Magyar Egyház, 1975 (54. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1975-03-01 / 3. szám

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8

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE UNITY MEETING, FEBRUARY 17, 1975 IN NEW YORK CITY, N. Y.

The Calvin Synod of the United Church of Christ and the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, at their 1974 official General Assemblies, expressed their willingness to form a new and united Hungarian Reformed church body according to the guidelines laid down by their Unity Meeting on February 11, 1974 held in Saddlebrook, New Jersey.

In order to implement these resolutions and to put into operation that which had been laid down in principle, the two bishops, the Rt. Rev. Dezső Ábrahám and the Rt. Rev. Árpád Beretz, appointed a committee of two, consisting of Dr. Stephen Bessemer and Dr. Andrew Harsanyi, to draw up a set of resolutions to that effect. These proposed resolutions were presented to the Unity Meeting, held in the Hungarian House on February 17, 1975, and received. After point by point discussion, the following resolutions were voted on and unanimously accepted:

1. With a clear mandate from their respective highest judicatories the duly appointed representatives of the Calvin Synod of the United Church of Christ and of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America declare the establishment of a new and united church body of Hungarian Reformed Christians subject to the approval of the respective church bodies at their official 1975 meetings. In its initial phase it shall be caUed The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting. The two aforementioned church bodies further declare themselves to be charter members of The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting and shall delegate an equal number of persons from their respective Bishop’s Councils — as required by law — to carry out its incorporation.

2. In addition to the two charter members all Hungarian Reformed Churches in the global diaspora — church bodies and single congregations outside historic Hungary — shall be welcome to become active members of The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting provided they subscribe to its goals and bylaws. The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting is envisioned to be a communio communionum.

3. The goal of The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting is to manifest the unity of the Hungarian Reformed Churches in faith, witness, and service; to coordinate the life of the Hungarian Reformed Churches in the dispersement toward the implementation of this goal so that the Hungarian Reformed Oikumené become a dynamic reality.

4. Thus, the initial aim of The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting is not structure but ministry and service. It is emphasized, therefore, that these latter functions are not unilateral paternization but multilateral service, mutually sharing the gifts of grace and carrying the burdens of all participating member churches.

5. A. In regard to structure and working rules the operation of The Hungarian Reformed Church Uniting — until a permanent structure is agreed upon — shall be directed by a Temporary Administrative Council to which, at the inception, the Calvin Synod and the Hungarian Reformed Church in America shall appoint 6-6 members; the bishops of these two church bodies shall act as co-chairmen; other subsequently joining churches shall receive proportionate representation in the Temporary Administrative Council.

B. The Temporary Administrative Council shall function as a program agency. It shall meet annually to establish the specific programs, to commission their implementation, and to provide for the material (financial) needs thereof. For the time being the two bishops shall preside over the annual meetings as co-chairmen. The Temporary Administrative Council shall divide among the two bishops the immediate supervision of the operation of the various programs.

The proposal submitted to and received by the Unity Meeting listed several areas of concern and action (the specific programs) and contained some suggestions in regard to their implementation, also in regard to the appointment of a Legal Committee. The Unity Meeting referred action on these proposals to the Temporary Administrative Council.

Present at the Unity Meeting were:

Calvin Synod — Bishop Árpád Beretz, co-chairman, Chicago, 111.; Áron Elek, Deputy Bishop, Cleveland, Ohio; Dr. John Bütösi, South Norwalk, Conn.; Joseph Kecskeméthy, Portland, Maine; John Nemesnyik, Passaic, N. J.; Francis Vitéz, Perth Amboy, N. J.

Hungarian Reformed Church in America — Bishop Dezső Ábrahám, co-chairman, Allen Park, Mich.; Dr. Zoltán Béky, Washington, D. C.; Gábor Csordás, New York City, N. Y.; Alexander Daróczy, Saunderstown, R. I.; Alex B. Eger, Jr. (attorney), Perth Amboy, N. J.; Dr. Andrew Harsányi, Carteret, N. J.; Stephen Kovács, Trenton, N. J.; James Kőváry, Bethlehem, Pa.; Louis Nagy, Ligonier, Pa.; John Nemish, Carteret, N. J. (Imre Bertalan, Hungarian Reformed Church, affiliated with the Reformed Church in America was invited and was present, New Brunswick, N. J.)

______________________________MAGYAR EGYHÁZ