Page 3 - Moravian Messenger August 2019

forgiveness. We published a booklet of 'A Unity Creed' translated by Moravian Sisters in to nine languages, illustrated with beautiful watercolour paintings by an American Sister. At the North American Women's Conference in Winston Salem, Sisters read the creed aloud in eight languages. It is a gift to share a work in the mother languages of our truly global sisterhood. The Creed is available for download on our website.
The Moravian Church in Western Tanzania invited me to attend their Women's Conference in Tabora, held July 4th-7th, and to share with them how they can connect with the Unity Women's Desk. I lived near Tabora for two years, 1989-1991, when I taught English at the Moravian Secondary School there, and it was so exciting to return after 30 years! Some things haven't changed at all. People are still extremely welcoming to guests; they help
In 2011, the Unity Board of the Moravian Church approved the establishment of the Unity Women's Desk, an organisation dedicated to empowering women throughout the Unity to improve their lives and better serve their congregations and communities. Since then, the UWD, led by an Advisory Board representing the four regions of the Unity and Founding Coordinator Rev Patricia Garner of North America has established three primary programs: scholarships for women and girls, microloans for women in Moravian congregations, and project grants for conferences and workshops. These three programs are designed to impact six focus areas identified after listening to Sisters attending International Moravian Women's Consultations held in the US, Germany, South Africa and Suriname
between 1995 and 2016. The focus areas are: Education, Violence against Women, Employment and Overcoming Poverty, Health Issues of Women and Children, Parenting for a More Just World, and Women in Ministry.
In February 2019, I officially
took on the leadership of the
UWD, working with two
veteran Advisory Board
members (Muriel Held from Suriname and Rev Erdmute Frank from Germany) and two new Advisory Board members (Rt Rev Blair Couch from Bethlehem, PA) and Rachel Lwali from Tanzania). While much of my daily work as UWD Coordinator involves financial record keeping and processing applications and reports, I also have the opportunity to meet many Sisters (and Brothers) from all over the world, both in person and through email and video chat.
Two highlights in 2019
In January of this year, Rev Alay Gonzalez Rosado from the Moravian Church in Cuba emailed the Unity Women's Desk a 'Women's Creed' that she and her husband Rev Obed Erelio Martinez Lima wrote in 2018 while preparing for a series of workshops aimed at reducing violence against women. When Alay explained the creed to me, she said, 'This is the
result of that work...With healthy pride in my heart, I feel so much joy before God when I hear the women in our congregations saying this creed out loud. We have suffered a lot as women. We have been discriminated against. We have been humiliated in society and many times even within the church. Thanks be to God, we live in a new moment today.' When Alay shared this creed, she called it a 'Women's Creed', but with her permission we have changed the name to 'A Unity Creed.' It focuses on Jesus' interactions with women and on female images of God, but it explicitly calls for unity between men and women in service to Christ. The Creed reminds us how Christ unifies as He protects, honours, values, heals, transforms and loves all who open their hearts to His
you in every possible way to feel at home. I have been showered with gifts of jewellery, music CDs, and beautiful cloth. The hospitality is truly amazing. Still, much has changed in Tanzania in that time - there are many more cars and trucks, taller roofs on most of the houses, many more shops, and the variety of food at every special meal has increased tremendously.
One of the changes most exciting for me was to see the number of women serving in Provincial leadership and congregational leadership positions, and I even met a female member of parliament from a neighbouring district who was invited to attend the closing of the conference. I visited several women's groups in the Tabora area where the
women have organized VICOBAS, or Village Community Banking organisations, so members can borrow money to start small businesses and also undertake projects for church, such as buying chairs. One congregation is saving to buy a car just for women's work! During the conference, the women responded to seminars on breastfeeding and
women's health with so many great questions that the conference planners had to add more sessions. They were also extremely engaged in seminars on starting businesses and in Bible studies led by Rev Mary Kategile. The energy and readiness to step up and move forward was truly inspiring. These women are praying for change and working for change, and you can feel it happening.
For more details about the history of the Unity Women's Desk and its programs, to find out how you can get involved, and to download applications, please visit our website www.unitywomensdesk.org. And please follow us on
FACEBOOK!
Sr Julie Tomberlin
Coordinator at Unity Women's Desk - Moravian Church Worldwide
Women at TEKU in Mbeya who received scholarships from UWD
87
Unity
Women's
Desk
Women's Conference in Winston-Salem, NC June 2019, UWD introduce the Unity Creed and invited everyone to take home and use in their congregations
© Sr Julie Tomberlin
© Sr Julie Tomberlin