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The Rev. Eckhard
Buchholz and his wife Cathy pictured at his farewell
sermon in Ballinderry Moravian Church last Sunday
morning (25th June 2006). Also included
are committee members L to R: Henry Wilson, Violet
Best and Marilyn Marshall. |
The Rev. Eckhard Buchholz preached his
farewell sermon at Ballinderry Moravian Church last Sunday
morning (25th June 2006). The church was well
attended for the occasion. In the course of his sermon Mr
Buchholz said, �The 3� years ministry in Ballinderry was a time
of mutual dialogue and great experience of Christian fellowship.
He expressed his thanks to all who supported him and showed
their devotion to the message of love and reconciliation. For
the future he wished to the congregation and the succeeding
student minister, Patsy Holdsworth, a new vision for the
Moravian outreach in Ballinderry.�
After the service, Henry Wilson passed on
the sincere gratitude of the congregation to the Rev. Eckhard
Buchholz and his wife Cathy for the love, friendship and
fellowship of their 3� years Ministry at Ballinderry, from which
the congregation has been richly blessed. Henry then presented
the Rev. Eckhard Buchholz with a gift cheque, Bible and Irish
Linen; and Marilyn Marshall presented Mrs. Cathy Buchholz with a
floral arrangement.
Eckhard Buchholz was born in German
occupied Poland and after his school education in Germany; he
finished his training as an electrician. At the age of sixteen
he felt called into the ministry and after six years theological
training he was sent to South Africa. At first he did
administrative work and was ordained in 1970. He served Ntlola
and Baziya congregations in the Transkei, now Eastern Cape.
This was where he met his wife Catherine, where going with a
black lady was a criminal offence, but the congregations stood
by him. On his return to Germany in 1976 they were married in
Berlin and served as representatives of the Moravian Church in
North-Rhein-Westphalia where they were involved in
anti-apartheid activities and public relations for the Moravian
Mission.
In 1986 they felt they should go back to
Africa. After two years he got a call to the Rukwa Province in
Tanzania as teacher at the Bible School and also as project
advisor and administrator of the Moravian Theological College in
Mbeya. So they went, this time together with their three
children, all girls.
In 1992 the Moravians needed them in
Palatinate, Germany, where they again represented the Moravian
Mission and the work involved a mixture of lecturing, preaching,
collection money, house visiting, conferencing and social
engagements.
They wanted to be involved in
congregational work again and he asked for church ministry in
America. However they were asked to serve in the British
Province. The Board sent them to Northern Ireland where they
moved into the Moravian Manse at Finaghy Road South. He was
installed at Ballinderry on the 17th November 2002.
In addition to his duties at Ballinderry, he was also minister
of Cliftonville Moravian Church in North Belfast.
Mr Buchholz and his wife Cathy will leave
for South Africa mid August and will live in Port Shepstone,
110km South of Durban.
