Magyar Egyház, 1957 (36. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1957-11-01 / 11. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 15 WCC STAFF MEMBER VISITS CHURCHES IN HUNGARY Dr. Howard Schomer, secretary in the Division of Inter-Church Aid and Service to Refugees of the World Council of Churches, visited congregations, seminaries and church institutions throughout Hungary from October 1 to 7. The Reformed Church in Hungary and the recently reorganized Ecumenical Council of Protestant Churches in Hungary were his hosts for this detailed field trip which took him to Budapest, and other cities and villages. Dr. Schomer preached to overflowing crowds on October 6, at services at the Calvin Square Church of Budapest and in the rural church in Tök. He met with representative groups from the several Hungarian member churches of the w.c.c. Parishioners and church leaders all over Hungary expressed their appreciation for the substantial aid received from Christians abroad during the past year. Clothing from the last shipments to arrive before the expiration of the International Red Cross permit on June 30 is now being distributed to the most needy. The government customs authorities and the national factories are making it possible for World Council, CROP and HEKS to provide Hungarian church institutions and parsonages with raw cotton, to be made into bed linen and underclothing. The government has also authorized the churches to import India paper and to begin publishing 200,000 hymnals and 100,000 Bibles. The World Council is providing the paper for the hymnals and joining with the United Bible Societies to provide the paper for the Bibles. Cash aid, authorized by the government, has permitted the World Council, in cooperation with the World Reformed Alliance and Lutheran World Service, to furnish the household of every Protestant pastor, lay church worker and retired church employee in Hungary — a total of more than 3,700 homes — with a special emergency relief grant amounting to approximately one month’s salary. Cash transfers are also enabling more than a hundred pastors to obtain motorcycles. Cash assistance for basic repairs and equipment is now reaching some of the 36 Protestant welfare institutions, most of which care for the aged and the handicapped. E.P.S., Geneva # * * REFUGEE TEENS GO TO SCHOOL A year has passed but more than 3,000 Hungarian youngsters between 14 and 18 are still in Austria, a National Council of Churches executive reported on his recent return to New York. Ben. E. E. Wilbur, program director of the Council’s Broadcasting and Film Commission, visited several refugee schools and interviewed World Council of Churches refugee workers in Vienna and other towns. “One of the most perplexing problems refugee workers are faced with is training these youngsters,” he said. “There are 450 Protestant teen-agers in the World Council’s program of ‘middle schools’ which are providing shelter, food and clothing as well as an education,” he reported. He added that most of these supplies have been given by America’s Protestant churches through Church World Service, which also provided all the textbooks for these schools. Other training centers are being conducted by the Austrian government, the United Nations and other agencies. “During the exodus a year ago,” Mr. Wilbur said, “more than 4,000 teen-agers crossed the border from Hungary without their parents and, in most cases, also without their consent. Of them, 800 or so went across to Yugoslavia and 175 returned home. The others are still in Austria.” At a small Methodist church he visited in Linz, Mr. Wilbur said that 30 boys are being trained by the assistant to the minister, the Rev. Emil John, from Providence, R.I. “Most of the young people I talked with wanted to come to the United States” Mr. Wilbur declared, “but they cannot do so under our present immigration and refugee laws.” (The Religions Newsweekly.) ßethlett IjauMt fyabum CHRISTMAS SOCIAL As this issue of Magyar Egyház goes to press details are under completion for the Christmas Social and Dance of the Eastern Classis Bethlen Youth Federation. Fixed are so far the date: Saturday, December 28, and the place: Bethlen Hall, Carteret. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Dr. Harsanyi, the idea of the foundation of our Young People’s Organization came about after I have attended the Bethlen Youth Conference held in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, over the Labor Day week-end. I was inspired by the Conference, and the many young people I became acquainted with, to suggest the formation of an organization for young people within our Bronx church. With the help of our Pastor, the Reverend Gabor Csordás, we gathered our young people and held our first meeting on October 4th, at which time there were 19 in attendance. We held our second meeting on October 18th, when 24 young people came. I was unanimously appointed President of the group, Frank Pinter was elected Treasurer. The name of our club is the “Young People’s Organization”. Our meetings are held on the first and third Friday of each month. The dues will be $3.00 per annum. On October 20th, 1957, we attended the Staten Island Conference. A group of 7 came from the Bronx and our Pastor addressed the Conference on “The Rise of Fanatical Religions”. — On November 3rd we went to see a play, the “Truce of the Bear”, which was about the Hungarian uprising and how it affected the lives of the people in Hungary. There were 33 in attendance, parents included. — On our next meeting we plan to draw up a charter for our organization. We hope to be an active group within the Eastern Classis, and will do our best to achieve this goal set before us. Sincerely yours, JOAN BURGER President
