Calvin Synod Herald, 1982 (82. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1982-10-01 / 5. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 8 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA Hunger Action Fund “It’s good to know that in spite of continuing hunger and poverty, the scale of which is apt to overwhelm us, our efforts do have an effect and make a difference,” says Rev. Neill Richards, coordinator of the United Church of Christ World Hunger Action Office. “In response to needs of families for direct assistance, due to unemployment, and cut federal programs, local congregations have greatly increased donations of food and money for food pantries and food banks.” Indeed non-church (groups) and church conferences and congregations are coming together for strengthened service and advocacy,” says Mr. Richards. We in the United Church of Christ help to provide that “service” and “advocacy” through the UCC Hunger Action Fund. The Fund helps to support direct aid to the hungry-food pantries, food coops, and food banks — and helps to bring about justice for the hungry through legislative advocacy. The Fund also supports constituency organization and mobilization that engages UCC members in hunger-related concerns. Please give as generously as you are able this year to support the important work made possible through the UCC Hunger Action Fund. On October 16th this year, many persons around the world will join together to demonstrate their commitment to ending the scourge of hunger. Why October 16th? This was the date that the United Nations founded the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The member nations of A response to an Aug. Reader's Digest article entitled “Karl Marx or Jesus Christ” is available to churches from their conference offices, according to Everett C. Parker, Office of Communication director. The Digest article, critical of World Council of Churches’ policies and alliances in the Third World, contains several inaccuracies and “combines facts to imply results that are not true,” Dr. Parker claims. The response is a point-by-point FAO established World Food Day to alert the public to the gravity of our world food situation. Today, over 150 nations are members of FAO and over 260 national organizations are sponsoring World Food Day this year! According to the World Food Council, today 400 million persons in the world are starving to death, and that number will grow to 600 million by the year 2000. The 1982 Assembly of the Methodist Church in Hungary was held in Budapest. It opened with a communion service in the course of which the sermon was preached by Bishop Franz Schaefer of Zurich, Switzerland. Present were at the festive opening act of the Assembly Dr. Ferenc Nagy, main referendary in the State Office for Church Affairs, and President József Szakács of the Council of Hungarian Free Churches. The latter conveyed greetings to the assembly. Beside the pastors and congregational delegates present were at the assembly Bishop Armin Haertel of the Methodist Church in the German Democratic Republic and Miss Myrtha Bolay who conveyed the greetings of the Southern Alliance of the Methodist Church in the German Federal Republic. Superintendent Frigyes Hecker spoke first in his report about problems which affect the whole human race, then proceeded to discuss the situation of the church. He stressed refutation of the article’s misstatements, prepared by the WCC in cooperation with the U. S. church members of its Central Committee. The magazine plans to publish another article in the fall, this time attacking the National Council of Churches. The NCC is preparing a kit of materials to counter the recent spate of negative press against the ecumenical movement. (Keeping You Posted) The organizations sponsoring World Food Day, including the United Church of Christ, ask that everyone who shares the belief that food is a basic human right find some way in which to participate in a World Food Day observance this year. For materials and resources on World Food Day, contact: National Committee for World Food Day 1776 “F" Street, NW Washington D. C. 20437 (202) 376-2306. the need for conversion. In view of the life and service of the congregations he made the general statement that the characteristic feature in the development of church life was not the numerical growth of the former years but rather a consolidation. The working sessions heard and discussed the reports about the work of the church. Then the officials of the church were elected. The mandate of Superintendent Frigyes Hecker was renewed for another four year term. American Unitarians Visit Hungary As guests of the Hungarian Unitarian Church, Dr. Eugene Ickett, pastor, national president of the American Unitarians, with Mrs. Ickett, Dean Dr. E. Reves of the Unitarian Theological Seminary of Chicago and Prof. Dr. Mayer, a representative of the Canadian Unitarians have visited Hungary. One of the aims of their visit was to meet the two oldest member churches of the Unitarian world community, the Unitarians in Hungary and Transylvania. They preached and lectured in Budapest. Pastor János Huszti, central director, handed over a Ferenc Dávid Memorial Medal to President Ickett who, on his return, expressed his thanks in a letter a section of which reads thus: “The higlight of my presidential tenure was this visit. We shall never forget your warm and brotherly hospitality. May our strengthening relations help us to create a world more peaceful than the present.'' (HCP) WCC Refutes Charges... Hungarian Methodists Meet
