Haile A. Clacken, Gleaner Writer Malvern, ST. ELIZABETH:
SONGS OF praise echoed across the hills of Malvern, St. Elizabeth, as the Moravian Church commemorated its 250 years of service to rural Jamaicans last week Sunday.
The ceremony, which was held on the grounds of Bethlehem Moravian Teachers' College, began in solemn liturgy and culminated in a festive concert under the theme 'Rekindle the Flame'. The focus was the repositioning of Moravians as committed Christian disciples in a dynamic global village.
"I firmly believe that every Moravian congregation should exist for mission and not just for the benefit of its members," said Rev. Kingsley Lewis.
Rev. Dr. Livingston Thompson, president of the Jamaica Provincial Elders' Conference, delivered the sermon. He stressed the need to tackle new societal problems, such as lawlessness and HIV/AIDS.
SERIOUS PROBLEM
"We face a serious problem with violence and it has affected us in this way because no one is willing to stand up to the wicked gunmen who are holding our country at ransom," said Dr. Livingston.
According to the clergyman, the church, which introduced the Irish potato, rural water supply, elementary and tertiary schools, now needs to come up with new strategies for the future. "The church will have to take a stand and it is likely that people will lose their lives as a consequence," he added.
The establishment of the Moravian Church in Jamaica is indebted to three men, Zechariahs Caries, Thomas Shallcross and Gotlieb Haberecht, whose Christian fervour to 'win souls' took them across the seas. They landed in Jamaica on December 9, 1754. Since then, the Moravian Church in Jamaica has grown by leaps and bounds and it has contributed to the spiritual, social, educational and economic development of Jamaicans.
