[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




275TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEW HERRNHUT MORAVIAN CHURCH ST. THOMAS, U.S. 
                             VIRGIN ISLANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 13, 2012

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the New 
Herrnhut Moravian Church on its 275th Anniversary. New Herrnhut, in my 
district of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is the oldest Moravian 
Church in the Western Hemisphere. This weekend, the church and its 
extended fellowship will celebrate the almost 3 centuries of service to 
the people of the Virgin Islands and as a fellow Moravian I will 
proudly join them as they do so in scheduled activities.
  Upholding its mission and vision to spread the Gospel and serve 
people, missionaries of this church, founded in what is present day 
Czechoslovakia, came to St. Thomas, which was then a Danish possession, 
on December 13, 1732, exactly 275 years ago today. Freed slave Anthony 
Ulrich, Leonard Dober and David Nichman arrived in St. Thomas to bring 
the Good News of Christ and salvation to the enslaved population.
  Historical church documents show that despite the resistance and 
criticism of plantation owners and the general community, one 
missionary, Brother Frederick Martin purchased Estate Posaunberg, on 
the eastern end of St. Thomas and renamed it New Herrnhut in 1737. The 
acquisition of this property allowed the missionaries to minister 
directly to the slaves, which began the work of the church in the New 
World.
  The original church was destroyed by hurricane and the one that now 
stands is more than 200 years old. The plain and simple design is 
modeled after the original Moravian Church in Herrnhut, Germany.
  The New Herrnhut congregation today is ably led by Pastor Reverend 
Anique Elmes-Matthew, who grew up in the Friedenstahl Moravian 
congregation on St. Croix. More than 50% of its membership may be able 
to trace their roots to the original slave members who formed the first 
church on St. Thomas. The Moravian Church in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
present on all three main islands, St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John 
has been a pillar of strength to the community at large, serving as a 
source of spiritual strength and continuity. The New Herrnhut 
congregation is renowned for its rich musical tradition which they have 
shared with the faithful around the world.
  On behalf of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the 112th 
Congress of the United States, I would like to congratulate the Pastor, 
the Board of Elders, the Board of Stewards, the 275th Anniversary 
Committee, and the wider congregation on this historic and auspicious 
occasion.

                          ____________________