ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 27, 2008

Moravian Province Secures Loan from ELCA Mission Investment Fund
08-074-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Moravian Church in America's
Northern Province has secured a $250,000 loan from the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Mission
Investment Fund (MIF) as an extension of the full communion
relationship between the two church bodies. The Moravians
refinanced a loan used to buy a residential building
adjacent to their provincial office in Bethlehem, Pa.
     "The working out of the bilateral relationship is
often talked about in terms of clergy exchange, and we
frankly never thought that it would be viable in this
arena," said the Rev. David L. Wickmann, president,
Moravian Church Northern Province. "On either side I don't
think any of this was contemplated," he said. In 1999
the ELCA entered into full communion with the Moravian
Church in America.
     "The MIF loan that was extended to the Moravian
Church's Northern Province is an example of closer unity,
cooperation, sharing in mission and discipleship. It is
a wonderful example of what it means to be in full communion
and to share more completely with one another for the sake
of Christ's mission in the world," said the Rev. Donald J.
McCoid, executive, ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious
Relations.
     The Rev. Mark A. Wimmer, an ELCA pastor, had a chance
meeting in 2006 with a former classmate from Moravian College,
Bethlehem, and began conversations about how the full
communion relationship might apply to his ministry as the
MIF's representative in eastern Pennsylvania and the Northeast
United States.
     The MIF's primary mission is to provide low-interest loans
to mission congregations to purchase land and construct church
buildings, and to established ELCA congregations for renovation,
expansion and relocation projects. Loans are also available to
ELCA-related ministries such as seminaries, outdoor ministries,
colleges and universities. Investors earn interest as their
investments help build the church.
     Moravian congregations in need of "renovations, refurbishing,
relocations or refinancing had to enter the commercial market
without any denominational assistance," Wimmer said. "They
simply had to go to whoever was local to see if that institution
was interested in loaning money to a church," which he described
as "very hit or miss."
     Extending MIF loans to Moravian congregations seemed
appropriate to Wimmer. "To be quite blunt about it, it's putting
your money where your mouth is," he said. "If you're willing to
put up money to support another denomination's ventures, that's
a cooperation level of wonderful magnitude."
     The 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly amended the MIF bylaws
to clarify that loans and investments could cross denominational
lines of full communion partners. The loan was finalized in
April 2008.
     "My next steps will be to work with the Moravian Church
to inform their respective congregations and ministries that
this partnership is formal," Wimmer said.
     Jeff Spann, MIF church building consultant, Rockaway, N.J.,
and Wimmer have already worked with a Moravian congregation in
Staten Island, N.Y., giving the members advice about their church
building.
     Wimmer said he also plans to inform Moravian congregations
of the possibilities of investing in the ELCA Mission Investment
Fund.
     "We take our relationship with the Mission Investment Fund
very seriously and are going to be investing $250,000 into the
Fund in one of their short-term investments," Wickmann said.
"We'll probably keep that money there for a fairly long period
of time just by way of saying we appreciate what the ELCA is
doing for us."
     Wickmann acknowledged that the investment is equal to the
loan, adding, "We were not required to do that, but we wanted to
do that."
     The ELCA is also in full communion with the Episcopal
Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America
and United Church of Christ. Those church bodies manage funds
similar to the ELCA Mission Investment Fund.
-- -- --
     The home page of the ELCA Mission Investment Fund is at
http://www.missioninvestmentfund.org/ on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
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