First Female Moravian Pastor Graces Staten Island Pulpit
Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2007 Posted: 6:24:23PM EST
The first woman to be ordained as part of the Moravian Church in America, also known as the Bohemian Brethren, made a visit to Great Kills Moravian Church this past Sunday.
The Rev. Dr. Mary Matz, who describes her past ordination as “not controversial,” gave the sermon after traveling from her home in Nazareth, Pa., and despite being in retirement.
Her presence was a positive sign for what the Moravian Church stands for and the encouraging trends that they have taken over the years.
“[When the ordination of women was first affirmed], no women were asking for ordination and it was not an emotional issue,” wrote Matz in a personal article on the Moravian Church in North America website. “The first woman to be ordained in North America was ordained in 1975 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by Bishop Edwin Kortz at East Hills Moravian Church. I was that person and, for me, it was a very exciting time.”
The Moravian Church is a mainline protestant church that dates back to the 15th Century and takes its roots from the Czech Republic. Known for its strong ecumenical ties, it also stresses Christian unity, personal piety, missions and music inside its congregations.
Matz got her start at the Central Moravian Church located in Bethlehem, Pa., in the 70’s, where the Moravian Church first moved into the U.S. She served for 17 years as the director of Educational Ministries for the Northern Province as well as three years as a part-time pastor during her time there.
In the 90s, she was able to serve as an interim pastor at Castleton Hill Moravian Church in Castleton Corners on Staten Island.
Before Staten Island, she was also known for her involvement among the denominations ecumenical movement. She was certified as a specialist in interim ministry by the ecumenical Interim Ministry Network based in the United States and Canada. She was able to serve as an interim pastor in Allentown, Pa., and Dublin, Ohio, as a result.
