Hungarian Church Press, 1957 (9. évfolyam, 14-15. szám)

1957-11-30 / 14. szám

H3K3? XI,30,1957, VqL.JX/11- 20 -176

my consequently reduced capacity for carrying the burdens of ray office, - The second reason lies in the manifold inner crises which mark the present situation of our church, I ace glad to sey that these are not a crisis of the congregations.

Let us thank God that our congregations have remained sober and still live on the Word of God, enjoying the abundance of the comforting and strengthening gifts cf the Holy Spirit, But as to our leadership, particularly the highest governing organs, we observe innumerable short-circuits, ruptures and breakages, An energy and resoluteness exceeding the normal are required in one talcing the lead in such a situation as curs, let there are many people who oak for and make claim an iiy leadership, pastors* conferences, my b ret lor on the a-eniera, consistories, presbytery meetings have sp£jcalcd to me to accept the sacrifice of further sorvioe, no matter with how a reduced schedule I would have to husband, from now on, my lessened energies, I must appreciate and also thank the expression of love in these appeals to remain and serve further. But I must not foil to call your attention to a deficiency in these appeals,, The chief motive in nearly all such appeals issues from the considerations that the relationship between our church and the state has deteriorated, that this deterioration is bod both for the ohurch and our people, and that I cm regarded as the only person adapted for the task of repairing and establishing again healthy and good relationship between our church and the state, I should like to emphasise very energetically what everybody oould have observed in my 3entice : I attach a very great importance to the maintenance of a peaceful relationship between the church end the state. In this respect X am in no need for making apologies; moreover, I am in the position to emphasise, without being open to misunderstandings, that the present orisis of our church, including the deterioration of the relationship between the church and the state, does not constitute the fundamental problem but only the consequenoe of the deterioration of a, much more fundamental, in foot,primary relationship which exists between the Church and her Lord, Whenever perils, triples, diseases and problems in other relations occur, the Church always has to a sic whether she has walked faithfully in the path of believing obedience« Ills in other relations are but consequenoes, and these consequences cannot be healed unless the fundamental relationship between the Lord and the Church is healed and renewed by our return to hiia, in constant repentance, I ask for the forgiveness of those concerned among my beloved and most deserving feUcw-servantswhen I confess that I find the arguments for my return to service inconclusive. The Reformed Church in Hungary has not attested or even committed acts of unfaithfulness aid. of betraying Christ when it has stood, from the General Synod down to the Boards of Elders for our good and sober service in the Hungarian state, the service of peace within our people and in the whole world of the peoples.

On the contrary, the church, by doing 30, has not worked for its own security and has not simply applied tactics but has tried to obey the will of God as far as it has, in its weakness, recognised the will of God and has been able to do it, let it is exactly this standpoint which I fail to feel in the arguments advanced for my returns

I haw tried to 3eek the will of God on the issue cf ny further service or retiremento As energetically as I had to fight against the action cf unlawful executive committees trying to dismiss the legally elected bishop of our synod,the duly installed bishop in the holy Church of God (far I kryjw that even the least servant in God's Church must be on guard lest "our ministry be blamed"); and as resolutely I protested oguinat the approval of tin so-oiled action calling for iry resignation - an approval thought up by men of oonfused ?*Lnds as it was based on a special law passed in the last year of World War IT, authorising the presidents of our synod to take nation, in the case of a war emergency, also within the authority of the synodj •*» I feel Just as deeply that the time for tendering my resignation ha3 arrived.