Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Moravians Celebrate Missionary Month
Since last year, the Moravian Church in Guyana began designating the month of September as ‘Moravian Missionary Month’. Accordingly, guided by the theme “Make our Church known” the Clergy and membership of the local Moravian congregations in 2019, along with family and friends, have continued what was born one year ago.
They have been engaged in a number of activities within and with
out the confines of the Church buildings. The activities are now perceived as being reflective of the essential nature of mission by Church bodies in the 21st Century.
Simultaneously, time has been set aside on the weekly radio broadcast programme, “The Moravian Gospel Hour”, aired every Wednesday on the Voice of Guyana at 15:30 hrs, to utilise the opportunity in 2019 to share aspects of the Church’s history and contribution to the spread of the Gospel from its early beginning in Kunvald, Bohemia (now known as Czechoslovakia) in Europe, in 1457.
This incidentally places the Moravian Church, or the Unitas Fratrum, as it is also known, as one of the earliest protestant churches and a leader in the Reformist movement of the era.
From its place of origin in the not so significant location of Kunvald, a speck in the continent of Europe, the Moravians in adherence to the admonitions of the ‘Great Commission’ can today lay claim to having established a meaningful presence on every continent through the spread of the Gospel.
Guyana, in the Americas, is no exception. Following an hiatus of approximately one hundred years, from 1620’s to the 1720’s, what is referred to as the ‘Hidden seed’ of the Moravian Church burst into renewed life and in the wake of revived and ensuing missionary activity.
In that period, the Moravians first ‘set foot’ in Guyana in 1738, in Berbice. Interrupted by the slave rebellion in 1763, the Moravians later established a permanent presence with the construction of the first Moravian Church at Graham’s Hall, in 1878, on the lower East Coast of Demerara.
This was followed by the subsequent construction and dedication of i) Tabernacle Moravian Church at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara in 1882; ii) Queenstown Moravian Church in Queenstown, Georgetown in 1902; iii) Perseverance Moravian Church, at Canal Polder No 1, West Bank Demerara in 1923; iv) Calvary Moravian Church, at Good Intent, West Bank Demerara in 1925; v) Sharon Moravian Church, at No. 9 Village, West Coast Berbice in 1930; vi) Lichfield MoravianChurch, West Coast Berbice, in 1960; and vii) South Ruimveldt Gardens Moravian Church, Georgetown in 1969.
For the Moravians, nurture and exposure to education was always an area of interest and attention, and to that end, the earlier established Churches were always twinned with a school that consistently placed high value on the quantity and quality of learning displayed by their students. This continued until the Guyana Government assumed control for schools.
In ecumenical endeavour, The Moravian Church in Guyana also collaborates in mission and ministry with the Methodists and the Congregationalists in the four United Mission Churches at Mackenzie, Wismar, Amelia’s Ward and Ituni, in the Upper Demerara River, Linden area.
During the current Moravian Missionary Month, in September, the Moravian congregations have been involved in Prayer and Fasting one day per week on Fridays; Worship and Praise on Sundays; Distribution of needy baskets and care packages to Senior Citizen’s Homes and Orphanages; Distribution of Church Brochures in the respective communities; Cottage meetings; and Medical outreaches in the different communities.
Opportunity is also taken to invite members of the public and all who are interested to join with the Moravian community as they gather together to celebrate ‘Moravian Music Sunday’ featuring an afternoon of Hymns and Songs composed and presented by Moravians, including current local talent and content.
Venue for the activity is the Calvary Moravian Church, Good Intent Village, West Bank Demerara, today from 14:00hrs.
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