Calvin Synod Herald, 1980 (80. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1980-11-01 / 11-12. szám
6 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD "I WILL BE YOUR GOD, YOU SHALL BE MY PEOPLE"-THEME OF FIRST WORLD ALLIANCE EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY Poiana Brasov, Romania1—The European Area Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, held at this popular Romanian mountain resort during the second week of September 1980, provided a unique opportunity for some 220 participants to benefit from a rich variety of individual and small group encounters, as well as to take part in official ceremonies and presentations in plenary sessions. A gift of 10,000 Bibles was made to the Reformed Church in Romania,2 and the new WARC European Committee was elected, including three women. The Biblical theme of the Assembly, “I Will Be Your God and You Shall Be My People”, was presented by Professor Alain Blancy of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, and discussed in small groups. Among the distinguished visitors addressing the Assembly was the Director of the Department of Cults of the Socialist Republic of Romania, Dr. Ion Popescu, who stated: “The churches can offer an important contribution towards the peaceful solution of all major problems confronting mankind today . . . We think that the guarantee of the liberty of belief is an integral part of the policy of building up a society based on equity.” Romanian law, Dr. Popescu added, “gives every religious persuasion the right to organize its religious life according to its rules, doctrines and traditions”.3 Substantial contributions (including the restoration of church buildings and about one-third of the salaries of the clergy) are made by the State toward the Churches. Many of the delegates were able to visit several congregations of Member Churches in this region of Eastern Europe before and after the Assembly. Some contacts at grass-roots level were of an unofficial nature, although the congregations visited mostly belonged to the Reformed Church in Romania, the WARC Member Church which was the Council’s official host body, and which had issued the original invitation. After the Assembly, over one hundred participants travelled six hours from Poiana Brasov to Cluj, where the warm hospitality of the Protestant Theological Institute awaited them.4 No official concluding statement was issued by this European Area Council, whose main purpose was to foster a maximum of encounters of an informal nature, based on the Biblical theme: “I Will Be Your God, and You Shall Be My People”. The organizers hope that delegates will make a maximum effort to convey to their churches these rich experiences and the theological substance and essence of the meeting, with its theme of the Covenant. In the words of Professor Blancy, “The Covenant is a link between partners of unequal status, an exchange of protection against submission, of promise against obedience. And yet it tends to reduce differences and opposition by establishing reciprocity and communion.” During the plenary sessions, Professor Blancy had pointed out that the Covenant “breaks the hierarchies and privileges of social, economic and political status and structures. It carries out a radical transfer of power, a revolutionary exchange of positions ..Discussing topics arising out of this theme, delegates spent a substantial portion of each day in small groups: 12 in number. More than one such group chose such topics as “good news to the poor” and “examining the power structures of the Churches.” Originally it had been hoped to have 21 small groups, but even with twelve, many were small enough to allow a good contribution from the participants. The process of discussion thus begun was continued in each following plenary session, as four commentators presented a distillation of the discussion groups' insights and then opened the floor for debate to the Assembly at large. Fraternal delegates brought greetings and messages from all the churches in Romania except the Roman Catholic. A full delegation of Romanian Orthodox theologians was headed by Archbishop Teofil. The Confer ence of European Churches was represented by Bishop Antonie and the World Council of Churches by one of its Deputy General Secretaries, Dr. Todor Sa'bev. Dr. Sabev’s address to the Assembly is published almost in full on the final pages of this issue of RPS.-----------RPS Oct. 1980 Notes: lnow 2Hungarian Reformed Church *Not in reality! 4See the last § of article: Dr. John Butosi: Church News From Transylvania 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REV. DR. FRANCIS VITÉZ 1 he John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church of Perth Amboy celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their pastor’s service with the congregation at a Banquet held on November 1st at Mindszenty Hall. More than 300 guests assembled to honor Dr. Vitéz. The program was opened by Mr. Bernard Gilanyi, chairman of the Committee on Arrangements. The Rev. David G. Volk of Grace Lutheran Church offered the Opening Prayer. Toastmasters for the Program were Mr. Charles Tarr and Mr. Elmer Hlavaty. The Rt. Rev. Dr. John Butosi spoke on behalf of Calvin Synod and the Rev. Arthur Matott greeted the pastor in behalf of the local Clergy Association. Mr. George J. Otlowski, mayor of the city, presented a citation to Dr. Vitéz citing his 25 years of service not only to the congregation but to the city. Other representatives of the city included Mr. John J. Krilla, president of the City Council, Mr. Armand Cannamela and Mr. John Nemergut. councilmen, Mr. Harold Augustine, City Clerk and Judge Alex B. Eger. (Continued on page 8)
