Livingston Thompson Had that event of March 1, 1457, not set precedence for Protestant Christianity, it could well have passed without notice. Yet, despite the World Cup fever, this important milestone in church history beckons us.
The event of which we speak is the 550th anniversary of the establishment of the worldwide Moravian church. Mind you, to call attention to this anniversary is ironic because many people do not know that of which we speak. Yet, the demand of the moment is no so much for us to fill in the gaps in our memory and knowledge. Rather, a greater need is for churches in Jamaica to look at themselves, something which overconfidence or lack of beauty normally prevent us from doing. For this and other reasons, the Moravian Church has not planned celebrations to mark the occasion. Instead, this should be seen as a moment before the mirror, a moment to look.
The first reality that greets us is tha the Moravian Church is the oldest Protestant church it is quite small and relatively unknown. With a worldwide membership of just about one million adherents, it is the smallest of the worldwide communions. The reason for this irony lies in the fact that despite its claimed and demonstrated zeal for the gospel, that zeal was never translated into strategies for growing the denomination. The history of the church is replete with instancesin which Moravian missionaries initiated work and then handed it over to others to grow. From the point of view of the theology of missions, the Moravian Church is known more for planting than for nurturing. The feature of the Moravian Church as "a little old church" can probably be balanced by the fact that it has had a clearly articulated vision of its role in society.
THE SHIFT TO AFRICA
The clarity of its vision and mission has not only contributed to its longevity but has also ensured that its contributions locally and globally go well beyond what one might expect of such a small religious community. In other words, it likkle but it tallawah.
The second thing to be seen is tha the Church was established as a European Church, its centre has shifted to Africa. This is true for all the world communions. The largest provinces, the largest number of new ventures and the centres of real numerical growth are all located in Africa.
The Moravian Church in Jamaica has responded to this shift by recruiting missionaries from the beloved continent for work in Jamaica. The shift of the centre to Africa not only opens up the opportunities for South-South cooperation but also evidences a return of compliment by Africa, which received missionaries from Jamaica in the 19th century. It is only a pity that the church, and others churches with a European heritage, has been so slow to lay aside the European weight and influence that have so afflicted its life, liturgy and worship. The sooner we do, the better.
The third thing we see in this 550th anniversary of the worldwide Moravian Church is probably the most difficult to digest the church has maintained a reputable ecumenical character and has stressed unity as part of its self-understanding, its establishment in 1457 created a precedence of division, from which Protestant Christianity has not recovered. Sadly, it is the fountainhead of the ever-increasing formation of new churches. the readiness with which leaders start churches they call their own, and the perpetual struggle for power have become unfortunate blots that undermine Christian witness.
Looking at the plurality of churches in Jamaica, for example, it is safe to argue that the propensity to divide is part and parcel of Protestantism. The diversity and "one-up-manship", which leaders of Protestant Christianity so cherish is a weakness and a major stumbling block in the effort to engender wholeness and reform in the nation's life.
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches tending to defend the political and social status quo, are much more effective in bringing about social change because of the internal unity and clear lines of authority which characterise them. Nevertheless, the churches should consider whether we are not part of the problem in Jamaica. It is a sobering observation for the Christian community that the rapid social deterioration and spiralling in violence and crime in Jamaica occurred at the same moment there was a sharp increase in the numbers of churches. Recovering the unity imperative within a religiously diverse Jamaican society is a challenge that pausing to remember the founding of the Moravian Church 550 years ago brings.
RADICALISM AND REFORM
The final thing we see is tha the Moravian Church arose out of a tradition of radicalism and reform, its tendency has been to portray itself as conservative and pacific. The establishment of the Moravian Church 550 years ago was possible because the Hussite Movement, which was a socio-political movement, succeeded the ideals of the movement, the Four Articles of Prague, were also religious ideals, one could not miss their social and political implications.
The problem with the way many churches state their ideals today is that these ideals cannot be translated into concrete actions that will affect communal life on a day to day basis. The minimising of the reforming and radical tradition was a succumbing to the pressures of some of the newer churches, which were experiencing numerical growth. As Ashley Smith once said, churches resort to the use of certain defensive measures, out of fear of losing themselves. [Real Roots and Potted Plants, Page 31]. This is why churches in Jamaica seem to be more at home in the heavens than on the Earth. However, if the mission of the church does not remain on the ground, our impact on national life will be minimal. For 1457 to be worthy of mention in 2007, it is imperative that the heritage of radicalism and reform is recovered.
Dr. Livingstone Thompson is a Jamaican theologian living and working in the Republic of Ireland. He may be reached at livingstone.thompson@oceanxfree.net
