Magyar Egyház, 1957 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1957-08-01 / 8-9. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 13 NOTES ON THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY . . . The General Assembly, as it met in McKeesport, planned as ambitious a program for the Free Magyar Reformed Church as ever in its history. In terms of the growth of a vital Church, the creation of a Committee on Missions will be a step in the direction leading to a strong Church. As the early Church grew upon the impetus of a strong missionary effort, the same is true today, for any Church that is not concerned with witnessing to the living Christ will surely fail to be a witness even in its own area. Now that the years of adaptation to American life are over the difficult parts, the Church can reach out into other spheres. Where and how, of course, will be determined best by this new committee. Certainly, too, the other areas of work of this Committee on Missions will be just as important. In a nation growing at the rate of 3 millions every year, it will be necessary to develop new churches in growing areas. To supply the pulpits of these and other churches, since many ministers will be retiring in the forthcoming years, a program to encourage young men to become candidates for the ministry will be vitally necessary. And in these days of the inflationary spiral, with the cost of higher education rising too, it will be necessary to help many of these young men through school financially, since many will come from homes where money is not to be found in abundance. The minimum salary of $300 a month, plus allowances, which was set at this meeting will also be important to congregations as they call new pastors. This sum is far below the average for the churches of the country, and ought not to be considered excessive. In view of the fact that other churches are paying more, it will be difficult to secure a pastor even at that sum. One thing that ought to be remembered by the churches is that this is not a maximum. They can give increases to their pastors. How many members would stay in a job if year in and year out they had to work for the same salary. Everyone likes an increase now and then, and ministers are no exception when it comes to incentive, so they will work harder after an increase, to the benefit of the church. Two major items, the changing of the name of the Church and the creation of the office of Bishop, will require constitutional changes. These, therefore, are items that will require consideration by the entire membership of the church, so that they will enter into the Assembly through the voice of their chosen delegates. Members ought to be fully aware of the implications of the office of the Bishop. The General Assembly has recognized this and will first present to the membership the reasons and importance of this recommendation. The office of the Bishop is not well known to young Hungarian Reformed people though it is familar to their parents and grandparents. In this country the largest churches having bishops are the Protestant Episcopal, Orthodox, Roman and Methodist churches. The assembly, when called, will have to decide if this is acceptable to the people of the Church, and then develop a regular system providing for the election of the Bishop, his tenure, checks and balances, housing and allowances, etc. The change of name, though of less practical importance to the churches, is the occasion for thinking on the part of each church member as to the true meaning of his church and his part in making that name a living reality by his participation. The Church will only be a church as long as its members conduct themselves as Christians, so that the church becomes the servant it really is. It will be Reformed only so long as its people live their lives in accordance with those Reformation principles that gave the church its birthright. It will be Magyar so long as its people contribute to American culture the good gifts of Hungarian traditions and attitudes. The freedom of the Church is in Christ. Albert W. Kovács (We are delighted to print Rev. Kovács’ article. Now Pastor of Emanuel Evangelical and Reformed Church, Minersville, Pa. at one time he served as an assistant in our Carteret Church.) COURT RULING ON PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT A Connecticut court recently refused to recognize a prenuptial agreement. The case involved a husband and wife in Eastford who were living separately. Before their marriage, the wife, a Protestant, consented to raise her children in her husband’s Roman Catholic faith. After being separated the husband sought custody of their three children, basing his claim on the prenuptial agreement. Judge Charles A. House from the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut ruled against the claim and gave custody of the three children to the mother. According to the judge’s opinion the mother is a fit and proper person to take care of the children. This the husband, too, admitted. The judge declared in his decision that all Christian religions stand on the same footing in the eyes of the law and the courts are primarily interested in the child’s welfare. “A court will not take a child’s religion into its own hands”, the judge declared, “short of circumstances amounting to unfitness of the custodian...” “The law is absolutely impartial in matters of religion...” * This happened in one state, Connecticut, but it is very likely that similar actions would fare no better in other states either. This certainly gives our minsters and officers a new basis in counseling in cases where members of our Church have signed over their children to the Roman Catholic Church but later would want to change the situation. The Connecticut example seems to show that such prenuptial agreements cannot be enforced by law. The other side of the coin, of course, is that an agreement made in our favor cannot be enforced by law either. Which means that by having such an agreement signed by a mixed couple the work of the Church is not done. We have to do our best to keep our member firm on his—or her—decision. At the same time we must present the Reformed interpretation of Christ’s Gospel to the non-reformed party so effectively that he—or she—may want to join our Church.
