1995 - 1st (unofficial) Consultation -

Kernersville, North Carolina, USA

In the summer of 1995, a group of women from around the Moravian Unity were invited to participate in the first (“unofficial”) Women’s Consultation held at Kernersville Moravian Church, in Kernersville, North Carolina in the Southern Province of the USA, under the auspices of the American Board of World Mission. Women from approximately fifteen countries met to discuss issues that affect women. There were women from the Czech Republic, Estonia, India, South Africa, Tanzania, the Caribbean and North America.

Although there was some discussion of equality in the workplace and “glass ceilings,” it soon became obvious that for most of the women the issues were much more basic: How to obtain clean drinking water; the effects of widespread illiteracy among women; the horrors of violence against women in the form of domestic abuse, rape, and female circumcision; the rampant spread of HIV-AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa; and the resultant growth of orphaned children. It soon became apparent that one consultation was not going to be sufficient to deal with all the issues that women face around the world.

A request was sent to the Unity Synod of 1995 that another such consultation be held to continue the discussion of these issues and ways to deal with them.

2001 - the 2nd  Consultation -

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The second Consultation was held in 2001 in South Africa, with representatives invited from all the Provinces.

Delegates wrote a resolution asking Unity Synod to continue the practice of holding Consultations every five years and establishing a Unity Women’s Desk to address the issues facing Moravian women around the world. The 2002 Unity Synod supported the idea but did not approve funds for the work.

2008 - the 3rd Consultation -

Herrnhut, Germany

Fortunately, the women remained undaunted and a third Women’s Consultation was held in 2008. Once again participants appealed to Unity Synod to establish a Unity Women’s Desk and to continue to hold the Consultations every five years. Once again the Unity Synod acknowledged the severity of the plight of women in the world and approved the resolutions along with $500 to move the initiatives forward.

In January, 2011, the Office of the Worldwide Unity approved a proposal made by Sr. Patricia Garner, an ordained Moravian minister from the Southern Province of the United States, to begin this work.

2016 - 4th Consultation

Paramaribo, Suriname

In February, 2016, the Unity Women’s Desk hosted the 4th Unity Women’s Consultation in Paramaribo, Suriname. Over 100 women from almost every province in the Moravian Unity met and discussed the needs of women in their own communities. Delegates wrote nine proposals to Unity Synod, which met in Jamaica in 2016. These proposals addressed the great gender disparity of Unity Synod delegates, the continuing need for the church to address violence against women and to support opportunities for women in positions of leadership.