Calvin Synod Herald, 1998 (98. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1998-11-01 / 6. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- k -AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

Our Bishop's Letter of Introduction

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

By the gracious will of God, I have been elected as Bishop of the Calvin Synod this past May in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, to oversee the work, mission and witness of our local churches and to perform the ecclesiastical duties of the office entrusted to me. I thank the Lord for granting me a share in an expanded ministry to serve Him and His people with love and diligence. Already, in the short six months of my tenure, I have experienced the heavy demands of the office as our pastors and churches call for personal advice, guidance and involvement. I have been called to conduct installation services for three new pastors, invited to attend church anniversaries, and a host of daily tasks await my personal attention. Truly, the "buck stops" at the Bishop's office.

Since the Reformation, our forefathers deemed it necessary for Bishops to have their own congregations and be in tune with the needs, hurts, and thoughts of the faithful. We are the proud recipients of that tradition where the office of the Bishop is tied directly to the work, mission, and witness of the local congregations. Therefore, I view the task of my office as an enabler and encourager of pastors and congregations, as well as an uncompromising defender of our Christian faith in God. My position is akin to the watchman of Ezekiel 3:17 where the unvarnished truths of God's Word is proclaimed to the faithful and the unregenerate alike; the only phobia I have is mitigating and mincing the full gospel message of God's salvation that calls for repentance, conversion, transformation and service. I fear being disloyal and displeasing to God alone!

As an under shepherd of the Lord Jesus Christ, my responsibilities are not limited to the daily routine administration of our churches, but I am more concerned with the spiritual health

and vitality of our Synod's members. It is no secret that some of our congregations are small in membership size; as a result, many brethren have become more concerned with survival than with service. Even in our larger congregations, there seems to be discouragement over the lack of interest among folks who do not share in the support, upkeep and mission of the church. And rightly so, because church membership has its rights and privileges as well as duties and responsibilities! But, since when has God been unduly concerned about numbers among His elect? Did He not always save a faithful remnant to bear witness and give testimony of His loving grace among the people of Israel; and will He not keep a faithful remnant as living testimony of His Salvation when Jesus returns to set up the everlasting Kingdom? Of course He will. In the meantime, God's Holy Spirit is sifting the wheat from the chaff, the faithful from the unbeliever. Let me encourage those of you who have spent many years working in the local church not to lose heart, nor diminish your faith, hope and zeal in the Lord. For He blesses the intent and dedication of your service if it is done with love and not resentment, particularly when others are brought to saving faith.

Thus, I reiterate the emphasis of our calling as followers of Jesus the Christ to bear witness of God's loving grace for the salvation of men. This is why we exist as a church fellowship and for no other reason! Both our individual and corporate identity is tied to fulfilling the great commission of Matthew 28:18-20. The church of Christ is militant and not pacifist in this regard. Hungarian Reformed Christians are called to do evangelism in the setting where our churches are planted! As Bishop, I would encourage our congregation members to be receptive of those who are not of our own ethnic or racial background and give them space and opportunity to utilize their God given talents among us, so that we may grow in faithful service to the Lord by bringing in the lost and the misguided.

I would aiso encourage all of you to strengthen the ties that bind you to the local congregation. Whether you have been attending church since birth or have come later into

the faith fellowship, think of the church as an extended family unit. For as much as we need the loving arms of our heavenly Father to guide and nurture us, we need each other to maintain unity, purpose and resolve in the body of Christ. We must hold each other accountable for the choices and promises we have made, the lifestyles we espouse and follow, and find support and affirmation for living according to the unalterable morals standards of God's love and grace. This is the nature and character of those brethren sharing leadership within the Conference Council. I do give thanks to God for my fellow officers who were elected to fulfill their own responsibilities. I look forward to having a good working relationship with all of them for the benefit of our Synod.

Over the years, the Calvin Synod has been strengthening the requirements for ministers who wish to serve our churches. In the past ten years of service on the Conference Council, I have seen 'teeth" being added to the Synod Constitution and By-laws, along with the Church and Ministry Committee, to hold ministers accountable for their words and actions. The Synod has enacted safeguards for our churches by requiring a one-year waiting period of pastors from other denominations and conferences who are elected to serve one of our churches, before they receive full standing. In the future, I propose that similar standards of accountability be applied to an required of individuals seeking to be church presbyters, organization leaders and officers. In this same vein, the Synod accepted a report from the Standardization Committee last May to set term limits for presbyters and officers, and recommends its enactment by our local churches.

As we head across the threshold of time, from one millennium to the next, let us strive to keep not only our ethnic and faith traditions alone, but endeavor to maintain a unified witness of the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord (John 3:16). Please remember, that the Calvin Synod, as well as its "mother church" in Hungary, exists as a unified whole and not as “disjointed body parts" which set their own agendas and may proclaim a degenerate gospel we neither read nor hear about in the Word of God. Let us live according to the model of Jesus' perfect life for the preservation of our soul, the benefit of our fellow man, and the glory of God.

FRONT ROW: Rev. Ágoston Dobos, Rev. John Thomas, Rev. Dr. Francis Vitéz, Rev. Louis Medgyesi, Rev. Bela Poznan, Rev. Zoltán Szucs, Rev. Albert Kovács & Rev. Dr. Szabolcs Kalman.

BACK ROW: Rev. István Geczy, Rev. Frank Endrei, Rev. Csilla Geczy, Rev. Dr. Jake Wagner, Fr. Bryan Eyeman (Byzantine Rite), Rev. Zoltán Sutto, Rev. Gabor Nitsch & Rev. William Nyerges.