Gracehill Celebration of World Heritage Inscription

Many years ago, early in the World Heritage process, I recall giving an interview and saying ‘Gracehill has been a good news story for 250 years and we want to continue that good news’ – and so, on the afternoon of Thursday 15th May we did just that. The sun shone, the band played, and the people came. It was indeed a day to enjoy and celebrate the inscription of ‘Moravian Church Settlements’ as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A party of students from Moravian University, Bethlehem, USA, led by their President Prof Bryon Grigsby joined the many guests representing the wider community and government along with locals for the historic event. It was a particular pleasure to welcome The Lord O’Neill whose ancestor, The Hon Charles O’Neill, sold the land that was to become Gracehill to the Moravians over 260 years ago. We were honoured with the presence of a number of other guests including Her Excellency Anna L. Nsubuga, UK Ambassador to UNESCO; Mrs Miranda Gordon, Vice Lord Lieutenant Co Antrim; Mrs Marion Lübbeke, German Honorary consul; Mrs Emma Little Pengelly MLA, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland; Mr Gordon Lyons MLA, Minister Northern Ireland Department for Communities. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor as well as other councillors and Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA’s) were also in attendance.

The afternoon commenced with a video recording of ‘Lovely Gracehill’, an old song by an unknown author. The words and music were found in the archives in Gracehill. The recording was filmed during the pandemic and involved pupils drawn from a number of schools in the cross-community Ballymena Learning Together group. It was used during the nomination process as it demonstrated not only the opportunities to bring people together but also the importance of involving young people, all of which is central to the ethos of World Heritage.

Rt. Rev. Sarah Groves, as minister of Gracehill, then gave a formal and warm welcome to everyone and particularly highlighted Moravian traditions including the Daily Watchword.

Thereafter, with the long tradition of education in Gracehill that is maintained to this day by the Primary school, it was fitting that pupils entertained guests with their enthusiastic and joyous singing which brightened the day even further.

There followed a speech of welcome to the Borough of Mid and East Antrim by The Mayor, Alderman William McCaughey and Sr Roberta Hoey, President of the Unity Board of the worldwide Moravian Church brought greetings from the Board and from the British Province.

Mr Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of World Heritage at UNESCO in Paris had recorded an inspirational video message after which Ambassador Nsubuga gave an enthusiastic address before presenting the UNESCO Certificate of Inscription to Mrs Roberta Thompson, who received it on behalf of the Gracehill Community for safe keeping in the Moravian Archive of Ireland based in Gracehill.

Copies of the Certificate were presented to representatives of the Government, the Borough Council, the local business community and Gracehill Primary School.

The Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Mrs Emma Little Pengelly MLA, addressed the audience, both congratulating the community and highlighting the potential that there is to build on the ‘Giant Spirit’ that exists in Northern Ireland.

Having started the proceedings with an old song the final musical item was a new song, so new in fact, that this was the first public performance. Gracehill has a long tradition of music and hymn writers and perhaps inspired by that tradition one of the Gracehill organists, Ms Cherith Knipe, composed the words and music for a new hymn which celebrates Moravian Church Settlements – Gracehill. The words and music perfectly encapsulated the sentiments of the day and were performed by a specially organised choir conducted by Rev Kiran Young Wimberly and accompanied by Mrs Leah Greer on the piano and Ms Emma Dempsey on the violin.

Moravian Church Settlements – Gracehill Hymn ‘This Ground’

This ground on which we’re standing
Born of vision and of prayer
Is a place of Christian refuge
To all who visit here.
And through History’s turning pages;
Times of peace and times of fear.
Now the world can share our calling
And the faith we all hold dear.

This ground on which we’re singing
Echoes notes we love to hear
Praises rising from God’s acre
Down to our village square.
And our songs are full of thankfulness
For all that God has done.
Now the world can join our chorus
And the race that’s left to run.

This ground on which we’re praying
Showers blessings from above
Both young and old it nurtures
In Christian faith and love.
Now we look towards our future
With an eye from where we came
Now the world can stand beside us
To praise His Holy name.

This ground on which we’re planting,
Reaching out to all who come,
Holds the promise of renewal
And transforming by the Son.
Truth and light will always guide us
To the world who waits to see
How genuine our welcome
That grows through you and me.

Words & Music Sr Cherith Knipe © 2025

I concluded the afternoon with some final remarks including a presentation to mark the help and support of Mr Barry Gamble, the World Heritage Consultant, who had been so helpful during the nomination process. It is not for nothing that he is known as the ‘James Bond of World Heritage’.

The formalities over, we spilled out to the Square where we basked in the warm sunshine and uplifting tunes from Ballyduff Silver Band, before enjoying a beautiful afternoon tea provided by another of our supporters, Galgorm Resort and Spa Hotel. Another day in Gracehill and another little bit of history.

And so over 20 years of effort had reached its conclusion. We had a vision, we built local partnerships, and we developed international networks. The prize of a transnational World Heritage Site is a huge, good news story for the Moravian Church locally, nationally and internationally, something that everyone can share in and be proud of, with the potential to promote understanding and reconciliation and bring social, economic and cultural benefits now and for generations to come.

Far from being the conclusion, this is just the beginning!

Br David J Johnston

Gracehill