Reformátusok Lapja, 1969 (69. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1969-03-01 / 3. szám
14 REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA BUFFALO CHURCH JOINS CALVIN SYNOD On February 9, 1969 members of the West Side Hungarian Reformed Church of Buffalo, N. Y. decided at their congregational meeting to join the Calvin Synod, a Conference of the United Church of Christ. By remaining within the U. C. C. the legal status or the structure of the church did not change. But new possibilities to find identification and new opportunities in meeting spiritual and social needs were reopened. Why should a Hungarian church change now after years of affiliation with an American Synod? Mainly because Hungarian Reformed Churches resemble one another in theology, structure, worship services, mission, social and ethnic traditions. A church becomes meaningful to its members only by meeting their total spiritual and social needs. These needs cannot be satisfied completely outside of our ethnic community. One of the principal functions of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel in an understandable language. For Hungarian Reformed Churches of North America this language is both English and Hungarian. This means that as long as there are Hungarian speaking people they must find a social and cultural identity also, and this acquired service cannot be provided by non-Hungarian churches. Only by identifying one’s goals with the local church’s mission can an individual discharge his God-given tasks in a meaningful way. People of Hungarian origin constantly seek social identification with Hungarian organizations. Many travel tens and even hundreds of miles for the fellowship of Hungarian picnics, dances, suppers, religious and social gatherings. While it is difficult to find delegates to attend non-Hungarian meetings, forty-fifty are willing to visit another Hungarian church. By evaluating these facts objectively it may be stated that for several more years there will be bilingual Hungarian churches in America with special cultural and spiritual needs, and these needs can be met only with the cooperative effort of other Hungarian churches and organizations. One may ask what can the Calvin Synod give to him? He should also ask what can he give to his own people by participating in a meaningful mission? Christianity is not only receiving and getting but also offering and giving as conditions of life permit. Why the Calvin Synod? Because by joining churches of our own background we created conditions for a fuller expression of our Reformed faith for our mutual spiritual enrichment. We also created more meaningful opportunities in the participation of our church’s mission. And last but not least we increased our corporate strength for common Christian and ethnic goals. Paul Kantor ★ WEDDING Dr. and Mrs. László Harangi, Berea, Ohio, announced the marriage of their son, Peter, to Judith Ozsvath, of Miskolc, Hungary. The civil marriage took place in Hungary on July 6, 1968, so that the bride could travel to America. The church marriage took place on December 15, 1968 in the Conneaut Hungarian Reformed Church. The groom’s father, Dr. Harangi performed the marriage, and the sister, Rozsa, played the wedding music. Following the ceremony, the Conneaut congregation prepared a reception for the newly married couple and presented them with many gifts. A family reception was held in the parents home in Berea. The groom is employed by the PEMCO Co., a heart-lung company in Cleveland. NEWS IN BRIEF At the meeting of the Eastern Classis of Calvin Synod held on March 2, in Fairfield, Conn, the following new officers were elected: Rev. Francis Vitéz, President; Rev. Joseph Kecskemethy, Secretary; Dr. Zoltán Füle, Treasurer; and Mr. Nicholas Szegedy, Council Member. ¥ As the Paper was going to press, we learned of the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Nagy, the wife of Rev. Louis Nagy, of McKeesport, Pa. We extend our sympathy to the family. ★ NOT ECUMENISM OR RENEWAL BUT OUTREACH — Mexico City — Speaking about the significance of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico entering its second century, the Rev. Benjamin Alvarez stressed that the chief preoccupation of the church is not the search for unity at any price, nor change for the sake of change, but evangelism and outreach in a renewed response to the Lord of the Church. Mr. Alvarez urged the church to let the mood of outreach permeate all its departments, so that this might become the significant mark of the centenary celebrations. QUEEN TO ATTEND ASSEMBLY — The British Queen is to attend the 1969 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh from May 20 - 28. This will be the first time since the union of the Scottish and English crowns in 1603 that a reigning sovereign has attended an Assembly in person, except for the Queen’s presence at a specially convened Assembly in October 1960, held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation. The Queen, who is the titular head of the (Anglican) Church of England, has indicated her intention to take Communion at the Assembly service. This will bring into prominence the central problem affecting all ecumenical discussions in which the Anglican Church is engaged, that of intercommunion. The Church of England normally discourages its members from receiving the sacraments from ministers who have not been episcopally ordained. CHURCH DAMAGED IN EARTHQUAKE — St. Andrew’s, one of the leading Presbyterian churches in Western Australia, suffered damage during the recent earthquake in Perth. All the arches in the church were split, sections of masonry fell down, and the west wall has been moved several inches out of position. St. Andrew’s church is the home of the largest congregation in all Western Australia. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO TEACH AT PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE — Since the end of his term of office as vice-president of the USA, Mr. Hubert Humphrey has become a professor at the University of Minnesota and the Macalester College of the United Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. At the same time Mr. Humphrey will continue his political activities on behalf of the Democratic party. WORLD ALLIANCE IN OCEAN CITY, USA Philadelphia — More than 100 delegates from Reformed and Presbyterian denominations of North America and the Caribbean met in Ocean City, January 7-9, for the annual meeting of the North American Area Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. The main speakers included the General Secretary of the WARC, Dr. Marcel l’radervand, of Geneva, who addressed the meeting on “The Alliance after 20 years”, and Professor Dietrich Ritschl of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, USA, whose address was entitled “The Reformed Churches in Eastern Europe”. The delegates were also addressed by the Moderator of the International Congregational Council, Dr. Ashby Bladen. The ICC and the WARC will merge to become one World Confessional Family in 1970. The North American Area Council, which is made up of 13 member churches, has as its Secretary, Dr. James I. McCord, President of Princeton Theological Seminary. —RPPS
