Magyar Egyház, 1978 (57. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-03-01 / 3-4. szám
8 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ Constituency including children is estimated at 2,400 against last year’s 2,850 as a result of dropping many so called “inactive” members from the rolls. From the above figures we can see that birthrate is low, numbers of weddings are decreasing, numbers of burials are increasing. All this has several reasons: the aging of the Hungarian-speaking congregations; young couples moving out from urban areas into the suburbs; the limitations caused by the ethnic character of our congregations. This attrition will surely continue unless the causes are dramatically changed. In the meantime, however, our congregations can still strengthen their membership by reaching unchurched Hungarians. Materially all our congregations, big or small, are under sound management and doing well. Aggregate receipts of the seven congregations in 1976 were $248 thousand without carryovers; expenses $203 thousand. All churches closed the year with comfortable balances; some of them reached high five digit figures. The treasuries of the various church organizations only add to this favorable picture. We should be glad to know that about 75% of the receipts have come from the people’s direct giving, only 25% from rents and from proceeds of various affairs. Less favorable is the giving for “others.” The average is around 7%, the larger portion of which went to denominational causes: General Fund, Classis, Magyar Egyház. I want to call here attention to the fact that General Fund, Classis Dues and Magyar Egyház subscriptions are fixed amounts per voting member. Failure to meet these fixed quotas, particularly by some big churches, have caused resentment by others who have been punctually fulfilling their quotas. Please, check your obligations and correct where correction is needed. Well aware of the truth that the state the church buildings and their furnishings are in reflects in a way the spiritual attitude of the people, all church councils keep these church possessions in fine shape. Thousands of dollars worth of maintenance and renovation work was done in the past year and more are to come. The individual reports will tell about the details. Perth Amboy received a 172,000 dollar legacy from a former member’s estate. I mention this here for the purpose to call your attention to this opportunity: it is quite proper to urge members to remember their church in their will. The only congregataion which has a major indebtedness is Miami (steadily decreasing it). Our congregations have a multitude of organizations. All have women’s groups, half of them two, operating on language lines. Men’s Club, Young Married Couples Club, Sewing Circle, Embroidery Class, Hungarian Language Class, Boy Scouts are the variour types of organizations (most of them in Trenton and Perth Amboy). Bethlehem has its Special Social Committee and Miami its Kossuth Civic Center responding to special needs. The reinstitution of Bible Study Groups in Trenton and in Carteret proved fruitful. They are planning to continue them this fall; Miami will start one too. There are Sunday Schools where there are children. Some are operating very satisfactorily, others well under capacity. The truth is that the church can do nothing without the responsible cooperation of the home. I find that a great deal more of faith-discipline is needed here; not for children only but for parents too. There is a crisis in the all-round work of Christian Youth Fellowships. Some churches are doing well, others — even major ones — rather poorly. The national Bethlen Youth Federation is barely existing if at all. Youth work must go on no matter on how small a scale; no need to stress how vital this is for our future existence. In compliance with last year’s instructions gifts from Classis funds were sent to Hungarian Reformed churches and communities in Switzerland and Germany; to Magyar Egyház; subscriptions were paid for American periodicals sent to Hungarian Reformed seminaries and institutional libraries. The gifts were gratefully acknowledged. Some gifts although approved were not sent as yet pending verification of needs or because of changed situations. Our congregations commendably participate in various local community projects. Regrettable is, however, that interchurch cooperation is on the wane. Not only are the traditional social affairs (like grape festivals) gradually disappearing but the remaining affairs are held mostly at noontime thus making it impossible for people from other sister churches to visit each other. Union negotiations between our denomination and the Calvin Synod have come to a standstill. Practically nothing happened in this area since last year’s Assembly. To conclude my report I wish to thank my fellow officers for their good work and smooth cooperation. I commend you and your people into the grace of God with the apostolic Word: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:5).
