Vision Statement
To participate in the mission of Jesus, Himself. We seek to practice our faith by loving God, and loving others as we love ourselves
Motto
In essentials unity; in nonessentials liberty; and in all things love.
This motto expresses brotherly love and tolerance for differing views on secondary matters of belief and emphasizes the importance of fundamental beliefs. Although the Moravian Church never adopted a formal creed, the Easter Morning Liturgy expresses our faith in the Risen Lord and the promise of eternal life. We rely on the Bible as the guide for Christian faith and living.
Mission
The following is an abbreviated version of a mission statement called "The Ground of the Unity" adopted by an international gathering of Moravians in 1957.The Church exists so that it may serve Christ on earth until He comes. Unitas Fratrum is, therefore, to serve humanity by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Belief of the Church
With the whole of Christendom we share faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe and confess that God has revealed Himself once and for all in His Son Jesus Christ; that our Lord has redeemed us with the whole of humanity by His death and His resurrection and that there is no salvation apart from Him. We believe that He is present with us in the Word and the Sacrament; that He directs and unites us through His Spirit and thus forms us into a Church. We hear Him summoning us to follow Him, and pray Him to use us in His service. He joins us together mutually, so that knowing ourselves to be members of His body we become willing to serve each other.In the light of divine grace, we recognize ourselves to be a Church of sinners. We require forgiveness daily, and live only through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He redeems us from our isolation and unites us into a living Church of Jesus Christ.
Personal Belief
The belief of the Church is effected and preserved through the testimony of Jesus Christ and through the work of the Holy Spirit. This testimony calls each individual personally, and leads each one to the recognition of sin and to the acceptance of the redemption achieved by Christ. In fellowship with Him the love of Christ becomes more and more the power of the new life, power which penetrates and shapes the entire person. As God's Spirit so effects living belief in the hearts of individuals, He grants them the privilege to share in the fruits of Christ's salvation an membership in His body.
God's Word and Doctrine
The Triune God as revealed in the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments is the sole source of our life and salvation; and this Scripture is the sole standard of the doctrine and the faith of the Unitas Fratrum and therefore shapes its life.The Unitas Fratrum recognizes as center of the Holy Scriptures and of all preaching of the Gospel the word of the cross. The Unitas Fratrum sees its primary mission, and its reason for being, to consist in bearing witness to this joyful message.
The Unitas Fratrum takes part in the continual search for sound doctrine. But just as the Holy Scriptures do not contain any doctrinal system, so the Unitas Fratrum also has not developed any of its own because it knows that the mystery of Jesus Christ, which is attested to in the Bible, cannot be comprehended completely by any human statement.
Creeds and Confessions
The Unitas Fratrum recognizes in the creeds of the Church the thankful acclaim of the Body of Christ. It acknowledges as such true profession of faith the early Christian witness: "Jesus Christ is Lord!" and also especially the ancient Christian creeds and the fundamental creeds of the Reformation.
The Unitas Fratrum as a Unity
We believe in and confess the unity of the Church given in the one Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior. He died that He might unite the scattered children of God. As the living Lord and Shepherd, He is leading His flock toward such unity.It is the Lord's will that Christendom should give evidence of and seek unity in Him with zeal and love. In our own midst we see how such unity has been promised us and laid upon us as a charge. We recognize that through the grace of Christ the different churches have received many gifts. It is our desire that we may learn from each other and rejoice together in the riches of the love of Christ and the manifold wisdom of God.
We confess our share in the guilt which is manifest in the severed and divided state of Christendom. By means of such divisions we ourselves hinder the message and power of the Gospel. We recognize the danger of self-righteousness and judging others without love.
The Church as a Brotherhood
The Church of Jesus Christ, despite the diversity of members, is one in its Lord. The Unitas Fratrum recognizes no distinction between those who are one in the Lord. We oppose any discrimination in our midst because of race or standing, and we regard it as a commandment of the Lord to bear public witness to this and to demonstrate by word and deed that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Church as a Community of Service
Jesus Christ came not to be served but to serve. From this, His Church receives its mission and its power for its service, to which each of its members is called. We believe that the Lord has called us particularly to mission service among the peoples of the world.
Serving our Neighbor
Our Lord Jesus entered into this world's misery to bear it and to overcome it. We seek to follow Him in serving His people, our neighbors, opening our heart and hand to them in their need.
Serving the World
Jesus Christ maintains in love and faithfulness His commitment to this fallen world. Therefore we must remain concerned for this world. We may not withdraw from it through indifference, pride or fear. The Unitas Fratrum challenges all with the message of the love of God, striving to promote the peace of the world and seeking to attain what is best for all people.