Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1971-08-01 / 8-9. szám
10 REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA Eighth General Synod Meeting Grand Rapids, Michigan To Churches and Members of the United Church of Christ Greetings: The Eighth General Synod of the United Church of Christ was remarkable in many ways; chiefly, we think, because of the amount of work that was accomplished by the delegates in five short days. Gone was the traditional organization of previous Synods whereby committees heard reports from national instrumentalities and the Executive Council, then evaluated them for the whole body of delegates. The Eighth General Synod was organized around priority issues, issues which you, the members of our churches, told the delegates what the most important things for the United Church of Christ to be wrestling with at this time: (1) the faith crisis; (2) ways in which the local church can be strengthened in life and mission; (3) racial justice; (4) peace and the application of United States power. The delegates soberly addressed themselves to these issues. It was remarkable the amount of study and preparation the delegates had engaged in before coming to General Synod. It was heartening to see the depth of their further study of the issues as they discussed them in exploratory groups during Synod sessions and caucusses outside the formal meetings. Delegates were particularly impressed at the way in which special interest groups such as blacks, Indians, women, youth delegates prepared themselves for debate and handled issues on the floor. The youth delegates were especially responsible in their preparation. They met in caucus, at meal times and far into the night after the close of Synod sessions. Their presentations on the floor, while sometimes abrasive, were always well thought out and documented. It is, therefore, not surprising that when the delegates considered an amendment to the Bylaws stipulating that at least 20 percent of delegates to all future Synods should be 30 years of age or younger, the amendment passed with an overwhelming majority. There were wide divergencies in views expressed by interest groups and individual delegates. Debate on the priorities was extensive and sometimes heated. But it was almost always positive. It aimed at pointing the United Church of Christ in the right direction so it might witness effectively in behalf of the gospel and might carry out the will of God as we understand it in our generation. It is a great satisfaction to us, as it was to the delegates, to be able to report the high degree of agreement expressed by the Synod that the United Church of Christ should concentrate its energies and resources on trying to fulfill the priorities developed in the regional meetings of the Council on Mission Priorities. We urge you to read Keeping You Posted for the factual report of the actions taken by the Synod and the United Church Herald for a careful analysis of the background of the Synod and the currents of opinion that prevailed there. We want to call your attention to some of the highlights which you may want to celebrate in your worship service and in your prayers for the successful accomplishment of the aims set down by the General Synod. 1. The faith crisis was considered by all of the delegates to be one of the most important issues facing the church. It especially stirred response from the youth delegates. They played a major role in the debate and in the framing of actions that were finally taken by the Synod. They successfully proposed the statement: “The Christian faith is not merely social action or theological formulation, but a dynamic power-filled relationship with God.” Other objectives which the Synod called upon all of us to attain were to become committed to behavior that is consistent with our beliefs, and to be sustained and inspired through the celebration of our faith. The delegates also recommitted themselves to the United Church Statement of Faith. 2. The needs of women were also very much on the minds of the delegates. The Synod passed a pronouncement which “insisted” that the church provide opportunities for employment of women in all levels of its life and give equal pay for equal work. It also called for “elimination of discrimination in employment and compensation on the basis of sex wherever such discrimination exists” in society in general. This pronouncement was followed by a resolution on abortion which calls for the repeal of all legal prohibitions on abortions that are performed by licensed physicians. The objective was to make “voluntary and medically safe abortions legally available to all women.” But at the same time the Synod called for protection of doctors, nurses and and prospective mothers who object to abortion. 3. The financial crisis of the predominantly black American Missionary Association colleges in the South was vividly portrayed to the Synod. The delegates responded by authorizing a church-wide, multi-million-dollar fund raising campaign. Seventy- five percent of the money raised will go to the AMA colleges; 20 percent will be turned over to the Board for World Ministries for colleges overseas that deal with racial issues; and the remaining 5% raised in each conference will be credited to the conference and may be used for scholarships for students from racial minorities or turned over to the AMA schools. An offering for the AMA colleges yielded $1,150 from the more than 700 delegates.
