Calvin Synod Herald, 1993 (93. évfolyam, 2-6. szám)
1993-09-01 / 5. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 3 -REFOMATUSOK LAP1A tu é GENERAL SYNOD 19 of the United Church of Christ was held in St. Louis, Missouri from July 15-20, 1993 The General Synod of the United Church of Christ voted overwhelmingly to recommend that economic sanctions against South Africa be lifted. The resolution, taken in the final session of the six-day meeting of the UCC’s top policy-making body, noted that the church has opposed apartheid since 1965. The General Synod approved several resolutions aimed at protecting the civil rights of gays in the church and in society. Two of those measures oppose laws at any level of governments that place restrictions on homosexuals. The delegates also defeated a move to overrule previous synod action that said the UCC should be "an open and affirming church," welcoming gays. Another action affecting gays calls for ecumenical bodies, including the National Council of Churches, to grant full jnembership to the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, a gay denomination. The church council had denied the gay church even observer status at a meeting of its General Board last year in Cleveland. During the debate over the gay issue, probably the most heated of the issues acted upon, the Rev. Kenneth Whitwer of Grand Rapids, Mich., said the Bible supports "an open and affirming" church for gays. But the Rev. William Miller of Sinking Spring, Pa.., said ordination of gays, which the UCC synod has endorsed, is against Gods will. "We do not oppose people, but a life-style," he added. In other resolutions regarding foreign nations, the synod called on Israel to open the closed borders of East Jerusalem and Israel proper to Palestinians, urged the United States to end the economic blockade of Cuba, and asked the people of Zaire and Angola, where the UCC has missionary ties, to work to establish societies of peace and justice, it also opposed economic and military policies in Europe that it said could make it possible for Germany to use its armed forces worldwide and urged nonviolent means of resolving conflicts. While the UCC was meeting in Saint Louis the Christian Church [Disciples of Christ] also was holding its General Assembly at the same convention center. The two denominations displayed special concern for people in Greater St. Louis by volunteering people to flood-relief efforts. To offer assistance, the Disciples and UCC donated nearly $42,000 in offerings for flood relief and some of the 8,000 delegates to the combined conventions gave 125 pints of blood for people injured in the floods. And both denominations' conventions passed resolutions offering other flood-relief efforts. It is indeed worth-while to quote here some pregnant words from Darrel Holland, Plain Dealer reporter:" For a brief moment during the General Synod of the United Church of Christ here this week, it appeared that the denomination might break with its commitment to solve conflicts non-viol ently. For the past generation, the UCC has been a peacemaking church. It was one of the first denominations to oppose U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, often scolded the nation's foreign policy experts for U.S. actions in Central America, and urged nuclear disarmament long before the Cold War ended. The commitment to peace has been coupled with a commitment to justice, and apparently the 711 delegates to the six-day Synod that ended Tuesday were tempted to forsake their peace heritage because of the injustice they perceived to be taking place in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The UCC is not part of the historic nonviolent tradition of such religious bodies as the Society of Friends, or Quakers, known for centuries for its pacifism. But the UCC has espoused non-violence for so long that it was startling to some delegates at the Synod to be considering a resolution in which the church was being asked to endorse possible use of U.S. military forces, under U.N. auspices, in a peacemaking effort in Bosnia.. If the resolution had been enacted in its orginal form, the UCC — one of the most liberal Protestant denominations — would have approved "a mandate to protect civilian populations by force, if necessary, from attack" in Bosnia. The resolution was intended to place the church in support "of multilateral peacemaking actions" to solve the conflict in the Balkans. It was finally passed after the language approving of use of military force was deleted. The UCC, like the National Council of Churches and the Catholic bishops, called for an end to "ethnic cleansing" under which the Muslims are forced by violent means, mostly by Serbian forces, to resettle in other areas. The Rev. Paul H. Sherry, president of the Cleveland-based UCC, said that the vote on the Balkan resolution indicates how difficult it is to respond to the terrible situation in Bosnia. In attempting to determine the mandate of the Gospel, Sherry said, the UCC is inclusive enough to include people who would oppose use of military force in Bosnia as well as those who favor it. One of the opponents of military force to resolve the Bosnian conflict, the Rev. Robert Strommen of Lakewood, said, "Violence begets more violence." If the church had recommended violent means, even under the auspices of the U.N. it would have meant a major policy shift from its peacemaking stance," added Strommen, who is chief executive of the Western Reserve Association of the UCC. Our own delegates who attended the General Synod 19 were: Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis Vitéz , bishop; (ex-officio); Rt. Rev. Dr. Dezső ParraghandRt. Rev. Zoltán D. SziicsandMr. Joe Sonye from our Passaic, N.J. church.
