Calvin Synod Herald, 2013 (114. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)

2013-07-01 / 7-8. szám

6

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

doctor-approved leave and greeted the members.

VII. Annual Synod Picnic. We held our Annual Synod Picnic at Penn Scenic View Campground, guests of the William Penn Association. Mrs. Barbara House, President of The William Penn Association, Mr. Endre Csornán, Mr. Richard Sárosi and other officers and members of the Association greeted us and served us an excellent supper of “Csirke Paprikás”, nokedli, cucumber salad, and pastries.

VIII. Multimedia Committee.

A. Calvin Synod Herald. The Committee suggested expanding the Calvin Synod Herald to 24 pages again, using color for Easter and Christmas issues, and having an “internet version” for posting on Calvin Synod Yahoo site.

B. Internet. Rev. Chuck Huckaby announced that he sent an email test the day before to Synod members, as a test, problems can be cured if we know of them.

IX. Overseas and Homeland Mission

A. Overseas Mission Projects:

1. Two major Relief Funds were established in the year of 2012:

a. In March of 2012 the Tornado Relief Fund was established for helping the victims in the states of Indiana, Northern Kentucky and southwest Ohio. $300 was collected and a check in that amount was mailed to World Vision.

b. In November of 2012 a Relief Fund was established for helping the victims in the East Coast of the United States that were experiencing a great natural disaster, Hurricane Sandy. Two members of the New York congregation suffered loss, and Conference Council decided to assist those persons.

B. Two new mission support requests were added to the mission list published in the Calvin Synod Herald:

1. The Hungarian Reformed Church of Nagykároly-Kertváros (Carei) in Transylvania was asking for donations for their construction project of a new church building and parsonage. Mr. Lehel Deák reported that Barbara Miklósi of the Hungarian Reformed Church of New York City had presented the donated amount to the local congregation while in Transylvania, and had returned with a DVD showing pictures of the ongoing progress of the mission and also the acknowledgement of the donation and thanks from the congregation.

2. The Székelyudvarhely Reformed High School in Transylvania was requesting donations for their school building’s roof.

C. A special collection was made by the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Walton Hills, and the West Side Hungarian Reformed Church to support the Gizella Church Aid of the Slovakia Christian Reformed Church.

D. One of our most effective on-going mission projects is the Calvin Synod School Fund coordinated by Mrs. Gabriella Nádas.

E. Home Mission Projects:

1. September of 2012, Calvin Synod Conference Council made a request for Christmas gifts for retired ministers and ministers’ widows posted in the Calvin Synod Herald. Christmas gifts were sent to our retired ministers and ministers’ widows.

2. The Prayer Calendar that was printed in the Calvin Synod Herald was a great blessing. For example, in October of 2012 the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Walton Hills, Ohio prayed

for and also collected donations for the Good Samaritan Orphanage and School in Ukraine and also for the Székelyudvarhely Reformed High School in Transylvania. In addition to this other churches requested information about our mission projects and made efforts to collect donations for these causes.

3. We are providing student aid to students and pastors continuing their education.

4. We continue to support Bethlen Communities and Youth Camp.

5. Conference Council established a fund to aid Rev Peter Toth and his family. We are collecting financial assistance for him and his family to help them with hospital and other medical bills that will occur following a serious accident.

F. Recommendations and requests:

1. Three young women were found in a home in Cleveland, Ohio. They were kidnapped and kept captive in a house for ten years. The committee recommends establishing a home mission fund to help them.

2. To support the Székely Miko Reformed High School in Sepsiszentgyörgy and Backamadarasi Kiss Gergely Reformed High School in Székelyudvarhely, both schools are in Transylvania, with $200 each.

3. To make an appeal to assist the widow of Rev. Jenő Katona and his family.

4. To promote a sister church program with churches in Hungary and the Hungarian churches in the Carpathian basin. One of the benefits would be that the church members here could visit the sister church overseas. Local congregations can be asked if they want to participate in this program.

5. Encourage the Calvin Synod congregations to establish soup kitchens for mission and ministry purposes and/or to establish other mission programs: focusing on the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, food banks for the needy, etc.

6. The committee members call the attention of the pastors and delegates of Calvin Synod: “If a letter of request for financial support arrives to a local church it is important to investigate and check the background of that request before the church makes any attempts or steps to support that particular cause. ”

7. Calvin Synod mission projects are listed in our Calvin Synod Herald. We encourage our pastors, delegates, and representatives to review those projects and encourage their congregations to support them. Mission projects and appeal letters are sent to our congregations, to the Calvin Synod yahoo group, and to our official Calvin Synod web site. Committee members respectfully encourage our congregations and call their attention by reading mission appeal letters and mission projects from the pulpit so our congregations would be more aware of our mission work and projects.

X. Committee on Recommendations. The Committee brought the following recommendations which were accepted by the Annual Meeting:

A. ISLAMIST JIHAD - MODERN HOLCAUST - condemnation of Jihad.

B. Future annual meetings should schedule adequate time for presentations of topics to the Annual Meeting;

C. Grant $150.00 to Mr. Tom Ladeu, a member of an Evangelical Presbyterian Church from Kansas who had been intro-