Reformátusok Lapja, 1968 (68. évfolyam, 8-12. szám)
1968-11-01 / 11. szám
10 REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA DR. HERBSTER IN SOUTH NORWALK Our South Norwalk church decided to celebrate its diamond jubilee by a series of well planned events. During the lenten season, self-examination was emphasized using the recommended denominational means, “The Local Church in God’s Mission.” On Pentecost Sunday the history of the congregation was dramatized in three acts by more than 30 participants. In the parlor of the church a continuous exhibit of old pictures, documents, interesting articles made the congregation aware of its past. But perhaps the most outstanding event took place on October 5 when about 40 representatives of 14 UCC churches met Dr. Ben M. Herbster, president of our denomination for an informal discussion of pertinent problems. The agenda was prepared by the participants; they listed the following 13 areas of interest: 1. EVERY MEMBER CANVASS: what is the UCC policy in this regard? how to make this undertaking always fresh? is there a cycle in EMC programs? 2. CONSULTATION ON CHURCH UNION: what is the present situation of the merger in which ten denominations are involved, including our own United Church of Christ? 3. OVERSEAS MISSION: would re-structuring be needed? should we do it with the United Nations? is proper discernment practiced? 4. BASIC SUPPORT CONTRIBUTIONS: what proportion is used by the conferences? how to make it relevant locally? is the national program known in our congregations? 5. NEIGHBORS IN CRISIS: why do we have so many appeals through the denomination, the conferences and the local churches? what is our relation to the Negroes of America? must the UCC image necessarily be “liberal humanism”? 6. DECLINING CHURCH INFLUENCE AND INTEREST IN AMERICA: how much are the theological seminaries responsible for it? how do we train our students in these seminaries? what is the true picture of membership in our churches? what is the meaning and practice of evangelism? 7. YOUTH: what is youth revolution today? are they interested in Christianity? what should our churches do in this regard? 8. CHURCH AND POLITICS: United Church Herald articles seem to encourage extremists; resolutions of church bodies seem to meddle in party politics. 9. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: What happened in the Notre Dame Conference? is the methodology of our curriculum satisfactory? 10. NEW PENSION PLAN: what is it? when would it be ready? 11. CONFIRMATION: how to look at the new material? what is our theory and practice? 12. STATE OF THE DENOMINATION: what does our 11 years show? how is our structure? 13. THE UPPSALA ASSEMBLY: personal experiences, report and evaluation. Needless to say, not all these areas were fully or equally explored, but the fine spirit, keen interest and mutual devotion clearly demonstrated the great value of such gatherings. National and local leaders, pastors and laymen, Hungarian and non-Hungarian churchmen realized that the ties which bind us together are much stronger than suspicions, differences in opinion, or temporary crises in the household of God. FINANCIAL SECURITY PROBLEMS OF THE CALVIN SYNOD MINISTERS A Discussion Guide at the Pastors’ Retreat, Ligonier, Pa. October 28, 29, 1968 BACKGROUND Early in 1967 the Anti-Poverty Task Force of our denomination raised the question of wages and salaries being paid to lay people and ministers in the lower income bracket. Upon recommendation of the Executive Council, the General Synod took action and in Cincinnati, Ohio voted as follows: “The General Synod urges Instrumentalities, Conferences, churches and church-related institutions to examine the salaries and wages they pay to their employed personnel, both ordained and unordained, and take steps to make sure that they not only comply with the legal minimum but make possible a fair standard of living.” On September 15, 1967, President Herbster wrote to the conference executives, calling their attention to the General Synod Action. In November, conference executives were asked by the coordinator of the Anti-Poverty Task Force to fill in a Wage and Salary Standard Survey Sheet, requesting certain basic information concerning the ranges of pastors’ salaries, their position as to salary scales or guidelines, and measures they were taking to implement salary standards. In response to these requests, Calvin Synod President, in cooperation with the Eastern Classis, called a workshop for February 18, 1968 at Farfield, Conn, and, under the leadership of Rev. Don A. Bundy, Pension Board Secretary and Mr. Nicholas Donofrio, representative of New England
