Timeline
2003 Gracehill joins the "Christiansfeld Initiative" This involved working with international partners in Europe, USA and South Africa. Christiansfeld is a Settlement in Denmark.
2004 International conference Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Ballymena Borough Council sent council representative)
2006 International conference Cape Agulhas, South Africa. (Ballymena Borough Council sent council representative and representative from Gracehill)
2007 International conference Gracehill. (This was generously supported by Ballymena Borough Council).
2011 Gracehill Old School Trust (GhOST) submit an application on behalf of the village to the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) in London and following assessment the UK expert panel comment that Gracehill has potential and suggest the UK Government should consider adding Gracehill to the Tentative List if certain conditions can be met.
2011 (September) Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visit the village. (Now HM King Charles III & HM Queen Camilla)
2015 Christiansfeld inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015 following significant research over previous years and an independent international comparative study. This study also involved Gracehill and ranked Gracehill as one of the Settlements which best fulfilled the requirements for world heritage status.
2017 Government of Saxony, Germany on behalf of Herrnhut commission a publication of European Settlements and send representatives to Gracehill.
2018 International conference Herrnhut, Germany. (Speakers from Gracehill invited to address conference. Herrnhut exploring opportunities for a joint bid with Bethlehem, USA to extend Christiansfeld inscription. It was suggested that the addition of another Settlement would strengthen the bid and the Gracehill was suggested as a potential partner.
2019 Book launch, Gracehill. In the presence of the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough council and a number of elected representatives. The guest speaker was Rev. Dr. Jørgen Bøytler from Denmark who gave the keynote address entitled “Partnerships on the Journey to World heritage” Dr. Bøytler is General Secretary of the world wide Unity Board of the Moravian Church and also spearheaded the successful Christiansfeld bid for World Heritage status. Guests also included Ms Friederike Hansell the Coordinator for World Heritage, Ministry of the Interior, Saxony State Government and Mr Barry Gamble, an Independent World Heritage Consultant (UK) who has been commissioned by the Saxony State Government and now Bethlehem to act as Coordinator for the "extension" of Christiansfeld World heritage listing.
Meetings of Gracehill World Heritage Partnership, subsequently becoming The Local Management Group involving Gracehill Moravian Church, Gracehill Trust (formerly GhOST), Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Historic Environment Division of Department of Communities commence. Galgorm Group including Galgorm Castle joined meetings as required.
2021 Gracehill formally invited to join the UNESCO World Heritage bid in partnership with Herrnhut, Germany and led by Bethlehem, USA.
Regular monthly ZOOM meetings commence involving all international partners – The Transnational Co-ordination Group.
An advisory group involving representatives from each of the Settlement Churches is also established.
2021 Mid and East Antrim Borough council provide financial support to assist the preparation of the Gracehill UNESCO bid.
2021 Historic Environment Division provide financial support to assist the preparation of the Gracehill UNESCO bid.
2021 (September) International Conference in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania USA.
Transnational Voluntary Agreement signed by local Councils on behalf of each area.
This was during pandemic restrictions. As such David Johnston travelled to US to represent Gracehill also bearing a recording of the signing of the agreement and a video message from Councillor William McCaughey, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
2021 (November) International Conference in Herrnhut Germany.
2022 Gracehill added to UK Tentative list.
2022 (March) International Conference in Gracehill, UK, including conference dinner bringing together senior Government representatives for World Heritage from the Danish, German, US and UK Governments. Kindly hosted by Galgorm Resort and Spa Hotel.
2022 (July) International Conference in Christiansfeld, Denmark.
2023 US Government submit "Moravian Church Settlements" World Heritage nomination documentation to UNESCO in Paris on behalf of Bethlehem, Herrnhut and Gracehill.
2023 ICOMOS review Nomination documentation and undertake visits to each of the sites. This 10-day assessment visit covered all the nominated sites. The Gracehill section took place over three days at the end of July and involved a travelling team including the assessor and Government representatives.
2024 Moravian Church Settlements inscribed as a World Heritage Site at 46th Session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee, New Delhi, India.