Calvin Synod Herald, 1993 (93. évfolyam, 2-6. szám)
1993-05-01 / 3. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 5 -REFOMÁTÜSOK LAPJA BEHIND CLOSED DOORS /íccefrtaHce an Rejection o£ Stuutqelicald, At the last annual meeting of the Calvin Synod, 3 non-Hungarian tradition churches sought membership with us. These three were: the First Congregational Church of Hopkinton, Massachusetts; Mt. Zion UCC, Dayton, Ohio; and St. Paul UCC of Stowe, Pennsylvania. Why did they request and why did they choose the Calvin Synod As the title indicates, these are evangelistically minded and practicing churches who also hold membership in the Biblical Witness Fellowship of the UCC. It is in that organization that evangelical churches, many of which were members of the old Evangelical Reformed Church, find common theological identity .They represent a" special interest group" who still believe that the "Bible is the written Word of God, the infallible rule of faith and practice for the church of Jesus Christ," that Scripture interprets scripture (unlike that promoted by the UCC at General Synod 18 which holds that everyone of us are our own interpreter and hence we can justify our actions according to our own understanding), and stand diametrically opposed to the humanistic agenda of the UCC in areas of accepting and affirming homosexuality and abortion, and promoting syncretistic tendencies that smack of unitarianism and New Age philosophies. The Biblical Witness Fellowship, as a renewal movement within the UCC, has been working to reverse these trends from within, as did the great reformer Martin Luther, in order to bring the denomination back to the roots upon which it was founded in historic Christianity. By now it should be clear why the evangelical minded are attracted to the Calvin Synod, a.) to interface and fellowship with like minded brothers and sisters, b.) to form into a group (Classis) under a recognized Conference in the UCC (currently they are dispersed, often in antagonistic settings), c.) to feel at home, in safe haven, where we can pool resources and grow in faith and the knowledge of God. According to the proposed "Agreement of Union between Calvin Synod (Hungarian) Churches and Evangelical (BFW) Churches for organic amalgamation into the Calvin Synod, these non-Hungarian speaking churches would "abide by the Constitution and by-laws of the Calvin Synod," recognize and accept that "the Bishop will always be bilingual as long as the Hungarian churches deem necessary, that (#14) "all non-Hungarian churches in the Synod will forever recognize and protect the ethnic origins of the Synod." At the last annual meeting (1992) the clergy and church delegates of the Calvin Synod spent a whole day discussing the merits, pros and cons, of such a union. Some fears were expressed about eventually being outnumbered and losing power to these evangelistic churches. Three of our pastors stood up and said that if this union went through their churches would pull from the Synod. The president of the UCC, Paul Sherry, indicated that the denomination will seek legal counsel because the Synod would violate the Tiffin agreement which is, according to him, the legitimization of the Calvin Syond's standing as an acting Conference. In other words, we may continue to be a church body as long as our ethnicity is the determining factor of our existence. The rationale is that once the evangelicals are accepted we are no longer an ethnic body and must conform to assimilation into the regional Conferences. This inspite of our Constitution and by-laws, categorically stated in Article I, Section a. 2, that "anylocal church whose constitution and/or by-laws are in agreement with that of the Conference may be received into and granted standing by the Conference in consulation with the respective classis." Question: is our identity as a Christian church determined solely by our ethnicity, as the UCC would have us believe, or is it determined by the founder and head of the church, Jesus Christ, whom we profess? While our theology was crystallized through the 16th century reformers and we can determine our Synod's founding to that age, the spirit of our faith in rule and practice is predated to the founding of the church at Pentecost. We are founded in Jesus Christ not the UCC! Yet, by hook or by crook, the denominational authorities would hold our feet to the fire for seeking fellowship with those who do not agree with their agendas. And so; "quo vadis Calvin Synod?” Which way should we go? Will we continue to accept denominational status quo, as some would have us, doing in the sand as if the realities of apostasy did not exist? Shall we fear those who would stand shoulder to shoulder with us because there are more of them and less of us, or fear those instead who would destroy our soul because of their abominations? Are we called to a power struggle with mortals, especially of faith, or "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places?" Do we count ourselves as integral members of American Protestantism while retaining our Hungarian heritage and expecting our church to deal with the issues confronting the membership, or do we adhere to the view that we are still wanderers in a strange land where we don't feel at home, whose language we refuse to learn, nor share our beautiful heritage and rich liturgy with those who are hungering and thirsting after the ways of God? Are we islands to ourselves? Do we deny those dear brethren populating our churches and helping with our mission efforts, who speak no Hungarian, acceptance into our ranks in their own land?! Or, are we visionaries, seeing the hand of the Holy Spirit working in the hears and minds of all true believers, who would join with us in mutual service to the glory of god, thereby making us stronger in he process and giving us a freshness of thought and guidance through the social and ecclesiastical upheavals in America? One thing is for sure: the church does not exist to itself but to Him who bought her! Neither do we, as Calvin Synod, as Hungarian Reformed Christians exist to ourselves, but to the body of Christ. Rev. Louis Medyesy Pastor of Fairport Church Dean of Lakeside Classis Treasurer of Calvin Synod Sundays of Qreat fJ{ememßerance The months of May and June bring us some of the warmest occasions to remember. May 9 is Mother's Day; May 30 is Memorial Sunday’jejune 20 is Father's Day,/ which also appens to be Pentecost Sunday this ear, the birthday of the Church. hap It is more than proper to convey in this Issue some illuminating glimpses to lead our thoughts and prayers in this season of remembering HOME. NATION and CHURCH. FOUNDATIONS OF THE HOME It is...in the home that the foundations of the kind of world in which we live are laid and in this sense it will always remain true that the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. And it is in this sense that women must assume the job of making men who will know how to make a world fit for human beings to live in. Ashley Montagu Saturday Evening Review On Mother's Day- A poem by Jenő Szedenits -On Mother's Day at early dawn, While waiting for the bright sunup When sweetest dreams from eyes embark: "Little brothers! Come, wake up!" Whispered softly: on to meadow Let us gather blooms in shadow For Mother's Day's great remembrance 'Forget-me-nots' full with fragrance. On our return no words were said Gave the bouquet to her instead Mother at once grasped the meaning Her eyes tearing, filled with gleaming. Holding us all in warm embrace Came from her the words of grace: "God sure blessed me by the giving You, little saints, worth for living!" Clinching firmly all issues three Our protecting and mighty tree. Good God, O Lord! We only ask: Bless her, keep her! as your first task!
