Magyar Egyház, 2009 (88. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2009-05-01 / 2. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 9. oldal Constituting Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church May 22, 2009 Debrecen, Hungary INVITATION Dear Brothers and Sisters! In the name of the presidiums of the Reformed Churches in the Carpathian Basin we have the pleasure to invite you to the Constituting Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church. We would like you to share with us the joy of this important step in our history and join us in the celebration of our communion and thanksgiving. On the 22nd May 2009 at 10 in Debrecen in the Great Church we will gather together in the frame of a Constituting Synod. A new constitution will be adopted by all those churches willing and able to join this fellowship. At 16.00 we will express our fellowship in celebrating together an open-air worship service with the Lord's Supper in the front of the Great Church. Beside these special events we prepare an all-day programme dedicated to give shape to the unity of the Church. Different diaconical, mission and youth organisations, publishing houses etc. from the Carpathian Basin will be present for giving an insight into the churches' life and service. On behalf of the Reformed Churches in the Carpathian Basin, 2009.04.06. Yours in Christ: Dr. Bölcskei Gusztáv Bishop Dr. Imre Sándor Lay President Meeting of the Constituting Synod in the Great Church Az Alkotmányozó Zsinat ülése a Nagytemplomban Reformed Churches celebrate their merger in the Carpathian Basin The bells of all the Reformed Churches in the Carpathian Basin will chime together when the churches in Transylvania, Partium (Romania), Transcarpathia (Ukraine), southern Slovakia, Vojvodina and in Hungary, tom apart due to the re-drawing of historical borders, unite once again. On Friday, 22 May 2009, the Constitutional Synod will convene in Debrecen to ratify the unified Constitution of the Reformed Church in Hungary. 22 May will be a celebration of thanksgiving. Tens of thousands of reformed church believers could make their way to Debrecen, where we would like to symbolise our unity with a procession through the city centre. On this day the congregations of Church districts in Hungary will welcome their brothers and sisters from across the borders. The congregations divided by the Peace Treaty will wait in front of a separate belfry, before the procession sets off and the Hungarian reformed church members from across the borders are joined by those who remained in Hungary. This will unite the procession, symbolically, from Beregszász (Beregovo) to Kolozsvár (Cluj). Already united in their faith, the reformed church members will strengthen their unity with one another by means of another symbol, a handful of soil. All of the participants will bring a handful of soil with them, which can be placed in the centre of Debrecen on the small replicate relief of the Carpathian Basin. The celebration of thanksgiving will be rounded off with an open Worship with the Lord's Supper. Vision statement How we understand this powerfull expression of the communion we have since the time of the reformation? The fellowship we never gave up? Read the Mission Statement to get an insight! In the unity of the church the credibility of its witness is strengthened. We share this vision with the worldwide reformed family in its uniting process toward the World Communion of Reformed Churches, with the wider fellowship of the Protestant Churches in Europe and with the worldwide Church of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the year of the 500th Anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, God's prominent servant committed to unity, we will give a sign of hope and encouragement to rebuild the "bond of unity" within the reformed family and beyond. It is not by chance that the Hungarian Reformed people traditionally laid accent on their fellowship and unity. Yet, in the last centuries we were given the possibility to live out our communion in different measure. The Hungarian reformed community since the time of the Reformation lived constantly on the territory of different states, in a church law in defined community with those nationalities in the Carpathian Basin became followers of the Reformation. The church bodies which lived in a forced organizational division after the Reformation could establish a united church structure first in 1881, year of the foundation of the structurally united Hungarian Reformed Church. The church unity has been broken again after the First World War when the church just like the country was tom apart and constrained to live in separated church bodies. Yet, the reformed community never gave up unity in faith, witness, service and life. The joining churches will maintain their legal status and registration in their respected countries. We will give expression to this communion in celebrating our unity and constituting the Hungarian Reformed Church on the 22nd of May. With this symbolic act we would like to encourage others seeking communion in the one body of Christ. The Constituting Synod will be celebration of thanksgiving completed by the Holy Communion. The strengthening of the unity of the Hungarian reformed fellowship is an important step on a spiritual journey. The constitution, the common synod, the common liturgy and hymnbook, the cooperation in the field of the educations of pastors are new forms of practicing communion. Our cooperation in the field of diaconia and mission will make our service in the society more effective and credible.
