Around 50 members of Herrnhuter Missionshilfe (HMH) and several guests from various congregations accepted the invitation to attend this year's HMH annual meeting in Herrnhut. The focus was on moving reports from the partner regions of Malawi and Tanzania, which were impressively presented by Jonah Sinyangwe, Belinda Gondwe, and Edger Teacher. While the work with refugees is a particular focus in Malawi, the projects in Tanzania—and especially in Zanzibar—concentrate on vocational training and income-generating measures. However, there is concern about global funding cuts, which are hitting Malawi particularly hard, but also the work on Star Mountain in Palestine. The election of the new HMH board was eagerly awaited. The following were elected: Niels Gärtner, Christiane Vollprecht, Rudolf Bausch, Damaris Enkelmann, Johann Waas, and Michael Gutekunst. In addition to the official program, there was also time for communal experiences: Guests were given a guided tour with information about the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Herrnhut, and in the evening, the Simsala Singers, the choir of the Herrnhut Diakonie, provided musical entertainment in the church hall. Further encounters – including with the Herrnhut congregation – will take place during tomorrow's church service.

On June 21, 2025, members of the Zeist Mission Society gathered in Zeist for an inspiring general meeting. The motto was: Have the courage to love. Pastor Stefan Bernhard opened the meeting with a thought-provoking devotional. Important steps for the future were then discussed. The highlight of the meeting was the unanimous adoption of a new policy for the years 2026 to 2030. The policy focuses on human encounters, the promotion of contextual theology, and global cooperation. During the discussion of the 2024 annual report, there was room for reflection and conceptual development. There was open discussion about the effectiveness of projects, financial responsibility, and power-free, equal cooperation. Niels Fischer was welcomed as a new member of the board, and Imelda Tjon Fo's membership was confirmed. Douwe van Barneveld and Johannes Welschen were bid farewell. The day ended with singing and a meal together. More information here. Some pictures here. The annual report in Dutch here.

The youth center of the Moravian Church in Paramaribo, Suriname, has been forced to cancel the Keti Koti Festival planned for July 1, 2025, marking the 162nd anniversary of the abolition of slavery in 1863. The reason for this is rainfall in Suriname, which has caused parts of the capital and the youth center grounds to be flooded. For the corresponding announcement, click here. Thirty-five villages in the interior, with a population of about 12,000, are also struggling with severe flooding. See here and here. Since March 2025, Suriname has received five times the average rainfall for the long-term average. As a result, a large amount of water is currently being released from a dam owned by a state-owned company to make room for new water. And it is precisely this opening of the floodgates that is now causing serious problems in many areas of the Brokopondo district, where people are now stranded in the middle of floodwaters.

On June 21, 2025, sisters from the Tirana Brethren community visited the Roman Catholic Church Kisha e T’Shelbuemit Rubik in northern Albania. This church was built in 1166 as part of a Benedictine monastery. In the 13th/14th century, Franciscans worked here. For centuries, the church has been the spiritual center of Catholics in Mirditë. The communists partially destroyed the church and used it as a warehouse. After 1990, it was restored. Now it is once again used for religious services. Pictures here. Sisters and children from the Bathore Brethren community, a satellite town north of Tirana, visited the Catholic Cathedral of St. Paul and the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana on the same day. Although both cathedrals are modern churches, they differ in architectural style and tradition. Both communities survived the period of communist oppression and have been thriving again since the early 1990s. Pictures here.

Once again, the Unity Women's Desk (UWD), based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is introducing one of its scholarship recipients on Facebook: Ibenathi Bhaku from East London, South Africa: "Overcoming barriers and radiating grace is what Ibenathi Bhaku does. She is studying systems development in her home country. She believes that you can do three things at once: achieve technological excellence, be creative and beautiful, and remain rooted in your faith. In conversation with a UWD intern in the US, she said: 'I am deeply grateful for being awarded a scholarship. It is helping me to expand my skills and prepare for a career in the technology industry. The current semester, in which I had to learn new computer languages and write challenging software, was a big challenge. Thank you for supporting young learners at UWD and sharing their life stories to inspire others." More here.

A few days ago, the leadership of the Unity Province of Nicaragua reported severe flooding in the east and south of the country. Several villages with Moravian Church communities have also been affected by the floods. The photo (see here) flooded Moravian church. There are also reports of fatalities, destroyed crops, and damage to private homes. Initial disaster relief (food supplies, replacement of lost crops, assistance with reconstruction) is being provided by the Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church in North America, the sister organization of the Herrnhuter Missionshilfe. Although the storm is not yet classified as a tropical hurricane, it is carrying enormous amounts of water. It formed on June 26, 2025, off the coast of Venezuela and moved across eastern and southern Nicaragua two or three days later. A meteorological report can be found here.

