Calvin Synod Herald, 1974 (74. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1974-08-01 / 8-9. szám

8

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

U.C.C. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

The rate of decline in membership of the United Church of Christ has slowed for the first time since 1968, according to statistics released here today in the denomination’s 1974 Yearbook.

Current membership in the denomination is 1,867,810 according to Yearbook editor and secretary of the church, the Rev. Dr. Joseph H. Evans. This is a 1.4 percent drop from 1,895,016 shown in the 1973 Yearbook. (Yearbook figures are for the previous year.)

The loss of 27,206 members during 1973 showed a slower rate of loss than the 1.7 percent decline of 33,658 members in 1972.

While the United Church of Christ may have fewer members, they are contributing more money to their church. Support for mission of the United Church climbed from $14.52 per member in 1972 to $15.12 per member in 1973. Support for local churches went from $101.89 per member in 1972 to $105.39 in 1973.

Total support for missions was $20,- 979,962 in 1972 and $21,208,658 in 1973. Total support for local church expenses was $193,079,092 in 1972 and $196,845,- 805 in 1973.

The total financial support for the Conferences or regional organizations climbed from $7,665,712 in 1972 to $7,900,520 in 1973. But support sent on to the national and international program agencies of the church declined from $8,793,893 in 1972 to $8,779,047 in 1973.

There are 6,617 United Church of Christ congregations currently, compared with 6,635 congregations listed in the 1973 Yearbook.

There are 9,464 ordained clergy now, compared with 9,480 listed in the 1973 Yearbook. The Yearbook lists 4,992 of the ordained United Church of Christ ministers as currently serving as pastors of churches, while 2,790 are in some other form of ministry and 1,682 are retired.

Office of Comm. U.C.C.

WARC TO TAKE OVER JOHN KNOX HOUSE

Geneva — Final administrative measures are being taken by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches to take over responsibility for the John Knox House here.

This was made known in an official

NEWS ITEMS

statement by the general secretary of the Alliance, Dr. Edmond Perret. The statement is given in full:

“The Executive Committee of the WARC by postal ballot has in principle agreed to the take-over by the Alliance of the Geneva property of the John Knox House Association.

Founded in 1953 as a students’ hostel, John Knox House traces its origins to an initiative launched by a local Presbyterian congregation in Denver, Colorado, USA (Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church). The United Presbyterian Church in the USA has given major financial support to this project over the past 20 years of its existence.

In 1970 a conference centre was added to the students’ hostel, the same year in which a Europe-Third World Study Center was also located there.

Changing conditions pertaining to students’ accommodation in Geneva and the style of work with students at Geneva university have made it increasingly difficult to maintain the House as a students’ hostel, which will — therefore — close as such on August 31, 1974. As to the Europe-Third World Center, which is pursuing its activities, its status in relation to the new institution has still to be worked out.

Details related to the take-over of responsibility, and to eventual modification of the aims and objects of the House are currently under scrutiny. It is the intention that the ecumenical character of the House will be retained, and that, if possible, new program activities be developed that would be helpful to the life of the member churches of the Alliance.

Initially, however, the House, which may be known as “The John Knox International Reformed Center’, will mainly be used as an ecumenical guesthouse and conference center.

Contact has been made with ecumenical, world confessional and church organizations which would be prepared to cooperate with this new institution which legally, administratively and financially will be run independently from the WARC.”

RPS

ROMANIAN HEAD OF STATE ON PLACE OF RELIGION

Bucarest — Nicolae Ceausescu, president of the Socialist Republic of Romania, has welcomed the appointment of a number of churchleaders as members of the praesidium of the Front for Socialist Unity. Among those elected at recent First Congress of the Front are Dr. László Papp, bishop of the Reformed Church of Romania, Bishop Albert Klein, Lutheran, and Patriarch Justinian Marina of the Orthodox Church.

In his address to the Congress, Dr. Ceausescu guaranteed each citizen’s right to carry out his religious duties, but emphasized that “all citizens, irrespective of their philosophical outlook or religious persuasion, should strictly observe the laws of the country.”

The Romanian president expressed as his unequivocal conviction that “there must be no discrimination among the people on account of their national or ethnic belonging, language or religious persuasion, but that all should have equal rights and duties.”

RPS

POST-GRADUATE TRAINING COURSES FOR HUNGARIAN REFORMED PASTORS

Budapest — Virtually all pastors of the Reformed Church of Hungary will attend one of the further education courses organized by the Church during the period May-September. A number of one week-courses is being held in the four conference and retreat centers owned by the Church.

Each of this year’s courses will include lectures on the following topics:

— The implementation of ethical norms in the family; our responsibility for the moral education of our children;

— Contemporary problems and tasks of our ecumenical service;

— Practical problems of diaconia (the church's service in the world), with special reference to specialized ministries to the physically and mentally handicapped, the blind, deaf and emotionally disturbed;

— The contribution of local congregations to solving ethical problems in Hungarian society;

— The social integration of gypsies.

Bible study and discussion will also

feature prominently in the course programes.

RPS