Message from the founder
From the Founders
For over 40 years I have created equestrian sculptures. In recent years I began questioning if this was the best way to use my time. I have enjoyed many successes as an artist and sculptor. I have managed to get my work into the homes of many well-known, even famous, people here in the United States. While I love the animals God has made to dwell on the earth, especially horses, I started reflecting more on humanity and wondered if I could create something to enhance the human experience. I started Covenant Table out of a desire to visually communicate Christ’s love and support for God-centered relationships.
My wife Chari and I became increasingly interested in what it takes to have a marriage characterized by harmony, strength, and permanence. We had both experienced the disillusionment of our first marriages during similar seasons of life. We each had two teenage children when we met. When Chari and I married, we realized we wanted to provide our kids with a good home. When our children began plans to marry, we looked for a way to support them in their new journey in life. Being a sculptor/artist I wanted to give them something I had made with my own hands—it’s what I know; it’s what I do.
Our children find themselves in a culture where about half of marriages end in divorce. Having been through that, we did not wish that fate for them. We also found that among couples that pray together daily, rates of divorce drop significantly. I came across statistics based on research showing that couples who pray together have as low as a 1 in 10,000 divorce rate rather than 1 out of 2. These numbers are really encouraging.*
Learning these details inspired me to create the first covenant tables. The purpose of these tables is to communicate hope for a full and abundant life. My hope is that we all learn to reflect more on the creator and his love for us, as shown through his son Jesus Christ.
I am convinced that if we all were to focus on our relationship with Christ first and then allow the following gratitude to guide our earthly relationships, our world would experience transformation nothing else can provide.
Inviting you to share the dream,
Jon and Chari Moeller
About the artist
Jonathan L. Moeller
Born in 1957, in Breckinridge MN and attended grade school and high school near the family dairy farm in Rosholt South Dakota. Jonathan and his wife of 15 years Chary together have 4 grown children 3 sons and one daughter.
Jonathan Moeller has professionally produced bronze sculpture for over 4 decades, specializing in equine and other animal subjects. Not only an artist, but also a master craftsman in foundry work, Moeller personally ushers his work through every step of the process from clay model to hand- finished bronze sculpture, using the "cirque purdue", or ceramic shell, lost wax investment method. His work includes not only sculptures, but also functional pieces, such as sculptured lamps, vases and furniture accents. His freelance sculpture work has attracted commissions for trophies and awards from the highest echelons of the equine world, including the Visa 3-Year-Old Championship Series Inaugural trophy, which permanently resides in the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The American Association of Equine Practitioners, Region 9 of the Arabian Horse Association, and the World Championship awards for the United States Team Penning Association. In addition to these creations the American Foundry Society, The Daniel Island Golf Club and other organizations have commissioned Moeller to create and design their awards.
Inevitably influenced by his dad's work in watercolor and drawing, Moeller abandoned agriculture studies in favor of an art degree at South Dakota State University. Having seen and admired bronze sculpture, Moeller decided to pursue that particular medium of art. After receiving his degree in 1981, he continued his education with post graduate studies at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD to develop and perfect his foundry skills, enabling him to build and operate his own foundry business.
In 1987 Moeller moved to the state of Virginia and resided there for 8 years. While living there many valuable contacts were made with galleries and clients that helped to market his work. While in Virginia he continued his graduate studies at Radford University in Radford Virginia.
Jonathans 35 year involvement in producing art has been his sole source of income for him and his family whether it was selling his work or executing foundry jobs for other artist.
His acquired foundry skills, coupled with his well-honed artistic ability, allows Moeller to work independently to produce finished bronze sculptures of the finest quality, and to finesse his schedule to meet sometime- tight deadlines for commission work.