Calvin Synod Herald, 1978 (78. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1978-09-01 / 9-10. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 5 At any event, the good Bishop sent the young enthusiast in 1928 to serve among the Hungarians of the “regat” (outside of Erdély), until they learned what the Lord planned for them. Of this experience, Sándor wrote in 1944, “Why was it necessary for me to go to the ‘regat,’ I did not know then. Now I know. God wanted me to be trained in a school which tested my faith, strengthened my patience, increased my humility, deepened my love and taught me to give up human ambitions and seek only His will.” It took four years yet before the time arrived to go to Manchuria. — Do we take that seriously God’s time table and our need of disciplined training? 4. The four years of preparation (1928-1932) were crucial from another point of view as well. During these four years MISSION BECAME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN ERDÉLY. This was by no means a natural thing. The churches of the Reformation awakened slowly to see and take part in spreading the Gospel to the uttermost part of the world as both Luther and Calvin shared the mistaken notion that this task of the church was accomplished by the tweleve apostles. Thus, in the lands of the Reformation, the “foreign mission” concept was neglected, and first “mission” groups and societies outside the organized church originated and cultivated it. Alexander Babos, too, was motivated by such groups in Switzerland. However, when he returned to Erdély, the question was raised: Should we establish a Foreign Mission Society (k la Western Europe), or should we take the rough road and go around in our congregations to generate mission awareness and responsibility. As Otto M. Nagy phrased it: “If we establish a mission society, the church will wash its hands from taking responsibility. We have to choose the rougher road: to write and speak of mission until the church realizes that the mission work belongs not to a small group of mission enthusiasts, but to the church itself. This is how Sándor became the Field Secretary for Foreign Mission work of the Transylvanian Synod for one year visiting from town to town, from village to village... “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” The Hungarian Reformed piety has been vitally influenced by other movements in the universal church, but we never imitated them; we tested them in our particular situation, digested and assimilated them, and — for the better — refined and modified them according to our temperament, tradition and tasks. 5. As it turned out, this vision of a missionary church renewed the total life of the congregations. For the message was: share the Gospel with all who need it, in Asia as well as in Erdély, if you want to be obedient to the Lord of the Church. Wherever this message took root in the heart, the pocketbooks were also opened and the Gospel bore fruits of stewardship similar to biblical examples. Renewal of life was evident in many places and the Lord sealed in many ways the conviction which became the cornerstone of the “Babos theology”: Mission belongs to the church; the church without mission is not a church, or not an obedient, living church; once the church takes its mission seriously, the other problems will also be solved! ... — “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Church!” 6. On August 24, 1933 Alexander Babos was commissioned to leave for China as the first Reformed foreign missionary of the Reformed Church in Erdély. Bishop Makkai summed up the feelings of many when he said in the commissioning sermon: “Historic, solemn moment is this in the life of our church. A downtrodden, poor, humiliated church is called by its Lord to participate in the ongoing battle of the missionary army. From a human point of view it is difficult to understand this call. Today we have many problems, little money, insufficient strength and plenty of excuses to keep our son at home. But the Lord teaches through this call to turn away from ourselves and learn to live and work for others. This is true happiness!” And Alexander Babos, tightly grasping two silver candle holders, the gift of his Christian friends, slowly repeats the words: “I shall be the candle, my church in Erdély will be the candle holder, while the Lord tends the flames ...” Thus, he leaves Erdély for China! (To he cont.) Dr. John Butosi
