Calvin Synod Herald, 1998 (98. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1998-09-01 / 5. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 3 -AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA Our‘former ‘Bishop's Chosiriß Letter Dear Friends, It was a pleasure for me to have served as Bishop of Calvin synod through the call of our Master and through the election of our Synod Meeting. I am grateful to my Lord for His inspiration and guidance and I am thankful to our constituency who afforded me the opportunity to be, for the past five years, “First among the Equals”. Truthfully, I did not intend to be First, as you may remember I said, “the First place was designated for the Master, I was satisfied to take the “second” place: to be an assistant to the Master". As my second term in office expired, I was honored that the Synod bestowed on me the title “Bishop Emeritus”. Our Calvin Synod has always meant a great deal to me. No one can be a good officer or leader who feels that he is above the Constitution and By Laws, or can overrule the decisions of the Synod. This obedience to the heavenly vision and the to rules, makes one an able member of the Church and also, upon election, an officer and leader. Jesus Himself was an obedient, suffering Servant of God and through His obedience until the cross itself, a victorious winner and heir of God’s eternal kingdom. I believe that prior to, in the, and after my service as Bishop, I was in your prayers, just as you were in mine. Keep the Synod continually in your prayers just as I continue to pray for the new Bishop, Council, Synod, Congregations, our membership and Denomination. We all need these prayers rather than severe criticism, true or false. Prayer is our only means; use it day and night, and remain sound workmen and devout servants of our Lord and Master, of our Synod, of pure Calvinistic faith, heritage and the sound Biblical doctrine of the Reformation. We need a re-formation in the Synod, in the United Church of Christ and in the One Holy Universal Christian Church... We need to be supportive of our new Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Louis Medgyesi, we need to be there for the Council and we should uphold the Constitution and By Laws. Be and remain conscientious members of your Congregations and of our Calvin Synod. Dear Friends, no matter how important we are in our congregations and Synod, we must think also about our dismembered Mother Church. Be supportive of our churches in the successive states and also those in the diaspora. Besides God, you are their only hope. Pray for them and do something for them. This Church, this dismembered Church, is the Church of your forefathers. Since the time of the Reformation they have kept the faith: even when they underwent persecutions. They had to be strong so that you also would be able to grow up in their faith along with the coming generations. We stand and fall together... We are a part of our Hungarian Reformed fellowships, that is of the Hungarian Reformed World Federation and of the Consultative Convent of the Hungarian Reformed Churches. We are members of the Hungarian World Federation and of the Hungarian Coalition. These organizations struggle in the hope of a better future of our Hungarian Reformed churches and people here and all over the world. We should support these organizations to the utmost. At our 1998 Calvin Synod Meeting in Ligonier, we unanimously accepted the plan for our full cooperation with the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. Their congregations will be voting on the acceptance soon and the result will be announced at their Synod Meeting. Pray for the success of bringing our congregations to a free association and cooperation after these 75 years of struggle. We still strive for the preservation of the Bethlen Museum and Archives in the Bethlen Home. The First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh has been generous enough to offer a room for the Synod Archives. Some of the material has already been deposited there. We were left alone in our struggle to preserved the Bethlen Museum and Archives in the Bethlen Home in Ligonier. The Synod continues to need your allegiance, your prayers and your financial support. Do your utmost and not the least. If we continue to give the least of these, do not expect the utmost... Your Congregation and the Calvin Synod is only as strong as the weakest link in this chain. If the chain is broken, it is first of all not the fault of “others” but yours... May God give us the strength to hold fast to our faith and spiritual heritage... Do not be afraid of the future which may appear dark, but believe and pray to your Master who promised to remain with us until He will return in His glory... May our Lord bless and keep us and remain with us as He has been in the past and according to His promise forever more. Remaining In His Service Francis Vitéz, Bishop Emeritus The Christian Observer: Transylvanian Bishop Kalman Csiha's The Light Through The Bars, recounts the incredible story of six-and-a-half years in prison for the cause of Jesus. The Calvin Synod Herald most highly recommends this English-version of the 166-page long book with 30 immortal poems, written behind prison bars in the aftermath of the Debrecen World Alliance Meeting, with the motto: “BREAK THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE! "The price of the book, including mailing, is only $11.24. Please make your check payable and mail to: “THE LIGHT” PUBLICATION PROJECT 415 Steven Boulevard • Richmond Heights, Ohio 44143 The Hungarian-version, “Fény a rácsokon”, may be ordered through: KÁLVIN KIADÓ Bocskai-u. 35 Pf. 416 • 1519 - Budapest, Hungary A German-language version, based upon our English translation, is now under preparation.
