Magyar Egyház, 1958 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1958-05-01 / 5. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

11

A VIEW OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH IN SOUTH AMERICA

South America, with its 154 million people in a territory as large as Europe and the United States put together, is a “tremendous challenge both to the Roman Catholic and the Protestant Churches”, according to Dr. A. Rodriguez of Union Theological Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba.

Reporting to the Assembly of the International Missionary Council in Accra, Ghana, in January, he pointed out that the Protestant Church is comparatively small — five million members out of the total population of 154 million. At the same time, he said that the Roman Catholic Church claims 47 million members. “Hence, there remain 102 million Latin Americans beyond the reach of any Christian spiritual inspiration. It is not just the single question of seeing who gets the largest number first, but of giving Christian assistance to such a large number of people who, living without it, are losing contact with the real spiritual and moral values of life. They are falling prey to other movements which may lead them astray forever.”

“Protestant Christianity in South America is on the march. Undoubtedly, in the near future, the Protestant movement will be recognized by all as the most significant and transforming factor in the life of the Latin American people. Right now, the influence of the Protestant community in Latin America is far out of proportion to its numerical size.

“Though much of the Protestant work in Latin America is already self-supporting and self-governing, it must be remembered that these young churches are just beginning to stand on their own feet. We must stand by them, with our prayers, our sympathy and with all kinds of assistance and help. The most urgent need is to enlarge and improve the theological institutions already in existence in Latin America. It is a fact that the Protestant work in our countries has extended so far that there are not enough trained leaders to care for it properly. The other great need is the production and distribution of Christian literature. We need to permeate the thought of Latin America with Christian ideas and ideals. Much has been accomplished along this line during the last fifteen or twenty years, mainly through the Committee on Cooperation in Latin America. But there is much to be done yet, and more liberal contributions would not only cause a larger production but a larger range of subjects, titles and authors. Help also is greatly needed in radio broadcasting, social service and student centres. Here we have an open door to a great area of service, but we lack manpower and material means.

“The extraordinary development of the Protestant movement in Latin America in recent years is, undoubtedly, a sign that in God’s providence, on the clock of history, the hands are already pointing to the dawning of a new day in Latin America. But the very same hands are pointing also to an hour that raises many problems and creates new situations, calling for vision and long-range planning.” E.P.S., Geneva-----------o----------Interchurch Co-operation

The church building of St. Catherine in Lübeck, West Germany, is open for celebration of worship according to the rites of four Christian traditions: the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lübeck, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Old Lutheran.

CHRISTIAN “SABBATH” IS SUNDAY—“THE LORD’S DAY”

“And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen.” (Mk. 16:2). Christ arose on the first day of the week, and the Christian people of every age have met every Lord’s Day remembering the Easter of joy. Although it is not in a technical sense a sabbath the Christian accords this day such honor as befits a great day such as it is.

For the Christian man, every Sunday is Easter all over again. This is one of the reasons for regular attendance at worship, hearing what God has done thru the resurrection of Christ and offering thanksgivings for this gift of redemption.

The reason Saturday is no longer regarded as before is obvious. Christ to the Jews said, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” It was a day of rest and spiritual renewal. If Christians did this on the first day, the seventh day sabbath made for man was no longer needed. So another out-dated Old Testament law became outdated, superceded by the greater importance of the Christ.

The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day — it is His. Worship Him! A.W.K.

GERMANY AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

The plan to bring nuclear weapons to West Germany as part of the over all Western defense program has become a controversial issue within the Evangelical Church of Germany. A group of German Christians around the “Church Brotherhoods”, made up of pastors and laymen who led the church’s fight against Hitler, has urged their synod to take a stand against nuclear armament and atomic warfare.

In replying to the demand, Hans Asmussen, a retired prominent official of the Evangelical Church of Germany, has warned against oversimplifying the issues involved and “giving the impression that all that is needed to save us from atomic warfare is for Christians in Western Germany to start an atomic strike.”

People who consider a protest movement against nuclear weapons more important that the care of young people through baptism, religious instruction and confirmation, he said, evidently regard “the body as more important than the soul, politics as more important than the Church, survival as more important than life in accordance with the word of God. People who are more afraid of atomic weapons than of the death of the soul have already betrayed every article of he Christian faith.”

Provost Asmussen said that the groups asking the synod to express its agreement or disagreement on a set of ten basic principles did not mention the fact that “the first thing we must do as representatives of the Church is to be called to repentance and prayer”.

E.P.S., Geneva