Magyar Egyház, 1957 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1957-08-01 / 8-9. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 15 WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES MEETING During the month of August churchmen from the Protestant and Orthodox denominations gathered on the campus of Yale Divinity School for the annual meeting of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. Last year’s meeting was held at Galyatető in Hungary. Since that time such tremendous Goldie Vágott, Trenton, N.J., Member-at-Large from the East; and Steve Pastor, McKeesport, Pa., Member-at-Large from the West. Rev. Szőke administered the oath of office to the new officers and the meeting was brought to a close by a prayer by Bill Orosz and the singing of the Hymn “Once to Every Man and Nation.” Prior to the business meeting the members heard a few remarks from Rev. Kecskemethy, Secretary of the Hungarian Reformed Federation, Washington, D.C. He gave a brief explanation of the Federation and the benefits its members can derive from it. Following the business session, supper was served at 6:00 P.M. Sunday Evening was marked by a program of entertainment at the Church Hall. The entertainment included Community Singing; several selections by the Men’s Chorus of Duquesne; a monologue by Jules Nagy; a solo by Paul Shigo; and the high spot of the evening’s entertainment came with the performance of their skit by the Eastern group consisting of Roebling and Perth Amboy; followed by the Minstrel presented by Duquesne. The entire program of entertainment was enjoyed and appreciated by all in attendance. x Breakfast was served at 7:00 A.M. Monday morning with most of the delegates making it on time. Departure for the picnic grounds got under way very shortly after 8:00 A.M. with everyone (almost) leaving in a group. Somewhere along the line, however, someone made a wrong turn and this move fouled things up for a while and caused considerable delay. The Rev. Dezső Abraham conducted the morning devotions at the camp, but due to the delay in the start, no group discussions were held. The picnic was highlighted by a soft-ball game between the East and the West. It was a fairly close game with the West edging the East by a score of 20 to 6. (Better luck next time gang!) After the game, refreshments were served — the East team could sure use it by then! After lunch several groups went to visit the Bethlen Home. The departure of the last car brought to a close another Conference and we sincerely hope that everyone had an enjoyable weekend. It was an honor and a privilege having the Conference here in Duquesne. We were very happy to have you all with us and we enjoyed every minute of it. Here’s hoping that next year’s Conference is bigger and better; and until we meet again, God be with you all — Jules “Gyula” Nagy events have taken place that the entire picture of world wide Christianity has changed radically. First and foremost was the great Hungarian revolution of last fall. By this act of immeasurable bravery our European relatives flung down the gauntlet to the forces of tyranny. The Reformed Church in Hungary has once again come into the public eye as the great center of Biblical Christianity in Central Europe. The changes brought about in the life of this Christian group by the revolution are difficult to assess. It is evident, however, that the witness of the Reformed Church is more effective and its leadership is increasingly concerned with the daily life of its people. The second great change is the resurgence of Roman Catholic power, both religious and political. Even England feels the careful organizational efforts of Rome to convert its people. The great influx of Irish immigrants has changed that formerly Protestant nation into a religious battleground. In Germany the attempt of Chancellor Conrad Adenauer to align his political party with the Roman Church has forced thousands of Protestants into the ranks of the Socialists who, at least, do not equate democracy with Catholicism. The Council sessions dealt primarily with the reported persecution of Protestants in Colombia, South America, by Roman Catholics. A study of this attack of the entrenched clerical powers against religious freedom will be undertaken soon. The Roman Catholic reaction was violent. It is for the study committee to determine what the extent of this reported assault on freedom is and what can be done about it. The third and most important change is the attitude of the world toward atomic weapons. Here the Council group dealt with a subject that is fraught with political and religious problems. The committee tried to walk a narrow path between demanding outright abolition of atomic weapons and calling for attempts at international cooperation. That churchmen should deal at all with such a subject is very questionable in the minds of many. But thinking Christians must realize that it is the concern of all Christendom to study the tremendous power of all out warfare and to do all that is possible to seek a basic Christian approach. If the Council’s deliberations at this point seemed to be somewhat vague, at least they were accented by a deep concern and commitment to finding a way out that is just and honorable. The Church in Hungary was represented by the Rev. Gyula Muraközy and Dr. László Pákozdy. Both men spoke remarkably good English and entered fully into the discussions. Their very presence was a sign that the World Council of Churches is the one body that can serve to unify in spite of international barriers. Their witness to the truth of the Gospel of Christ is centered about their commitment to Him and His Church. We pray that their labors in Hungary be richly blessed by the Almighty. In closing, the World Council’s Central Committee once again proved that our unity as Christians means more than pious phrases, it calls for soul searching and prayer that the Chuch be indeed what its Lord and Master would have it to be, the undivided Body of Christ. C.A.D.
