Magyar Egyház, 1973 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1973-08-01 / 8-9. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

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question: “Are we progressing?” We have earned high school diplomas, some of us attained college degrees, but are we applying this knowledge so that we may progress? We still stand a divided church! Some of us would like to see our Constitution and By-laws reviewed and improved, and when we buck the church bureaucrat, we are called militant. And, by church bureaucrat I mean those who use their church authority for their own benefits. Most of us present this afternoon are elders and if you are not an elder, your presence this afternoon indicates that your interest lies in your church. The congregation has elected you and they are placing the church in your hands and you in turn have obligated yourself to your church. You have the right to speak and vole for her future. And if we are to progress, we must become active in our church, in our classis and in the movement of a progressing Magyar Reformed Church in America. There may be some ministers who say that the laymen seek too much authority in the church, and there may be some laymen who say the ministers have too much authority in the church. But, let’s face it gentlemen, we need each other. The authority is in God alone. The minister and the presbyters govern the church in common and no man should lift himself over his fellow-man and by their mutual services they help one another in governing and preserving the church. We need each other’s knowledge, each other’s ideas and we need a better communication between the ministers and the laymen. With this in mind the unification of the Magyar Reformed Church in America will become easier. As we progress in knowledge and ideas, we must never forget our traditions.

One of the most cherished Magyar Reformed traditions is to stand up for our rights, the truth and lor our principles, the power to see and the courage to defend. I am speaking not only of principles and rights outside the church, but also those within, and traditions exemplified by our forefathers during the Reformation and the Counter-reformation. These traditions we must pass on to our children. Every generation enjoys the use of traditions given to them by their fathers and it is our responsibility to transmit these traditions with fresh acquisitions to our children. I remember, as I received my church education in Sunday School, along with learning the Word of God, I was taught about my church and her history and to identify myself as a Magyar Reformed Christian. As I was preparing this lecture, I took out my confirmation picture taken in 1945, and as I looked over the picture, which consisted of 3 boys and 2 girls, to no surprise I can report that out of those 5 people present on that picture 4 of us still remain

members of the Hungarian Reformed Church. We must have been taught something that made us aware of our church. Maybe this is what we lack in our Sunday School today. I’m a firm believer of teaching the children just a little something of the church they are attending. But! Maybe this task would be harder today, since most of our churches consist of interdenominational membership.

Let us turn to our teen-agers. We possess fine Youth Clubs, both on the local and national level. To use the modern day slang: “How do we turn them on?” How do we make them aware of their church, her tradition and their heritage. These are really tough questions! Where do we find the answers? The teen-ager of today is sometimes hard to communicate with. They may have their own ideas about our church. And just as I differ from my parents on certain church views, my children will differ from me on church matters. We must not criticize them, or call them militant. They may solve the problems that have hindered the unification of our church for the past 40 years. Although we are proud of the past, we must look into the future! Laws of this great country change with the generations. We are proud of the Mother Church in Hungary, her traditions and ideas, but if we are to progress, our church must adjust to the American Magyar Reformed Christian.

And now let us look at ourselves, the laymen of the second and third generations of our church. We possess knowledge required by high school and college degrees, we possess many talents mastered through our usual or everyday vocations. Do we apply these talents and knowledge to our church life? We don’t want to get involved — is the favorite expression. We are sometimes criticized for belonging to other organizations that seem to take our time away from our church. Some of us make commitments to these various organizations, but we shouldn’t criticize. Woe to the man who places these organizations before his church. Every Labor Day at Ligonier, we hold our annual Presbyters’ Conference. We exchange views about our churches’ problems, but we never solve them. How many find time to attend these conferences? Some of us who have attended know the reason why most stay away. Two years ago it was suggested that our two bishops confer in an attempt to unite the two churches. Missing last year’s conference, I haven’t heard of such conferences suggested by the laymen. I realize the problems involved can’t be solved in one day, one month, or even one year, but we’re not even being informed of its progress. Are the bishops and deans dragging their feet, or are we, laymen the cause? The laymen must take a more active part in the church’s future! Conferences like