Magyar Egyház, 2003 (82. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)

2003-01-01 / 1. szám

4. oldal

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

The Hungarian Church of America: God's Little Acre

The joys and concerns of the Eastern Classis

Let me start with the story of a young pastor who years ago was serving in one of our congregations. He decided to attend a leadership seminar organized by the Council of Churches of nearby communities. He was anxious to gain some insight into the secrets of building up his church less than hundred members. However before the end of the seminar he quit realizing that he and the organizers of the meeting came from different worlds. The speakers came from a world of new ideas originating in the headquarters of their denominations. He ministered in the small world of "business as usual" and "Keep everything the same as it has always been, Pastor". They suggested that he the pastor should spend 80 percent of his time training committee leaders. He came from a church where 80 percent of his time was spent with hospital visits and meetings preparing income producing events such as bazaars, picnics, Chinese Auction, bake sale, to mention only a few. He quit saying that the organizers and speakers must come from a world where the blessings of God are constantly being poured out, from wealthy suburban churches, he, on the other hand, ministers in a congregation that God's favor seems to have passed by because of their shrinking membership, location, population exchange and because young people leaving the community in search of better livelihood.

It is true that most speakers fail to relate to the world of mostly small and struggling churches of ethnic background. Therefore the leadership seminar known as the Holy Fast held in Ligonier on Labor Day, 2002 was a much needed retreat. There, at the conference center of the Hungarian Reformed Churches of America ministers and elders, representatives of our churches devoted their attention to the challenges that our congregations face on the crossroad of their hundred years old history. To start, the question was raised: What do we mean by the theme of the conference: Holy Fast? The simplest yet most profound definition is given by our confessional book, the Second Helvetic Confession. "Fasting is nothing else than the abstinence and moderation undertaken as a necessity for a time being, whereby we are humbled before God and deprive the flesh of its fuel (indulging in food and drink) as to it may the more willingly obey the Spirit (chapter 24) Such fast should be kept at this day, when the Church is in distress"-the Confession continues. The conference was well timed, because in the opinion of many, the state of the Hungarian Reformed Churches in America gives reason for concern at least in three areas:

1. Our ethnic identity

2. The condition of our churches, and

3. Our mission obligation

The Moderator of the conference Dr. John Butosi and the members of his committee deserve our sincere appreciation and the fruit of their labor merits the prayerful study of the congregations of the Eastern Classis, too. There are, in my opinion, two writings that should be listed among the required readings for each candidate who seek privilege of call in our denominations. The first is the book by Dr. Komjáthy Aladar, entitled “A Kitántorgott Egyház”. The other is the Report on the Holy Fast.

Now back to the story of my young colleague who was right quitting the seminar, because the speakers failed to relate to the problems of his church. However, he was wrong in several assumptions.

The first assumption that needs correction is: We are too few and too small, therefore we are not much in God's eyes. True, we live in a world that honors the big, the successful, and we make the assumption that God does, too. But the Heidelberg Catechism makes no mention of the size of the church, but states that a church is "a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith." It goes on to say that each member of the community receive gifts from Christ and "has a duty to use those gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of other members." The Apostle Paul has in mind the small struggling churches of Asia Minor when he writes: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." l.Cor. 15,58. Which, I ask, of the biblicajly based definitions of the church exclude our congregations? None!

Which of the church's calling can the Hungarian Reformed church not fulfill by its nature and size? None!

The second assumption that needs correction is: No significant change is possible in our church. Like many of our church leaders, he despaired of even attempting anything new in his congregation, automatically assuming that nothing will work there anyway. However changes can occur in any church, but, and this is an important condition: they must be changes that work within the culture and tradition of the particular church. I recall the story of another pastor who, while taking a nonchurch related job was an active member of a metropolitan church. Upon his retirement he assumed the pastorate of one of our churches. In his inaugural sermon he announced that his model for the small ethnic church will be the mega church he left behind. Needless to say, he failed, because he went against the culture of that particular church. In essence, what works well in a well established American church may be inappropriate for an Ethnic - American church.