Magyar Egyház, 1963 (42. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-10-01 / 10. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ » N. A. R. P. Y. A. The North American Reformed and Presbyterian Youth Assembly (NARPYA) held its closing session on July 25 at Purdue University. Very appropriately it was a Communion Service which reflected the mood and the profound impact of the conference. It had real significance for the participants then: overcome by the atmosphere of the conference, they were prepard to take their experiences back to their home churches to share it with other youth. This event occurred more than two months ago. 1 know what conferences are like and I also know that once the immediate impact is over, the experiences that seemed so meaningful at the time somehow pass into oblivion. I don’t think we should let NARPYA fade away as easily as that for several reasons: because our denomination was involved in the three years of planning before the conference, because it was the first encounter between Reformed and Presbyterian Youth on such a large scale and because the Hungarian Reformed delegates played an important and impressive role in the conference itself. We had delegates in core groups and as leaders of core groups, in counselor positions, on the staff, on the reactor panel and on the newspaper; our denomination was responsible for the entire closing service and for preparing a taped recording for the Voice of America. The conference itself was stimulating, educational and frustrating. Some 1600 delegates tried to cope with the theme “Come Creator Spirit” through lectures, worship, dramatic productions and endless discussions. We were frustrated that no answers were spelled out to our many questions but our thoughts were so stimulated that we were forced to come to grips with deep theological questions as well as with current social problems and the relevance of our Christian faith to them. This, briefly, was NARPYA. Now that it is over, there are no concrete terms in which we can measure its success. The delegates had the occasion to stop and think about what they really believed, what they valued and how they could bring the ideals of Christianity into relationship with the realities of everyday life. Now these 1600 people are dispersed all over the United States and if NARPYA was a success, they are now guiding others through the experience of coming to a greater understanding and manifestation of their Reformed faith. Fruzsina Harsanyi Under the direction of the Rev. John Paul Nagy (Miami, Fla.) children learn to sing at the Hungarian Summer School in Ligonier. Pa. At the Third Annual George Washington Awards Dinner: Dr. Edward Teller, Professor-at-Large of Physics, University of California; The Rt. Rev. Zoltán Beky, Bishop, Hungarian Reformed Church of America; Dr. Frederick H. Burkhardt, President, American Council of Learned Societies; Stevan Dohanos, President, Society of Illustrators, Vice President, American Hungarian Studies Foundation. REMEMBER THE CONFERENCE? J. B. Phillips’ The New Testament in Modern English titles the section Hebrews 6:1-3 with the question “Can we not leave spiritual babyhood behind — and go on to maturity?” This title as well as the Holy Scriptures presentation of the concept of maturity as something never attained, but always sought, is an excellent viewpoint from which to consider the Twenty-Fourth Annual National Conference of the Bethlen Youth Federation. Our young, yet highly capable, people met at Forest Park over the Labor Day week-end and displayed amazing progress towards maturity as individuals as well as a Federation representing our Hungarian Reformed Congregations. Although there were many indications of progress from previous years “spiritual babyhood,” unquestionably the keynote as established and directed by the host club, Duquesne, was participation. A review through the week-end will help one fully understand this aspect of the conference. On the opening night Vespers were conducted by the first of a total of seventeen individual young members of the Federation who acted as devotional leaders. This evening, too, the first and only breach of Christian Discipline was handled initially, not by the attending adults, but by some of the youths themselves. Saturday’s morning prayers (again led by the youth) were followed by the first of two keynote lectures on the Sacraments by the Reverend Stephen Kovács. Eight separate discussion groups, each with a member leader, met to freely, openly and with a degree of success discuss the Sacraments. Here the activity and participation of the over one hundred young people displayed marked improvement over pervious years. Saturday afternoon included the discussions, recreation, an Executive Committee Meeting, and a Business Meeting which progressed through its agenda with dispatch and with an open-minded attitude amongst the members.
