Calvin Synod Herald, 2004 (105. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2004-11-01 / 11-12. szám

10

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

Gary, Indiana Congregation The Justification Wars

Holds Its Final Worship Service

Late in the 19th century Hungarian immigrants came to Northwest Indiana to find a new and better life. In 1906 the Hungarian Reformed community of Gary, Indiana, incorporated as a congregation under the name First Hungarian Evangelical and Reformed Church and began to worship together.

On July 11th, 1920, they began building a house of worship at 1300 Jackson street, Gary, and their church was dedicated on May 19th, 1921. In 1925 they purchased a brass bell which called the members of the community to worship. Sadly, on April 28th, 1959, lightening struck the church and it was totally destroyed in the resulting fire.

After looking for the best location for a new sanctuary, on December 4th, 1960, groundbreaking took place at 5160 Georgia Street, Gary, and the dedication of the new building took place on September 9th, 1961, at which time the church was renamed Grace Reformed Church.

Unfortunately, demographic and employment factors changed dramatically over the ensuing years, and the local Hungarian Reformed population relocated away from this urban area. Over the years the second and third generations of the members received the blessings of their ancestors and realized the American dream, and with increasing opportunities in life moved out of the area. As a result the size of the congregation decreased.

To the Glory of God, the Congregation fulfilled it’s mission: it provided the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a basis and guide for not only our first members, but continues on in their children’s children even today.

On August 15th, 2004, Grace Reformed Church held it’s final worship service and celebration as a worshiping community. Leading the closing Worship Service was the Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, and participating were Rt. Rev. Louis Medgyesi, Bishop Emeritus, Rev. Zoltán S. Sutto, General Secretary of the Calvin Synod, and Rev. Zsolt S. Takacs, MD. Joining in the celebration were Mr. Wilburn Roby, retiring Synod Treasurer from Butler PA and Janet Lawton, newly elected Synod Treasurer and her husband James from Columbus, OH. Following the Worship Service the participants were guests of the Gary Congregation Ladies Aid at a banquet held at the Patio Restaurant in Merrillville, Indiana.

The congregation donated their bell to the Bethlen Home in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, where it will be housed in the new nursing home now under construction. The bell was delivered to the Home in September by Rt. Rev. Ludwig, as were the Baptismal Font and other items from the church. The Record Books of the Consistory are now in the Calvin Synod Archives at the Hungarian Reformed Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Congregation distributed it’s assets realized from the sale of it’s property to a number of missions it has supported in the past, including $50,000 to Western Classis and local congregations, $126,000 to Calvin Synod missions and funds and $30,000 to General Synod programs.”

There is much debate today concerning justification. The more learned debate the finer points of the original languages in several key passages of Scripture dealing with justification. While justification is a key doctrine and one narrowly defined within the pale of Reformed orthodoxy, it is not that hard to understand and there is little room for debate. It is good for us to bring out the key doctrines of the church and run them up the flagpole every so often and closely examine what we believe. The scholarly debates of recent days however have not solidified what we believe. These debates which are often accompanied with much heat and charges from gross error to clear heresy have done little to bring edification to any and very well may have caused confusion and harm to the over all body of Christ.

Every attempt to more clearly word the doctrine meets with a letter-by-letter dissection of the statement that defies understanding. In the Reformed churches we have confessional documents that clearly define the term and have held us in good stead for several hundred years. Several of these new innovations are not in accord with these documents and despite all the heat and verbiage cannot be supported from the Bible. We no longer appear to have the ability to call together in one place a universal council which all of the Reformed churches will recognize. This leaves each denomination or group with the task of examining these deviant views and making a declaration concerning their being a viable alternative view to our confessions or denouncing them for what they are, heresy. Few have done so and the rank and file of the church continues to hear men of some renown speak roaring words of heresy without the watchmen of the chinch raising the alarm.

I am positive that what I write here will be placed under a microscope and tom to bits by both sides of this debate. This is of no concern to me and I really do not care who says what concerning my beliefs unless it can be shown clearly I vary from the Bible. The Bible is very clear concerning justification. The prime tool of biblical interpretation is that the Scripture interprets Scripture. In this hermeneutic verses that are not clear are read in the light and guidance of the verses that are clearer. God chose to set before us in His revealed word a clear statement concerning justification:

Eph. 2:8 By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I would be very dissatisfied if my elementary class could not understand this passage. A simple definition of justification may be in order and the words simplified, but just perhaps. The shadow some seek in other passages is of no concern since the principle is for the clearest passage to interpret the less clear. God does not need our help in saying what He intended to say. Let us then in issues like this allow the Bible to interpret the Bible and the clarity of God’s word speak for itself.

The Westminster Confession of Faith in chapter XI. 1, 2