On March 6, 2023, the Provincial Elders’ Conference of the Moravian Church Southern Province, shared the following statement regarding an event to be sponsored by Concerned Moravians, an organization unaffiliated from the Moravian Church Southern Province.
March 6, 2023
Statement on Metaxas Event:
This statement comes from the Provincial Elders’ Conference of the Moravian Church Southern Province.
The Concerned Moravians, a separately incorporated, free-standing nonprofit unaffiliated with the Moravian Church, has announced it is sponsoring a presentation by Eric Metaxas. As this event does not represent the Moravian Church, Southern Province or the positions of the province and its congregations, we will not comment on it.
We do, however, acknowledge and support the right of any organization, congregation or individual to host speakers and encourage all Moravians to learn about Christian faith and practice.
To that end, we lift up the following long-held teachings of the Moravian Church found in The Ground of the Unity:
- We recognize the danger of self-righteousness and judging others without love.
- We oppose any discrimination in our midst because of race or standing, and we regard it as a commandment of the Lord to bear witness to this and to demonstrate by word and deed that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
- The Unitas Fratrum (worldwide Moravian Church) challenges all with the message of the love of God, striving to promote the peace of the world and seeking to attain what is best for all people.
- For the sake of the peace which we have with God, we earnestly desire to live peaceably with all people and to seek the peace of the places where we live.
From The Moravian Covenant for Christian Living we lift up the following from Section IV – The Witness of a Christian Citizen:
- 25. We will be subject to the civil authorities as the powers ordained of God, in accordance with the admonitions of Scripture (Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14) and will in nowise evade the taxes and other obligations which are lawfully required of us (Romans 13:7).
- 26. Considering it a special privilege to live in a democratic society, we will faithfully fulfill the responsibilities of our citizenship, among which are intelligent and well-informed voting, a willingness to assume public office, guiding the decisions of government by the expression of our opinions, and supporting good government by our personal efforts.
- 27. Though giving our loyalty to the state of which we are citizens, we do recognize a higher loyalty to God and conscience (Acts 5:29).
- 28. For the sake of the peace which we have with God, we earnestly desire to live peaceably with all people and to seek the peace of the places where we dwell.
For a printed version of this statement, click here.
