Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1971-08-01 / 8-9. szám
I I REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 11 4. The General Synod voted 614 to 23 for an immediate end to the war in Vietnam. It called upon President Nixon to submit fresh proposals for negotiation in Paris and to announce a pledge of total withdrawal of all U. S. troops and military assistance “according to an agreed time table.” The delegates stated in their resolution that they spoke out of love for the United States and appreciation of its worth and had no wish to have their criticism of government policy arouse feelings of hatred against the country. The General Synod called upon President Nixon to establish a Commission to investigate war crimes, responding to an overture from Central Atlantic Conference. If the President fails to appoint such a body by January 1972 the General Synod has charged the Executive Council to initiate an ecumenical inquiry into “the extent of violations of international law in the Indochina War.” 5. The pronouncement on Southern Africa, circulated to all churches last spring, was passed virtually without change, except that U. S. companies doing business in South Africa instead of being urged simply to withdraw were asked “to develop vigorous policies and practices in employment, compensation, public relations attitudes and business operations which will challenge repressive and unjust conditions.” 6. The needs of the local church loomed large in the thinking of the delegates. Goals and objectives for the local church were circulated to all congregations as part of a background paper published in the June 15, 1971 issue of Keeping You Posted. These goals and objectives were largerly endorsed with some major additions such as a call for revitalization of Christian education in the church. The delegates were particularly concerned with the educational needs of lay leaders of the local churches; with providing continuing professional education for ministers as they serve pastorates; and with fair employment practices by our churches and the payment of a living wage to ministers. The empowerment of local black UCC churches was adopted as a major goal of the denomination for the immediate future. 7. On racial justice the Synod called for a domestic Marshall Plan for central cities and rural areas; endorsed a guaranteed minimum income of $6,500 a year for families of four; called for creation by the Federal government of enough jobs to cut unemployment by at least 70 percent; and took a firm stand for reform of the bail system, repeal of preventive detention and no-knock entrance laws to homes, for cessation of eavesdropping, and for reform of prison systems. On motions from the floor the Synod also voted for the establishment of a program of legal aid for the dispossessed and expressed concern that Angela Davis should receive a fair trial. 8. The Rev. David G. Colwell, minister of Plymouth Church, Seattle, Wash, and former chairman of the Consultation on Church Union, was unanimously elected moderator. Elected as assistant moderators were Manford Byrd, Jr., a black layman who is deputy superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools and Mrs. Velma M. Shotwell of Prescott, Arizona, a social worker. All except one of the nominees of the Nominating Committee were elected. August Little Soldier, Golden Valley, N. D., an Indian tribal leader was nominated from the floor for membership on the Executive Council, won a primary 505 to 163, and subsequently was elected to the Council. 9. The Synod adopted a 1972 national budget of $ 10,500,000. (See Keeping You Posted for details.) The Executive Council was asked to assign $1,000,000 set aside for priority programs to the national agencies and to give preference to those instrumentalities and agencies that are committed to work for a specific priority, who have a record of achievement, or are currently conducting programs in the field. Immediately following the close of the Eighth General Synod the new Executive Council met for a day and a half to organize itself and begin the work assigned to it under Bylaw changes that replaced the Budget Committee with the Executive Council as the budget and program supervisory agency for the denomination. The Rev. Kenneth Smith, minister of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Chicago, was elected chairman of the Executive Council for the biennium. Kenneth P. Stewart, Esq., Wichita, Kan. was named vice-chairman. The Council chose committees and studied the problems that will come before it at its first formal meeting in October. The Executive Council has now been expanded from 21 to 42 members. Thirty-three members are elected by the General Synod, six conference executives are elected by their fellow executives. Other voting members are the President of the Church, his executive assistant, and the moderator. The heads of instrumentalities and the director of the Commission for Racial Justice are members of the Executive Council, ex officio without vote. At the close of the Eighth General Synod the delegates and the persons who had been responsible for leadership of the Synod were convinced that the Holy Spirit had been present in its deliberations. We came to know that when a church is strong in the faith — when it moves in the Pilgrim way and takes risks, when it affirms the Gospel in its life — the faith crisis is not resolved but becomes a creative force in the service of the Kingdom of God. Yours in Christ, Robert V. Moss President Jacob B. Wagner Chairman, Executive Council I
