Largest graduating class begins new ministries 

The largest graduation class in the 200-year history of Moravian Theological Seminary was honored at its commencement ceremony on May 10, 2008. Twenty-four students received master’s degrees and certificates at the service held in Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.

Wilma Lewis, newly elected chair of the Seminary Board of Trustees and trustee chair of Faith Moravian Church in Washington, DC, presented the Commencement Address entitled “What Lies Within You.” Ms. Lewis is Managing Associate General Counsel for litigation of the congressionally chartered mortgage corporation, Freddie Mac, headquartered in McClean, Virginia.

Elected by her fellow seniors, Mary Kategile from Tabora, Tanzania, gave the Graduate Address, “Marking the New Beginning.” Mary, who teaches at the Teofilo Kisanji University (TEKU) in Mbewa, Tanzania, completed two years of study earning the Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree. Through a partnership between her home institution and Moravian Theological Seminary, Mary is the second of four TEKU faculty members who will come to Moravian to earn their MATS degree in preparation for doctoral studies in Tanzania.

The 2008 honorary Doctor of Divinity degree was presented to the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church of America, for his leadership in the church and for a lifetime of advocacy and commitment to social justice and ecumenism. Throughout his 40+ year career he has served the world and the Church in far-reaching ways. From 1976-79 he offered his voice to issues of social justice serving as managing editor of Sojourners magazine. In 1981 he and his wife, Karin, relocated to Missoula, Montana, where he founded the New Creation Institute, working on issues of Christian responsibility for the environment and the church’s role in healing and health. He joined the staff of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1988. There his responsibilities included serving as director of Church and Society and as moderator of the task force on relations with evangelicals, which seek to strengthen links between the WCC and evangelical communities around the world.

In 1994 he was installed as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), a position he continues to hold. As RCA general secretary, Granberg-Michaelson has led the RCA through a major visioning process that has focused the church on revitalizing existing congregations and multiplying new congregations, with emphases on leadership, discipleship, mission, and a multiracial future for the church.

A fierce proponent of ecumenism, Granberg-Michaelson was among a core group of Christian leaders who, in 2001, sought to bring together all families of Christian expression in the US for the purpose of fellowship, unity and witness. Their efforts launched the creation of Christian Churches Together (CCT), a gathering of all of the major Christian groups — Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostals, historic Protestant, and Racial and Ethnic churches. He has served two terms as chair of the CCT steering committee since his initial election in 2002. Today, CCT represents over one-hundred-million Christians in our country. He is also a member of the steering committee of the Global Christian Forum, a new worldwide ecumenical initiative gathering a diverse body of Christian churches and interchurch organizations to explore and address common challenges.

Rev. Dr. Granberg-Michaelson gave the homily at the communion service prior to commencement. The transcript of his talk, along with those of the other graduation speakers, can be found in the news section of the Seminary’s website (www.moravianseminary.edu).

The 2008 graduates are...