Calvin Synod Herald, 1980 (80. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1980-09-01 / 9-10. szám

6

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

THE CALVIN SYNOD

Uncertain Years:

THE TIFFIN AGREEMENT

Meanwhile a new struggle flared up among the Hungarian immigrants because the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. also organized Hungarian Reformed churches, sometimes employing entirely uneducated lay preachers. The Reformed Clunch in Hungary tried to remedy the situation and sent Count |. Degenfeld to the United States with the commission of uniting the two fractions under the jurisdiction of the mother church. The plan failed: instead of uniting all the Hungarian congregations, a third group, the American Classis of the Reformed Church in Hungary was organized (1904).

After World War I, the mother church could no longer bear the financial burden of her congregations in the U.S. Thus negotiations were opened with the Reformed Church in the U.S. to take over this burden, and in 1921 the so-called “Tiffin Agreement” was leached. Through this contract, the Eastern and Westlern Classes of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America were received into organic, legal and ecclesiastical relation with the Eastern and Pittsburgh Synods of the Reformed Church in the U.S. as classes. Through this transaction, 28 Hungarian Reformed congregations joined the Reformed Church in the U.S. with more than a million dollars worth of church property, while the Reformed Church in the U.S. assumed responsibility for the payment of salaries in arrears, $52,000, and offered protective powers to safeguard and foster their growth and future development through “historic process” of assimilation ...

When the Reformed Church in the U.S. and the Evangelical Synod of North America merged in 1934, the Hungarian congregations were granted the right to organize a Hungarian Synod. Thus, since 1939, the ‘Magyar Synod’ (“Magyar” is the native name for “Hungarian”) administered the Hungarian Reformed churches of the new denomination, although there were congregations which remained in the geographical synods of the Evangelical and Reformed Church,

However, no unanimous consent was given to the Tiffin agreement. Objections were made on religious, nationalistic and economic considerations. As a result the “Free” or “Independent” Hungarian Reformed Church was born in 1924, a denomination organized into a diocese with two classes, supervised by deans and an arch-dean. In 1958, the name of this denomination was changed into Hungarian Reformed Church in America, and the arch-dean into bishop, following the tradition of the “mother church.” Now they are members of the National Council of Churches, World Council of Churches, and the World Alliance of the Reformed Churches.

SILVER ANNIVERSARY

The Reverend Frank Juhász Shepherd celebrated the 25th Anniversary of his Ordination into the Christian Ministry on Saturday evening, July 26th at the West Side Hungarian Reformed Church, Cleveland, Ohio. Some five hundred guests, members and friends feted him by joining in this celebration which began with a Concert of Sacred Music at 7, a bi-lingual Worship Service of Thanksgiving at 8, and a Formal Reception in Calvin Center at 9 P.M. Sixteen professional musicians honored the celebrant with their artistic performance, while three professional readers read biblical selections in English and Hungarian interspersed between the museal selections. Thirteen clergymen, church dignitaries and denominational leaders were represented at the worship service of thanksgiving.

The Concert and Worship Service included musical selections. A “Fanfare” for Brass and Tympany coupled with simulated Cathedral Bells heralded and accompanied the processional of clergy led into the sanctuary by the celebrant. Participating clergy were: The Reverend Stanley Christo Bartkus, Tibor Dömötör, Aaron Elek, William Gross, Dr. László Harangi, C. Fred Jenkins, Francis A. Karpi, Stephen L. Nagy, Bishop Desmond D. Parragh, Tibor Petroczy, Dr. Stephen Szabó and Dr. Elam Wiest. Principal guest speakers for this jubilee celebration were: the Reverend August J. Molnár, President, American Hungarian Foundation, New Brunswick, New Jersey, who preached in Hungarian; and the Reverend Dr. James D. Glasse, President of Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who preached in English and formally presented the celebrant with a Citation from the Seminary, honoring Members of the Class of 1955. The Reverend Frank Juhasz Shepherd greeted and thanked everyone in English and Hungarian for their presence and their participation in this momentous Celebration and Milestone, as he reflected upon his twenty-five years in the Christian Ministry.

The highlight of the Worship Service was the Offertory — Vaughan Williams’ setting of “Old Hundredth” arranged for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth of England, pulling together all of the forces present — Vocal Soloists, Instrumentalists, leaders, participants and the entire congregation in one massive, triumphant and breathtaking rendition of the Doxology. In a similar fashion, all English and Hungarian Hymns were accompanied by the Brass Quintet, Tympany and Full Organ.

Thus, the Hungarian Reformed people who remained undivided in Hungary for 450 years, have been divided in America into five ecclesiastical bodies: Ev. and Ref. Church (UCC), United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., The Hungarian Reformed Church in America, the (Dutch) Reformed Church in America, and some not belonging to any of these groups. (To be continued)

Dr. John Butosi