Moravian Church to commemorate 3rd anniversary with regional retreat

AS Grenadians prepare to recall the memories of Hurricane Ivan on September 7, 2013, a religious group which came to Grenada offering spiritual and other support in the aftermath of the disaster will also be commemorating it presence in the island.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, a team from the Moravian Church in Tobago visited Grenada to encourage and provide support to the recovery efforts. They were directed to the rural village of Mt. Tranquil in St. David, where the residents subsequently felt the need to have them continue to visit on a regular basis, and between 2004 and 2007, various Moravian missionary trips were made to that community.

In addition, the Moravian Youth on Fire of Tobago planned their annual Carnival weekend retreat for Grenada in February, 2007 as a means of following up on the previous efforts. Effectively, from that period, the Moravians began hosting yearly Vacation Bible School, Open Air Services, and visits to several schools presenting cultural items about pertinent ills affecting Caribbean islands. Emanating from these trips was the need to start Bible Study sessions with some families in the area.

The church was registered to function legally in Grenada from 2008. Consequently, the mission trips escalated, and on Sunday, September 19, 2010, the first Sunday morning worship was conducted at one of the members’ unfinished house.

By January, 2011, the member moved into her house and offered her former house for all church activities.

In August, 2011, a parcel of land was leased to erect a temporary structure for worship and other church related activities. On September 4, 2011, the building project began with the help of the men of the area.

On January 15, 2012, two missionaries from the Moravian Church Tobago Conference were appointed to be stationed in Grenada permanently.

The Moravian Church Eastern West Indies Province, which comprises United States Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago and the recently formed Grenada Mission, have chosen to hold their annual staff retreat in Grenada from September 14-18, 2013. It means that the 44 member staff from these jurisdictions will soon be in Grenada to emphasise its calling, and enlighten the general public about the Moravians and their efforts to win souls for Christ in Grenada and the wider Caribbean.

The Mission will celebrate its third anniversary of Sunday worship on September 15, 2013 at their chapel in Mount Tranquil from 9 a.m. (LS)