President’s 2022 Annual Report
UIMM General Church Conference, March 4, 2023
March 4, 2023 (Excerpts; some information left out)
The annual meeting of UIMM Conference (synod) was held on January 20, 2022. 2022 has been a time of moving forward to spread and build the Kingdom of God. Thanks goes out for your prayers. The 2023 Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 4, 2023, 1 pm, at 3512 Robin Street, Anchorage, Alaska.
A good number of you have contributed financially and at least three of our UIMM Churches have given significantly assuring that we support gospel outreaches, not only to our villages, but to the nations. A new church property was parceled out and paid for completely in Honduras. Preparations were made to go to the Nation of Cuba to help the five Moravian Revival Churches to organize formally into UIMM.
A good portion of financial support in 2022 has gone to support work of our Savior in Tanzania, Uganda, Honduras, Cuba, Kenya, Cambodia, the Philippines including Arizona, Oregon, Washington state, and Alaska. The dollars have been used to support acquisition of land, building of churches, providing support for an orphanage, Conferences, travel dollars to bring the gospel to the unreachables, some rental dollars, medical expenses, legal expenses, and also a scholarship for an Engineer student (Bishop Isai’s son, who is Assistant Pastor of Evangelica Church Morava Fuente de Vita). Smerling Granwell graduated in December 2022 with an Engineering degree from college in La Ceiba, Honduras.
A big project continues with raising dollars to make monthly payments for a used 4X4 Ford truck for Bishop Isai Granwell in La Ceiba. Also needed for Bishop Granwell are funds to construct a bishop’s house and Christian Education building. The legal title for the home Church in La Ceiba was completed along with the Honduras President signing into law the recognition of the new Moravian Revival Church in Honduras under UIMM.
We are certainly thankful that UIMM was able to assure that Bishop Nicholson and Pastor Bob Monette traveled on mission trips to Bethel, Dillingham, States of Oregon, Arizona, Texas and Washington, and nation of Honduras. Namely, special trips were made to Arizona, Oregon, and Washington by Bishop Nicholson and Pastor Monette which has opened more doors for ministry. Out of this, we welcome The Rev. Earl Carlson to be affirmed as a new pastor under UIMM. We also received a new pastor and the Church – Chemult Bible Fellowship of Chemult, Oregon. We are also in fellowship with Pastor Israel Canudas Novoa, who desires to open his own church near Bellevue, Washington.
Sadly, UIMM’s International Outreach Director, The Rev. Doug Norwood Jr. passed away in November 2021, just a few days before he had planned on performing training for our pastors in Anchorage, Alaska. But thankfully Bishop Isai Granwell of La Ceiba, Honduras was elected as a Director in UIMM and he is serving as UIMM’s International Outreach Director. On January 20, 2023, he returned from his first trip to Cuba to assist the Moravian Revival Churches of Cuba in formal organization. This trip is historic.
We are praying for our pastors who are up in age and who are serving faithfully that younger men and woman may receive a vision and call for fulltime service for our Savior, Jesus Christ. All UIMM Pastors and Elders should pray and encourage the younger generation, especially since time is short before Christ comes.
Due to the ongoing Pandemic, plans for a World Fellowship of Moravian Revival Churches (WFMRC) Bishops Conference was postponed September 2020. This potential meeting is still on hold, but by the end of 2022, it was felt that a Bishops meeting may be held in Africa in October 2023. Bishop Nicholson continues to serve as co-Chair of the WFMRC.
In April 2020 a Tithing & Offering Training event with Bishop Donald Kibbit was postponed. This Training event is still on hold, but may be held in April 2023. In 2022, three training events were held for UIMM Pastors.
Tithing 10% of monthly “Giving” to UIMM from its Churches and Fellowships is encouraged, more now than ever before. Significantly, AncMC began paying its 10% of monthly tithes and offerings to UIMM in August 2020. The AncMC Joint Boards informed us that after they starting giving 10%, suddenly the church began to be blessed with increased giving in a startling way. Thankfully, this continues monthly from the AncMC, which along with two other Churches that are giving somewhat monthly on a regular basis..
Our UIMM published Green Books continue to be given out as well as UIMM’s updated brochures. With the new addition of a updated Xerox printer, we may be able to print out professional looking brochures. In any trip taken, wherever, these continue to be given out.
Again, UIMM’s existence is assured through each Church and Fellowship giving a monthly 10% tithes to UIMM’s budget, and each UIMM pastor donating their 10% tithe, including giving by Spirit-led donors. We thank Lay Minister Billy Olsen for overseeing and running the Friday Night ministry at 3512 Robin Street.
The concrete foundations for New Herrnhut Bible Seminary in Seward, Alaska was finished in 2022. In early January 2023, Brother Dean Carl finally received (after six-year process) a fill permit to finish landfill for new Seminary building. Brother Dean continues raising money for building. He needs help in putting up the walls in spring 2023.
Please pray that God will raise up wealthy people to support His cause! Prayer is working and we are asking God for how and where we should move out as a Great Commission, Discipleship organization.
A mission trip headed up by Pastor Alexie Nose to northern Alaska is still in works. Also it is planned in 2023 for mission trips to Angoon, Nenena, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Dillingham, Aleknagik, Manokotak possibly, and Bethel with Pastor Carlos Marin’s leadership. He is already raising money for this extensive two plus week mission trips.
UIMM’s influence is being felt around the world. As stated in 2020, Bishop Nicholson has recommended strongly in line with UIMM’s positioning that Moravian Provinces or Ministry groups that desire to remain with their governmental structure, but would like to be in fellowship with a Moravian Revival Church which UIMM is, are free to contact us, anytime, to begin dialogue. It is also our prayer that the Alaska Province bishop and pastors will be in dialogue with us. And that we can speak in their pulpits. And they certainly are welcome to worship and speak in our pulpits.
Please remember UIMM is not a denomination, but simply a Moravian Ministry Group. As we continue to grow, this may be one significant way of bringing into reality Zinzendorf’s original vision of building Churches and Fellowships, worldwide, that are not necessarily denominational, but instead building a “Living Family of God” willing to work together!
UIMM continues to solicit your prayers and financial support, so we can better support God’s work.