Moravian Church, Canadian District Elects President and Board of Elders

The Board of Elders, Canadian District of the Moravian Church in North America re-elected the Rev. Stephen Gohdes of Calgary, Alberta, as its President during the Canadian District Synod, held at the Millwoods Moravian Church in Edmonton, Alberta, from April 25-27, 2008. A synod is an assembly of church delegates, including clergy and lay people, who are called together every four years for discussion, decision, and policy-making regarding church matters. The Canadian District of the Moravian Church in North America consists of approximately 1000 members at 8 recognized Moravian Congregations throughout western Canada in the Calgary and Edmonton Areas. The Moravian Church in Canada began in 1895 at Bruderheim and Bruderfeld (now Millwoods) in Edmonton. The first Moravian Church in Calgary was started in 1902. The Canadian District, along with the Eastern and Western District, form the Northern Province of the Moravian Church in North America.

The position of Canadian District President, along with an Board of Elders of elected lay and clergy, has supervisory responsibility for the congregations and clergy of the District, works with congregations in calling pastors, addressing conflict, establishing quotas, managing finances, and determining budgets for the various ministries that congregations do together. The Board of Elders and the President are concerned with everything from conflict management to evangelism. They represent the entire District and not geographic areas.

In order to be elected as Canadian District President, a person can be officially nominated by a nominating committee or can be elected by free vote through delegates submitting write-in votes. A two-thirds majority vote is required for election. Each term is four years in length.

Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Gohdes is a 1983 graduate of Moravian College and a 1986 graduate of Moravian Theological Seminary, both located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a deacon of the Moravian Church in North America in 1986 and was consecrated a presbyter in 1989. He has served as a Pastor at Glenwood Moravian Church, Madison, Wisconsin (1986-1990); Heimtal Moravian Church, South Edmonton, Alberta (1990-1992); Bruderheim Moravian Church, Bruderheim, Alberta (1992-1996); and Christ Moravian Church, Calgary, Alberta (1996 to present). He has also served as a church developer in Southwest Edmonton from 1990 to 1992. In addition to his pastoral service to congregations, he has served as Director of the Primitive Church Camp in the Western District of the Moravian Church of the Northern Province, as a camp director at summer camps at Camp Van Es in the Canadian District of the Northern Province, as a volunteer hospital Chaplain and long-term care worship leader in various areas in the United States and Canada. He has also served as chaplain at the Bruderheim Volunteer Fire Department. His community service and activities include serving as a little league baseball coach, serving as an Alberta Basketball Official Association referee, and serving on the Calgary Basketball Official Association as Executive of Education.

As President of the Board of Elders, Canadian District, Gohdes also then serves as a Vice President of the Provincial Elders’ Conference, Northern Province, which serves in partnership with the Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference, constituting the Moravian Church in North America.

Gohdes, and his wife, Heidi, reside in Calgary, Alberta. They are the parents of a son, Daniel, who is a 2007 graduate of Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and currently serves on the staff of Moravian College Campus Security, and a daughter, Kari, who just completed her third year of University Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

The elected members of the Board of Elders, Canadian District, include: Kerry Bloomer, Edmonton; Ryerson Morley Christie, Bruderheim; Lynne Hennig, Calgary; Ann Tyrell, Calgary; and Pat Wollf, Calgary.

Kerry Bloomer

Kerry Bloomer, born in Calgary, is a member at Millwoods Community Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees as well as served on the Board of Camp Van-Es and currently advises his wife as Church Secretary. He is a Certified Communication Electrician and holds his Administration Certificate through Athabasca University.

Ryerson Morley Christie

Ryerson Morley Christie, raised in Bruderheim, Alberta, has worked for the government of Alberta for 27 years in land use planning and environmental assessment and has run, along with his wife Susan, an environmental consulting service since 2001. He was an active member of Millwoods Community Church and now attends Bruderheim Moravian Church since moving to Bruderheim in January 2008.

Lynne Hennig

Lynne Hennig, born and residing in Calgary is a current member of Good Shepherd Moravian Church, Calgary but has been an active member of Edmonton Moravian and Good News Moravian (served on research and founding committee). She has served on the District Board for 7 years and is currently the Church Treasurer at Good Shepherd as well as serving on the Conference Centre Board for Camp Van-Es and the Canadian Moravian Mission Society Board. Lynne has her Diploma in Business Administration specializing in Marketing as has contracted as an adult educator, forms designer, desk top publisher, and web designer.

Ann Tyrell

Ann Tyrell, from Calgary, has been a member of Good Shepherd Moravian Church since 1988 and is currently serving as an Elder on the Church Board. She has been a member of the Board of Elders, Canadian District for the past year and also assisted in the Good Shepherd Building Enhancement/Expansion Committee from 1998-2001. Ann was a 2004 delegate to the Canadian District Synod and over the years has taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, lead the Good Shepherd Folk Gospel Group, and learning what it is to be a Moravian.

Pat Wollf

Pat Wollf, member of Christ Moravian Church in Calgary for more than 30 years, works and lives south of Calgary in High River. She is a part-time physical therapist and has served on the Christ Moravian’s Executive Board, including serving a term as President and has been an active member of the Board of Elders for 15 years. She has also represented Christ Moravian at several Provincial Synods in Alberta as well as Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

All delegates and guests gathered to install the Rev. Gohdes and the other newly elected members of the Canadian District Executive Board in a special worship service on Saturday, April 26, 2008, at Millwoods Moravian Church, Edmonton, Alberta. The Rt. Rev. Paul A. Graf conducted the installation portion of the service.