By Lydian Bernhardt Extraordinary bond As a child, Steve Ganss spent many happy hours with his father, Ed, at their church, New Dorp Moravian Church in Staten Island, N.Y. Ed Ganss was, in turn, a member of that church’s boards of elders and trustees, and keeping a close watch on the church’s buildings and grounds…
By Lydian Bernhardt Averitt Rev. Russ Post-May stood on the front porch of the Sunnyside Avenue house known as Anthony’s Plot recently, cell phone in hand, and watched the activity down the street, beyond the band of yellow caution tape roping off the area. A tragedy had occurred in the night. The space heater that…
By Lydian Bernhardt From his youngest childhood, Rev. Matthew Allen knew he had a calling. When other kids would come home from church on Sunday to go outside or watch television, Allen would come home from Friedland Moravian Church in Winston-Salem to play preacher. “I would stand on the hearth and pretend to give a…
Your gifts to the Moravian Field of Interest Funds are making a difference in the lives of people in the communities where Moravian congregations have a presence! Your Moravian Ministries Foundation in America, custodian of the Moravian Giving Portal and the Moravian Field of Interest Funds, is proud to announce $3,400 in grants to three…
By Lydian Bernhardt Extraordinary faith As a young child in Bluefields, Nicaragua, Mélida Hodgson learned to love the simple tenets and spiritual freedom of the Moravian church. When she moved to New York City at age 10 with her family, her fellowship with the church continued at John Hus Moravian Church in Brooklyn, where her…
By Lydian Bernhardt For years, Nancy Harney was a dedicated and joyful church worker at College Hill Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pa. Church treasurer, co-Sunday School superintendent, board and committee member — she jumped in and did it all. Her husband Rich, however, took a longer path to church involvement. “Nancy got involved at the…
By Lydian Bernhardt Morning Star, O cheering sight! Ere thou cam’st, how dark Earth’s night! The opening lines of favorite Moravian hymn “Morning Star” thrill congregations every Christmas with their beauty and poignancy. But for Mary Jane Dewees of Winston-Salem, those familiar words may also provoke a thrill of familial pride. She is not…
By Lydian Bernhardt It seems unlikely for a minister to be anything less than outgoing, but Adam Goodrich, pastor of Friedland Moravian Church, was a shy kid. “I was pretty quiet until high school,” he says. “I kept to myself and didn’t really talk a lot.” But he liked to participate in the youth group…
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Gifts By Lydian Bernhardt The McElveens are builders. Builders of houses, like the dilapidated cabin The Rev. Bill McElveen and his wife Carol bought in 1959. They spent the next 52 years working hard to turn it into a showplace as a hobby. Builders of congregations, like Messiah Moravian Church in Winston-Salem…
As we enter the last quarter of 2018, it’s a good time to think about how you will end the year financially. It’s a timely endeavor for individual investors, congregations, and ministries alike. Moravian Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) through the Moravian Ministries Foundation in America (MMFA) can be helpful in several ways: Any individual, group…