Reformátusok Lapja, 1969 (69. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1969-10-01 / 10. szám

Hungarian Reformed Religious Paper

Founded in 1900

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CALVIN SYNOD—UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Report from the Seventh General Synod

Office of the President

The Seventh General Synod struggled with a complex of demands, confrontations and challenges that were directly representative of the turbulence and change that dominate American and world society.

The Synod listened patiently. It debated vigorously. It acted decisively to uphold social justice and to meet the needs of disadvantaged persons insofar as the assets of the United Church permit.

Five issues especially concerned the Synod: 1. Meeting the needs of black ministers and members for fair representation in the life of the Church. 2. Improvement of theological education. 3. Making a place for youth and sharing in the fulfillment of their objectives.

4. Elimination of war and acts leading to war, and justice for the oppressed people of the world. 5. Improvement of the functioning of the General Synod and the Executive Council.

Following are major actions of the Synod:

1. Election of the Rev. Dr. Robert V. Moss, Jr., to the presidency of the United Church of Christ. Mr. Charles H. Lockyear was re-elected as treasurer.

2. General Synod changed the status of the Committee on Racial Justice to a Commission on Racial Justice. Appointed by the President, the Commission will have 15 members, eight of whom must he black.

General Synod also asked the Board for Homeland Ministries to consider appointment of a black as head of the American Missionary Association with a majority of the blacks on the divisional committee.

While guaranteeing financial support for Crisis in the Nation programs and establishing the first black controlled agency in any predominantly white American church, the General Synod firmly rejected the demands of James Forman for payment of $130 million in UCC money to his Black Economic Development Conference. The Synod allowed to stand a June 18 letter of the Administrative Committee, approved by the Executive Council, sent to Forman, refusing to meet his demands.

3. General Synod established a 15-member Committee on Theological Education to begin functioning January 1, 1970 and guaranteed it funding of $350,000 in 1970 and $400,000 in 1971.

4. Urged the President to declare a cease fire and to accelerate withdrawal of American troops.

5. General Synod called for “drastic revision” of the Selective Service Law to protect both individual freedom and the national security. The Pronouncement called for a return to the historic American policy of

voluntary armed services and use of a draft only in a national emergency declared by Congress. Synod also supported men and women wbo thoughtfully choose to enter military services. “We recognize that those who freely serve in the armed forces have helped to safeguard our own freedom and that of others as well,” the Pronouncement said.

Companion resolutions opposed deployment of the proposed Anti-Ballistic Missile System and called for cessation of tests of multiple independently-targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRY.)

6. The Seventh Synod, with fewer than a dozen delegates under thirty, voted that youth thirty years and under shall constitute at least twenty per cent of the membership of the next Synod.

Largely at the urging of youth delegates, the Synod adopted a resolution calling for amnesty for objectors to the war in Vietnam.

7. The second Pronouncement, titled “Sharing the Cost of Government Fairly,” dealt with reform of the Federal tax laws.

Resolutions on domestic issues called for abolishment of capital punishment and for gun control by means of registration of all firearms and a ban on sale of ammunition to other than holders of registrations.

8. The General Synod complimented the Board for World Ministries because 85 per cent of its overseas work is ecumenical. UCC members were urged to help mitigate suffering overseas by increasing substantially their gifts through OGHS-SOS, Directed Gifts and Second Mile Giving.

The Synod requested agencies of the United Church to withdraw all deposits and investments in banks and businesses that do business with the Government of South Africa.

9. The four years of study by the Committee on Structure, were completed with the report of the Committee to the Seventh General Synod, and resulted in the Synod voting to extend the terms of Synod delegates from two years to four, without right of succession; to provide an executive assistant for the President; to change the title of the Treasurer to Director of Finance and Treasurer, and to enlarge the scope of the work of the membership of the Executive Council.

10. The Synod adopted a budget for the national instrumentalities of $11,500,000 for 1970 and $12,500,000 for 1971. Included in the budget were the guarantees voted to the new Commission on Racial Justice and Committee on Theological Education.

The Rev. Jacob B. Wagner, minister of Faith