Reformátusok Lapja, 1969 (69. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1969-08-01 / 8-9. szám

Hungarian Reformed Religious Paper

Founded in 1900

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CALVIN SYNOD—UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Greetings to the New President

The Rev. Dr. Robert V. Moss, Jr., president of Lancaster Theolo- g i c a 1 Seminary, was elected president of the United Church of Christ in a three-way race at the Seventh General Synod in Boston. The president of Lancaster Theological Seminary is a combination of administrator, scholar and activist. A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster Seminary (B.D.) and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.), the 47-year-old Dr. Moss believes that the hope of the UCC lies “with people who are deeply committed not only to the renewal of their churches hut to changing their communities.” lie is a member of the Lancaster School Board and his wife, Junia, serves on the County Crime Commission. “We have a healing ministry,” he says. “To he a uniting church we must bring unity to our communities.” Dr. Moss polled 437 votes. The Rev. Dr. Arthur D. Gray, minister of the Park Manor Congregational Church, Chicago, received 241 votes and the Rev. Paul E. Gibbons, campus minister at Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., 41.

In one of its most important actions, the General Synod up-graded the Committee for Racial Justice to a Commission, and guaranteed it $500,000 in 1970, $600,000 in 1971, and inclusion in the annual UCC budget in 1972.

The 15-member commission will have eight black members, making it the first black-controlled agency in any predominately white church.

The Synod asked the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries to consider the appointment of a black executive for the American Missionary Association and a majority of blacks on the divisional committee, and to study the possibilities of establishing a black university in the South, of organizing black printing and publishing enterprises, and of having the UCC participate in the establishment of a Southern Land Bank.

All instrumentalities were urged to consider depositing funds in black financial institutions and to withdraw all deposits and investments in banks and businesses doing business with the government of South Africa. The Office of Communication was asked to expand training of blacks in the use of the communications media. And the Board for World Ministries was urged to send black church members to Africa to evaluate the work of missionaries there.

While voting increased support for racial justice programs in the United Church, the Synod firmly rejected the demands of black militant James Forman for $130-million for the Black Economic Development Conference.

Acting on recommendation of the Committee on Structure, the General Synod voted to extend the terms of Synod delegates from two to four years, to provide an executive assistant for the president, to change the title of the Treasurer to Director of Finance and Treasurer, to enlarge the scope and size of the Executive Council (subject to approval of a constitutional change) and to establish a Commission on Council Collaboration, linking Church and Ministry, Christian Social Action and Lay Life and Work.

The Synod also established a 15-member Committee on Theological Education with a guaranteed budget of $350,000 in 1970 and $400,000 in 1971. Each year, $300,000 will be used to support former Evangelical and Reformed seminaries.

Expressing their views on national and international problems, the delegates called for a cease fire in Vietnam and speedy withdrawal of American troops, “drastic revision” of the Selective Service law, amnesty for objectors to the Vietnam war, strong gun control legislation, and abolition of the death penalty. They opposed testing of multiple independently-targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRV) and deployment of the proposed Anti- Ballistic Missile system.

This Synod, with fewer than a dozen delegates under 30, voted that at least 20 percent of the membership of the Eighth General Synod shall be 30 or under.

Richard C. Pfeiffer, president of Tiffin University, Tiffin, O., was elected moderator; the Rev. Dr. Theodore S. Ledbetter, Washington, D. C., and Mrs. Thomas R. Wagner, Lakeville, Conn., assistant moderators. The Rev. Jacob B. Wagner, minister of Faith Church, State College, Pa., was elected chairman of the Executive Council, the Rev. Kenneth B. Smith, minister of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Chicago, vice-chairman.