Unfortunately, I was sick, and had to miss it.

In a ceremony on Monday evening, January 14, Consul General Klaus-Joachim Guehlcke conferred upon Pastor Robert Moore (Pastor at Christ the King, Houston) the Order of Merit from the German government. It is the highest honor that the Republic of Germany bestows on citizens and foreigners. In a ceremony at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Monday, January 14, Robert received the Federal Cross of Merit (Bundesverdienstkreuz). The honor is officially bestowed by the president of Germany for service in political, economic, social, and spiritual matters.

The current president of Germany is Joachim Gauck, a Lutheran pastor who was active in the peaceful revolution before the re-unification of Germany. Thereafter, he was elected to be the first Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives (the secret files of the infamous secret police).

You may not know this, but Pastor Moore has spent many years laboring at German-American relations, especially the sister-city relationship between Houston and Leipzig which was made official by Leipzig in 1992 and by Houston in 1993. He has served twice as president of the Houston-Leipzig Sister City Association in 1998 and in 2009. Robert and his wife Kathy have worked tirelessly organizing travel groups to Leipzig and hosting guests from Leipzig. The honorable Burkhard Jung, Mayor of Leipzig, wrote, “You have built many bridges between our cities. Thanks to your efforts and support we have a thriving partnership between Houston and Leipzig.”

Carlos (ELCA VP and First, Galvedton member) and Diane Peña came (see photo below), so the ELCA was
represented well. Note also a photo of Karin Liebster (associate Pastor at Christ the King), Pastor Britta Taddiken (St. Thomas in Leipzig), Kathy and Robert Moore and Karin’s husband Matthias.