Dear Edgeboro Friends & Family,

I wanted to take some space in this newsletter to update you all on some fantastic ministry happening in the Moravian Church of North America.

Inspired by the work of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem, NC (search online for the CNN article that featured them from earlier this year), the Board of World Mission, Moravian Ministries Foundation, Commission on Congregational Development, and the Interprovincial Board of Communication challenged Moravians across the country to engage in the Debt Jubilee Project to raise $50,000 to purchase and abolish medical debt.

Here’s how Moravians responded. The results are staggering!

Total Impact

Total Amount Received: $102,424.47 (More than double our goal!)

Total sent to the Moravian Ahuas Health Clinic in Honduras: $25,606.12

Total sent to abolish medical debt in the U.S.: $67,781.25

Total debt abolished in the U.S.: Nearly $11 million

People impacted: 13,485 individuals/families in 37 counties across 15 states where Moravian congregations/entities are located.

 Putting this in perspective: When all is said and done, the number of people impacted by the Debt Jubilee Project will eclipse the populations of Lake Mills, WI (6,433), Lititz, PA (9,527), Waconia, MN (13,071), the Alaskan Province (1,688), the Southern Province (13,114), and the majority of the Northern Province (18,395).

Local Impact (Edgeboro is in Northampton County.)

Total debt abolished in Northampton County: $358,063.22

People impacted: 463 individuals/families

Average debt abolished per individual/family: $773.35

Putting this in perspective: There are 11 Moravian congregations in Northampton County, which would make the average debt abolished per congregation $32,551.20. When compared to Edgeboro’s 2023 budget, that would be the second largest line in our budget, accounting for more than 10% of our budgeted expenses. This would be a tithe!

Like many of the ministries we engage in, this experience has shown us that there are great needs created by the gaps and inequalities of our societal systems. There should be some bittersweetness here. It should not be lost in this that the results of the Moravian response to the Debt Jubilee project reveals the difficult reality that so many of our neighbors in our counties are weighed down with medical debt. That said, there’s something to be said about that Moravian response. We made a $9 million impact (and counting) in 50+ days. Like loaves and fish, this is a very real example of how God multiplies our gifts, talents, and treasures to produce good in the world!

Many thanks to all who participated in the Debt Jubilee Project!

Collaborating with you,

Pastor Dan