Christian Flöter from the Moravian Church in Nordrhein-Westfalen wrote in a circular email to his congregation members on July 2, 2025: "An important event in July is the visit of Sister Nonkululeko Lupindo and Brother Desmond Sikhonje from our partner congregation Bethesda in South Africa. Unfortunately, their arrival was delayed due to the late approval of their visas. But now we can look forward to them staying with us in Germany from July 7 to 20, 2025. Our church program offers various opportunities to meet our two guests. In addition to visits to Bielefeld (July 12, 3 p.m.), Hamm (July 13, 10 a.m.), Cologne (July 13 to 15) and Düsseldorf (July 16, 7 p.m.), the guests will also take a trip to Herrnhut, Dresden, and Kleinwelka, as well as a trip to Berlin." The Moravian Church in Nordrhein-Westfalen has been in a direct partnership with the remote Bethesda Moravian Church in South Africa for 30 years.

June 22, 2025, was a day of great joy in the Moravian Church at the airport in Sumbawanga, Tanzania, Rukwa Province. Loud choir singing rang out in an overflowing church during a service lasting several hours, followed by an auction to raise funds for a new church building. On this Sunday, women were celebrated in the church and throughout the country. Pastor Emeristo Ntangale therefore asked the assistant pastor, Helena Siame, to take over the sermon. For more than an hour, she preached on the Book of Esther, about a woman who saved her people from destruction through humility and wisdom. She emphasized that women should dare to speak their minds and act courageously, and that men should give women freedom and work together with them. Svend Løbner, public relations officer for the Herrnhut Mission in Denmark, is currently on a business trip to Kipili, Sumbawanga, and Mpanda in the Rukwa and Western provinces. Video here.

On June 30, 2025, the Moravian Church's mission organization in Denmark wrote on Facebook: "Choir singing opens doors. This was experienced by some activists of the Moravian Church in Mpanda, Tanzania (Western Province). Peter Machibia, chairman of the Moravian Church in the entire Katavi region, which hopes to soon be recognized as a mission area of the worldwide Moravian Church, reported that eight new congregations have recently been established in and around Mpanda in western Tanzania. When asked what makes the Moravian Church attractive to people, he replied that, in addition to the democratic church order, it is the church choir that appeals to the locals. Almost every weekday, one of the church choirs practices. One of the newly founded congregations has grown to 60 members and just as many children within a year. Everywhere in the Katavi area, you can feel it. The church here is not lacking in courage!" Video here.

Learning from the relationship stories in the Bible was the focus of another marriage seminar held by the Moravian Church in Kipili (Rukwa Province), Tanzania, which was attended by 30 married couples. The seminar was led by Janice and Mads Jakobsen, who were sent by the Moravian Church in Denmark. The seminar was very different from previous ones, where the men walked ten meters ahead of their wives and men and women sat on opposite sides of the church. During the seminar breaks, many couples walked close together, talked to each other, and even touched each other. Good marriages strengthen not only the family but also the congregation, the missionaries said. The married couples learned that when the Bible says that woman was created from man's rib, it does not devalue women, because ribs hold the upper body together. Without ribs, no one can stand upright. Just as men cannot do without their rib cage, they cannot do without the skills of women. In Kipili, it became clear that the patriarchal structure is creaking. More in Danish here.

Michael and Cecilia Tesh send greetings from Kenya. They write in the magazine Onward (July 2025): It is the rainy season here in Kenya. We are planting corn and other crops. All the children are currently in school. They will be there until the first week of August 2025. Here is an update on the situation of the Moravian Church in Krenia. Pastor Samuel and I have been traveling to Ikutha every month since the beginning of the year. In the first week of May, we were only there for three days. We had to talk to the pastors and tell them to focus on one congregation and strengthen it. We had noticed that there were many congregations but hardly any members. Now when we go there, we can devote our attention to one congregation. We plan to go to Ikutha for two weeks in June. We need to live with the people there for a longer period of time and pray with them. We will also visit schools and preach God's Word to the children.

The Moravian Church's school foundation in Suriname (Stichting Onderweijs der EBGS) has provided teachers at its 65 schools with a new digital tool via Facebook. See here. The foundation writes: "All the tests taken by students provide a wealth of data. But how can this data be transformed into targeted educational action? How does a teacher get from performance trend analysis to team discussions with other teachers? And how can schools ensure that key educational priorities are firmly anchored in the minds and hearts of all teachers?" A digital tool for quality control and quality assurance (Kwaliteitszorg: zicht op je onderwijs) is being introduced. The description states: “Discover how feedback from students, parents, and teachers can become a driving force for school development: with intelligent formats, context-oriented questionnaires, and understandable visualizations for practical use.”

Without Windrush, there would be no Moravian Church in Leicester today. This was the consensus in Leicester on Sunday, June 22, 2025, when more than 70 participants celebrated this year's Windrush Day with music, performances, and delicious Caribbean food. All of this brought the community members together in joy and reflection. Windrush Day marks the anniversary of the arrival of the passenger steamer Windrush in Great Britain on June 22, 1948, with the first 1,027 Caribbean immigrants. It provides an opportunity across the country to recognize the contribution of Caribbean immigrants to Great Britain and also to the British churches, including the Moravian Church. Some impressions of Windrush Day in Leicester on June 22, 2025, can be found here (please scroll down). The cultural program was preceded by a contemplative church service. The Moravian Church says: Thank you!

