FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Conference scheduled for 10 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, August 7
BETHLEHEM, PA, August 2, 2024 — On Friday, July 26, 2024 in New Delhi, India, it was announced that the Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem, along with Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK; and Herrnhut, Germany have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
These three settlements now join Christiansfeld, Denmark — named to the World Heritage List in 2015.
To recognize this prestigious designation and provide detailed insights into its significance for Bethlehem and the broader Lehigh Valley community, J. William Reynolds, Mayor of the City of Bethlehem, along with community leaders will hold a press conference at Bethlehem Town Hall (10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, 18018) at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
Livestream link to come.
The Town Hall assembly will immediately follow a special World Heritage recognition service at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Central Moravian Church (Church and Main Streets, Bethlehem, 18018), which all are invited to attend.
The Bethlehem Town Hall event will highlight the more than 20-year World Heritage journey for Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem; the decision at the World Heritage Committee meeting in New Delhi, India, and the Bethlehem Moravian delegation’s experiences; project planning update; and a look ahead to how this special honor may impact tourism and the economy.
Additionally, on Sunday, Aug. 4, the community is welcome to join at Central Moravian Church Sanctuary (400 Main Street, Bethlehem) for 10 a.m. worship service, refreshments on the church green immediately following service, followed by a global worship livestream gathering at noon in the Sanctuary with representatives from Moravian Church Settlements partners (Christiansfeld, Denmark; Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK; and Herrnhut, Germany) included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Watch the live stream here:
“This honor is a testament to what our community has been for almost 300 years,” explains Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds. “So this isn’t just about what we’re going to do in the next year. It’s about what we’re going to do in the next five, 10, 20, and 50 years to both honor our history, but also to celebrate those concepts that have made Bethlehem so special forever.”
“The World Heritage designation recognizes the historic Moravian Church Settlements as a single World Heritage site that represents the outstanding universal value of these historic
settlements and the worldwide influence of the Moravian Church.”
Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem is the 26th World Heritage site in the United States and the third in Pennsylvania.
With its intact core of original buildings, Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem preserves some of the most important structures and sites relating to the Moravians in the New World and is significant as an outstanding example of Moravian architecture and town planning. The settlement played a key role in both the international and American Moravian communities.
Located in the heart of downtown Bethlehem, the site spans 10 acres. It includes nine
structures, four ruins, and God’s Acre cemetery, all within the already designated Historic
Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District — one of only eight Landmark Districts in Pennsylvania and one of just over 200 in the nation.
For more information, visit moravianchurchsettlements.org
EVENT DETAILS
Moravian Church Worship Service and Global Recognition Event
Sunday, August 4, 2024
10 a.m. EDT Worship Service and refreshments following
Noon EDT: Global Event
Central Moravian Church Sanctuary
Main & Church Streets., Bethlehem, Pa., 18018
Moravian Church Service
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
9 a.m. EDT
Central Moravian Church Sanctuary
Main & Church Streets., Bethlehem, Pa., 18018
Press Conference
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
10 a.m. EDT
Bethlehem Town Hall
10 E. Church St., Bethlehem, Pa., 18018
MEDIA CONTACT
Craig Larimer
larimerc@moravianchurchsettlements.org
610-360-0419
Moravian Church Settlements is a transnational extension of Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement in Denmark founded in 1773 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015. The Moravian Church is a Protestant denomination in the free church tradition centered in Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany. The extension includes three additional component parts:
Bethlehem (USA) was established in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1741. This highlights the early transatlantic dimension of the Moravian Church phenomenon during a prolific settlement-building decade and added the cultural dimension of the Moravians’ outreach to Native Americans.
Gracehill (UK) was founded in Northern Ireland in 1759. It represents the significance of the Moravian Church in the UK and exemplifies a unique series of ‘ideal’ urban plans that demonstrate a notable gender axis. This is showcased by the division of the town plan into a sisters’ side and a brothers’ side, which directly reflects the fundamental functional structure of Moravian society.
Herrnhut (Germany) is considered the ‘mother’ or ‘founding town’ of the Renewed Moravian Church. It was established in 1722 in Saxony and evolved in line with the development of Moravian theology and societal ideals. This town defined the principles of all Moravian Church settlements.