivia as Prospective Mission Areas. The BWM has walked with both of these areas in their initial discernment process as they explored the idea of joining the Moravian Unity and we look forward to their continued mission and ministry.
Additionally, the Unity Mission Agreement written at the 2017 Unity Mission Conference was officially accepted by the Synod and will be included in the Church Order of the Unitas Fratrum (COUF), which is the Book of Order for the Unity as a whole. This agreement helps us understand our call to mission as a church in a globalized world.
More generally, resolutions were adopted to direct the future work of the church in our collective goals to confront climate change and to understand the historical complicity of the Moravian Church in the institution of slavery and work toward racial justice.
