Magyar Egyház, 1971 (50. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1971-06-01 / 6-7. szám
16 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ our lives. It is very important, therefore, that the Word of God should be clearly preached in our churches, the sacraments performed according to our traditions and the discipline among the members maintained. Our Constitution and By-Laws: In our church, the Constitution and By-Laws were amended in almost every 10-15 years. The last such amendment was in 1954, but the circumstances have changed and a new revision is due in our time. A special committee went over the whole book and their work will be presented at this meeting. May 1 appeal to the members of the General Assembly, to assign a small committee to review the proposed changes, and go over the problems with our attorney and make a revision available to all our churches. Then, let the congregations examine the proposed changes and let everyone add good suggestions to it and we shall call the constitutional meeting together to approve the future laws of our church. It would be good to set the date and place of such a meeting for the next year! Our independent church always tried to maintain good relations with our Hungarian Brethren under other American church authorities. They were always subject to a constant fight for survival and for the maintenance of their Hungarian language. The American church superiors always reminded our Hungarian Reformed Church leaders, that it would be time for them to “Americanize” their churches, since the idea of the “melting pot” seemed very real. There is reference to such demands in the report of the President, of the Calvin Synod, (United Church of Christ) April 28, 1970: “Ten years ago our Synod (Calvin) was engaged in a fight for existance against the impatient integrationalism of our denomination. We had to send a memorandum and beg for “maximum tolerance” in order to be what we are. When we declared that we do not want integrational Americanization to be the primary concern in our Church because we honestly endeavor to be a color in the rainbow of the United Church of Christ, within the framework of Magyar Synod rather than an unwilling material in an ecclesiastical melting pot without Magyar Synod” — this eccumenical vision of ours was received with distrust and the “maximum offer” was only to grant further time for assimilation and integration”. After admitting this, we hear them saying, that: “We enjoy as much freedom as we can handle, more independence than the so-called “independent” Hungarian Reformed Church in America. We believe, that the Hungarian Reformed Churches affiliated with other denominations under the authority of their church superiors, áré still not dissolved and that their semi-independent status is still in effect is due to the mercy of God and in no small measure to the existance of our denomination. I am convinced, that if there would have been no independent Hungarian Reformed Church in America, they would have long ago disappeared in the “melting pot”. During the meeting of the Calvin Synod this year, the name and title of the President was changed to “Bishop”. Within the United Church of Christ among the 36 synods, only the little Hungarian group dared to introduce this title. We greet our Hungarian Reformed Brethren with love and express our hope, that this decision will bring them closer to us, the independent Hungarian Reformed Church in America. We sincerely hope, that the time will come, when one Hungarian Reformed Church member will find in another the brother, and we can build together with united effort, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mission Work: Last year, the flood conditions in Hungary and Romania caused such devastating damage in churches, homes and human lives, that our churches conducted a “Flood Relief” campaign. The total sum of $6,000 was sent to Hungary and Romania, Cluj. Kolozsvár, Oradea, Nagyvárad and to individuals and churches. Thanks to all who helped. Organizations: Our hearts must be filled with gratitude when we think about our Sunday Schools, and all other organizations in the congregations. Oh, how much work is involved in the Choirs, Youth Fellowships, Men’s Clubs and Women’s Guilds, Boy Scout movements and other church organizations. Special mention should be given to the Bethlen Youth Federation for the Quarterly as well as the National Conferences. Thanks and appreciation to all the fine volunteers, advisors, men and women, who labor with our teenagers. The women who labor in every church, in certain congregations there are Junior and Senior Clubs and even other organizations, deserve our praise. How much help they have given to our church, only God knows? It is a joy for every church leader to see them work. Their annual spring conference in the East is a good and well established occasion. May God continue to bless them. Who would be able to enumerate all the activities that our organizations perform? The Lord above