The Unity Women's Desk (UWD), based in Winston Salem, North Carolina, writes: "Meet Sunita Samden Tamang, one of the most successful UWD scholarship recipients. She lives in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and is involved in various projects, including one run by the UWD. When Julie Tomberlin, the director of the UWD, met her a few months ago, Sunita was delighted to tell her that she was the youngest graduate of the Leadership and Management course. Julie Tomberlin describes Sunita as an ambitious, hard-working, and absolutely reliable young woman who inspires others with her compassion and motivation. The UWD is proud of Sunita and all the other women and girls around the world who are pushing beyond their limits and making their presence felt in their respective societies. Their determination and commitment encourage the UWD and motivate the organization to continue fighting for a just and caring world. A photo can be found here.

On June 19, 2025, the United States celebrated Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth), a national holiday established in 2021 to commemorate the liberation of the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas. The Moravian Church's Salem College in Winston Salem, North Carolina, used this day to commemorate the black woman Anna Maria Samuel. She was born into slavery in 1781 and lived with her parents Johann and Maria Samuel, who also worked as slaves for the Moravian Church. The family lived in Bethabara and was a member of the church. Johann was the first to be baptized in the Moravian Church in Salem. Anna Maria was baptized at birth and grew up in the Moravian Church. At the age of 11, she joined the girls' choir in Salem. Later, she moved into the house for single sisters. With these sisters, she took part in the daily meetings of the sisters' choir and the congregation. Returning to Bethabara, she finally gained her freedom in 1797. More here.

The Board of World Mission of the Moravian Church in North America announces: "On June 1, 2025, a group in Lauro de Freitas, just outside the city of Salvador, officially joined the Moravian Church in Brazil. This marks the founding of a second Moravian Church in the country. There was also a baptism during the founding celebration. On June 7, 2025, the members gathered for a communion service, an hour marked by deep spiritual fellowship. On June 13, 2025, the members of the new Lauro de Freitas congregation met with the members of the Salvador congregation for coffee. It was a time of shared joy and encouragement. The relationship between the two congregations is expected to continue to grow and deepen. Pastor Mauricio Melo said, “We believe that God will do even greater things among us.” Some pictures from the meeting room of the Moravian Church in Lauro de Freitas can be found here.

In the summer of 1765 – 260 years ago – Mikak, a married woman and mother from the Inuit people, came into contact with two Moravian missionaries, Jens Haven and Christian Drachart, who had been working for some time to establish a mission station in Labrador. When Mikak's husband was killed in a battle with the British in 1767, she traveled with her son Tutauk to London in 1768, where she befriended the German-born princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and spoke to the British authorities on behalf of the Moravians, asking them to allow the Moravian Church to begin missionary work in Labrador. Returning home, she was involved in founding the mission station in Nain, which still exists today. However, her criticism of the missionaries' strategy and a decision by lot prevented her from being baptized, so she increasingly turned away from the Moravians and finally died unbaptized in Nain on October 1, 1795, after many trials and tribulations. An article by Arkis expert Kenn Harper in the blog Taissumani can be found here in German translation.

The updated “Catechism for the Moravian Church in America” was published in 2021. PDF in English here. Developed by the Interprovincial Commission on Faith and Church Order, this work is intended to be a summary of the Christian faith and to be used for the instruction of confirmands and new members of the Moravian Church. The catechism is not a curriculum, but it can be used in confirmation classes, Sunday school, classes for new members, and as a reference work. To facilitate the use of the new catechism and to better convey the teachings it contains, a team of educators, pastors, and writers has developed a new companion booklet to the new Moravian Church catechism. It is based on the catechism's framework and structure and is not intended to be used as a stand-alone work. PDF with the companion booklet in English here (70 pages).

The Delhi Moravian Fellowship wrote on Facebook on June 29, 2025: "Greetings to all brothers and sisters in Christ! We hope you are all well. As you know, our Sunday school class has been very active in recent months. Here are a few pictures of our activities today. The children in Sunday school are painting a picture based on their imagination of today's Bible chapter about Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37:1-11). They did a great job, didn't they? You can see their enthusiasm for learning something from the Old Testament and about spiritual life. We would like to encourage all parents to read God's Word to their children whenever possible. This will help them grow in their faith. To the children who couldn't be here today: I hope to see you again next Sunday. Have a blessed day. Your sister, Manna Kahmei."

The Visual Commentary on Scripture (VCS) is a free online resource in English. It offers material for teaching, preaching, research, and reflection on the Bible, art, and theology. Recently, the cultural representative of the EKD, Rev. Johann Hinrich Clauusen, interpreted three images on the platform on the theme of The Great Commission (Jesus' Great Commission), Matthew 28:11–20. See here. The second of the pictures interpreted there is the so-called First Picture by the Herrnhut painter Johann Valentin Haidt, who painted it in 1747 on commission from Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. This large oil painting originally hung in the hall of the count's house on the Herrnhaag; it currently hangs in the Small Hall of the Moravian Church in Zeist in the Netherlands. The painting is considered the earliest depiction of people from more than a dozen countries united in appreciation in a life-size image.