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Otto Dreydoppel, assistant professor of Church History, will be in
Hertfordshire
England from July 27-August 9 serving as one of the three delegates representing the Northern Province of the Moravian Church at the Unity Synod of the worldwide Moravian Church. Representatives from all 19 provinces of the worldwide Moravian Church convene every seven years for the Unity Synod, gathering in a different province for each Synod.
As email service has permitted, Otto has made several reports about his experience and the proceedings at the Synod.
During the first week each province, mission area and agency of the Church made a report about its activities since the last worldwide meeting in 2002. Synod received some 40 proposals for resolutions, which were referred to committee for consideration and possible action.
On July 29th, Otto facilitated a Skype conversation between the Synod and Winmor Moravian Camp in Wisconsin. Otto reported that "the delegates from around the world were charmed (and charming) in chatting with the junior campers. The campers seemed thrilled. We could hear a cheer go up from them when, after some technical difficulties in establishing contact, the connection went through. There were even friendships renewed. One of the young staff members from Wisconsin was recently in Alaska as part of a mission (work) team. She was pleased to chat with Ida Alexie, a delegate from the Alaska Province, again. The most touching moment was when camper Addison Luhman said 'Hi, Mom!' to Amy Gohdes-Luhman (a Northern province delegate at Synod)."
While Synod was in recess over the August 1st weekend, delegates toured
Royal London: The Tower, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace. Members of the Fetter Lane Moravian Church in the Chelsea District of London sponsored a reception for Synod members. The congregation, located now in Moravian Close, in the shadow of Lindsey House (worldwide headquarters of the Moravian Church in the 1750s and the subject of the 2007 MTS Moses Lectures), carries on the name and identity of the oldest Moravian Church in England, whose building in historic Fetter Lane was destroyed in the Blitz of 1941.
On Sunday night after all of the weekend touring, Synod President Abel Thomas ("Abie") Appel of South Africa urged the delegates to get a good night's sleep because "Now the hard work begins."
Otto reported there were a signficant number of former MTS students serving as delegates: Dechen Chamga '90 (India), Bob Hopcroft '78 (England), Jindrich Halama '79 (Czech Republic), and from the US: Rebecca Craver '07, Amy Gohdes-Luhman '93, Sam Gray '80, Will Sibert '86, Dave Wickmann '64, and Wayne Burkette '69. |
