Summer Youth Camp 2013 - Our Future

Saturday 15 March 2008

Conference Highlights



Here are some highlights from the Provincial Conference of the Moravian Church in NL that was held in Nain, March 4-6, 2008.

* It was great to have Bishop Paul Graf attend our conference. He held the devotionals each day, and could speak to spiritual issues as they came up, with much wisdom.

* Bishop Graf was able to hold congregational meetings in Makkovik, Nain, and Happy Valley. Bad weather kept us from getting to Hopedale on Thursday. However, Bishop Sam Gray will be visiting Hopedale the week of July 7th, so that will hopefully make up for it.

* The conference went very well in Nain. We are especially grateful to the translators/interpreters, Katie Winters and K. Naeme Tuglavina, who did the simultaneous translation. This made the conference flow very smoothly. It was also great to have the use of the Nunatsiavut Government board room, so aesthetically pleasing, spacious and comfortable. And equipped with the microphones and headphones for translation.

* We got to meet representatives from each community, and to share reports from each congregation. We share similar concerns: small attendance, no ordained ministers, not much support for the few volunteers who keep the churches going. Hopedale has great involvement from youth on the last Sunday in each month. The school concert band, under the direction of Nicole Burt-Shuglo, accompany all the hymns at these services. Happy Valley has outreach with the Correctional Center, the Pine Lodge residence, and the Paddon Home for Senior Citizens.

* We had a presentation from Heather Angnatok about programs offered by Nunatsiavut Government’s Youth Division. We are impressed with how the programs bring youth and elders together. We put forward the request that if we do get a minister to serve the congregation, he or she could partner with the Nunatsiavut Youth programs as a way of reaching out to youth, and strengthening the spiritual focus.

* We had a presentation from Gary Baikie impressing upon the church representatives the need to preserve the old church properties in Nain, since they are historical icons, and with Nain becoming the gateway to the Torngat National Park, it will be important to keep these heritage buildings, and be able to tell their story.

* We talked about the need for congregations to become more supportive financially. Each congregation is expected to pay an annual fee ($5000) (4500 for Makkovik) to the provincial treasury of the Moravian Church in NL.

* Each church brought their financial statements, and while they are all in good standing at present, if we ever do get ministers and have salaries to pay, each congregation will need to raise part of that expense. The overall aim is that the Labrador Moravian Church will become self-sufficient and be able to meet all its expenses. Right now, we still get a hefty sum from the American Board of World Mission, but they are decreasing it each year, in hopes that we can become independent of them.

* We accepted in principle the revised Book of Order. It was revised by Rev. Sam Propsom, and we have since added some amendments and inserts. Dr. Hans Rollmann revised the section on the early history of the Moravian Church.

* The Book of Order will include in its appendices the process that one would follow if he/she wishes to become a lay minister, or an ordained minister.

* We talked about the need for church repairs in at least three communities. Loren Jendro, Labrador’s representative on the Board of World Mission, hopes to get some work crews from the U.S. to help local congregation groups get repair work done during the summer.

* The Inuktitut Bible will be printed under one cover, and we hope to hold the launch at some time this year. Plans will be made for a launch to be held in Nain.

* The Coordinator position was extended for one more year, to be reassessed again before March 31, 2009.

Sr Joan Andersen