Magyar Egyház, 1971 (50. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1971-05-01 / 5. szám
8 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA The purpose of this writing is to refresh our knowledge about our Hungarian Reformed Church In America and make it known to our interested American friends. In order to do this, first we should give some information concerning the Christian Church in general. The Origin of the Christian Church The Christian Church came into being in 33 A.D. in Jerusalem, on the first Pentecost, ten days after the ascension of Jesus Christ. The first Jerusalem congregation and the other new Christian congregations in other cities and countries made the One Christian Church. This original One Christian Church was not called “Eastern Orthodox” or “Roman Catholic”, simply it was called the Church or the Christian Church. The First Split in the One Christian Church In 1054 this One Christian Church was split into two great sections, becoming the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches. In this brief explanation we can not mention aU the causes of this tragic break-up of the One Church. The Reformation Five hundred years later in the 16th century, a great religious revolution took place in the Roman Catholic Church. This revolution is known as the Reformation. The Reformation was brought about by the desire of many Catholics of that age to renew or reform the Roman Catholic Church in teaching, ceremonies and government. In other words, they wanted to revive the original Christian Church as it was founded by the apostles of Jesus Christ. The Reformation movement received a strong leader in the person of Martin Luther, a German Roman Catholic friar. In 1517 Martin Luther formally demanded the renewal or reformation of the Roman Catholic Church. The church excommunicated Luther, but in Germany and other countries there were many Catholics who agreed with him and they re-organized their congregations under his influence. These congregations became the Lutheran Church. Switzerland was the other country in the 16th century in which the Reformation movement became very strong. The most influential leader of the Reformation in Switzerland was John Calvin, a Frenchman, the pastor of the church in Geneva. In his famous work, “The Institutes of the Christian Religion” (1536), Calvin gave a complete explanation, using only the Bible, of the teachings, ceremonies and government of the original Christian Church. Under his influence many congregations returned to the Biblical teachings, the simple ceremonies and government of the ancient Christian Church. These congregations became known as the Reformed or Calvinistic Church. They preferred the name “Reformed” because they wanted to emphasize the truth that they did not make a new church, they just renewed, purified or reformed their church according to the Bible. Of course, the Reformation movement affected the Roman Catholic Church not only in Germany and Switzerland but in other countries, too. For instance, the Reformation brought forth the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, the Anglican or Episcopal Church in England, a very strong Reformed Church in Holland. Years later the Methodist, the Baptist and many other churches came into being in different countries. All these churches are commonly called the Protestant Church, The Protestant Church By the Protestant Church we mean the Lutheran, the Reformed, the Presbyterian, the Methodist, the Baptist and all other churches which accept only the Bible as final authority in the matters of the Christian faith and strongly teach that each Christian is personally responsible for his beliefs before God. We may say that the One Christian Church exists today in three great sections: The Eastern Orthodox, The Roman Catholic and The Protestant Church. The Reformation in Hungary Around 1520 A. D. the Hungarian Roman Catholics got acquainted with the Reformation. Especially the Reformation movement in Switzerland and the teachings of John Calvin strongly influenced thd Reformation of the Hungarian Roman Catholic Church. A very strong and well organized Reformed Church came into being in Hungary, which even today has about two million members in that country. Also, there are approximately one million Hungarian Reformed Christians in the countries surrounding Hungary and all over the world. The Reformed Church in Hungary, in its 400 year history, has never been divided. This is probably due to the fact that as early as in 1567 the Reformed Church in Hungary officially accepted the two most excellent statements of Christian doctrines of that age — the Heidelberg Catechism and the Second Helvetic Confession, and adheres to them even today. The Hungarian Reformed Christians were the staunchest defenders of the liberty of their country and they produced great personalities in the cultural and political life of Hungary.
