Magyar Egyház, 1958 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1958-04-01 / 4. szám
8 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ the respect of others. There are many adults who’s lives are guided by the very principles of behavior taught to them by their parents. And in this same sense, Jesus might be said to dwell within his people, although he no longer dwells among them. Jesus has ascended into heaven to rule his creation. But in a very real way he is still with man, guiding by the example of his life on earth the way men should live, and guiding by his continued presence his people on their walk through life to heaven. The earthly King of kings has become the heavenly Lord of lords, Lord of the living and the dead in all eternity. Albert W. Kovács TRENDS IN CHURCH GOVERNMENT Rev. Charles A. Darocy American Christianity is today undergoing some of the most widespread changes of its history. In colonial days most of the Protestant churches were of the congregational variety, in which the local parish was a law unto itself. The development of centralized authority within the Protestant Episcopal and Methodist denominations was warily studied for many years by the more independent groups. The Reformed and Presbyterian Churches followed a middle road in which authority was based on the presbytery or classis. This system worked effectively for generations, but has more recently been seriously hampered by pressures of modern life. In brief, the rise of a magnificently organized sect, the Roman Catholic, has upset the old balance in American church life. Our independent congregations proved to be no match for the power that resides in the area bishoprics. New England, the traditional home of the Congregationalist churches, has become one of the greatest strongholds of Romanist strength. And much of this gain was due to the failure of young Protestants to value their own tradition. They married into the Roman Church, surrendered their unborn children, and became lost to Protestantism. The result is tragic! In Connecticut alone, more than half the infants born any given year are baptised into the Roman faith. Our Protestant leaders have been more worried about fighting “Bingo” than in keeping their own people. Why? Partly because there was no central government, no concept of anything more definite than a vague assent to a religion of the spirit that had little relevance to everyday life. Many clergymen and laymen have become alarmed by this trend. The stand of the Hungarian Reformed Church on mixed marriage was ridiculed by many pastors of other denominations. Today more of them see how dearly they have paid for their lack of law. Without order, disorder often became present. Without central authority, every man became a law unto himself, and anarchy was an inevitable result. In Scotland representatives of the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) have carefully studied proposals for union with the Church of England (Episcopal). The extension of the historic Bishopric would be one end result of such a union. But whether or not the union does take place the idea is strongly advanced by many church leaders. I would not be at all surprised if the Bishopric were revived in our lifetime in many of our American denominations. The overall trend is toward the strengthening of authority with provision for retaining freedom of action within the local parish unit. My own denomination, the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. has, in the past few decades, established many positions of leadership, such as Synod and Presbytery executives, in order to implement its great national program. Other denominations are following suit, and it is evident that this trend will be accelerated in the near future. The Hungarian Reformed Church has often shown the way to us of the old line denominations. Its strong emphasis on rigorous training of confirmands, its majestic administration of the Holy Communion, its emphasis upon church membership as a responsibility and not a right, are all means of sharing its centuries old tradition of having both authority and freedom, order aand balance in Church government and life. ATTENTION PASTORS! A Pentecost Packet containing a three-color poster, bulletin cover, ministers’ helps, and the Pentecost message of the presidents of the World Council of Churches is available from the World Council of Churches office, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. The packet costs 50c. The bulletin cover is available in quantity at S2 per hundred.---------O--------YUGOSLAVIAN REFUGEE OFFICE CLOSES The recent closing of the World Council of Churches’ refugee office in Yugoslavia was hailed by Dr. Edgar H. S. Chandler as chalking up “ one problem that has been completely solved.” The 19,000 Hungarians who fled there in 1956 have now been resettled, he said, but added that other serious difficulties remain in helping the 8,000 Hungarians still living in Austrian camps. Dr. Chandler told the February meeting of the administrative committee of the World Council’s Division of Inter-Church Aid and Service to Refugees, which he heads, that in 1957, 28,416 refugees from various countries were resettled, bringing the total since 1952 to almost 100,000. The committee commended the Near East Christian Council for its work in relieving the distress of the Arab refugees and asked the Division to bring their continuing urgent needs to the attention of member churches. Other critical areas, Dr. Chandler reported, are teeming Hong Kong and Singapore — where Europeans from strife-torn Indonesia are thronging. And in many Greek border villages he said, thousands of Greeks are now returning from Russia with “absolutely nothing but their love of freedom.” The committee agreed to help support a team directed by the French ecumenical relief agency, CIMADE, which began work last October in Algiers. (The Religious Newsweekly.)
