Calvin Synod Herald, 2006 (107. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2006-05-01 / 5-6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 3 himself in Matthew 28:19-20 at the same time he reiterated the promise of His presence in our lives, when He said: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Again the promise of His presence is reiterated, but with a challenge, with a task we are given. And this is the task, the purpose, of the Church, of your church. Unfortunately, we sometimes are sidetracked by events around us, and by life in general. And as a result, while we always gladly accept the promises of Christ, we sometimes forget to follow His mandates, as we get caught up in those events that swirl around us. Sometimes our congregations, our Church, gets caught up in the events of society and our attention is diverted from the very tasks for which we are called by our Lord. We react to temporary situations in life, and we lose sight of our primary purpose, that of being Christ’s Body on earth. Sometimes “the tail wags the dog,” and our Church gets involved in reacting to issues that become detrimental to our purpose. As we celebrate the “birthday of the Church” at Pentecost, let each of us, each of our congregations, look not to the speck in the other’s eye, but let us look at how we can realize the mandate of Christ in our community. Preach the Gospel, bring it to life in relationship with all those to whom God sends us. We were not Called to judge others, we were Called to touch others with Christ’s love. As we follow Christ’s command, we bring life and revitalization to our church, because we invite Him to be our companion and guide. Rt. Rev. Ko lom an Karl Ludwig, Bishop Faithful and Welcoming Churches Plans National Gathering in New Knoxville, Ohio July 2-4, 2006 FWC believes the UCC is facing a crisis, including the loss of churches, loss of funds, and loss of unity based on its founding vision. The crisis was intensified by General Synod 25’s endorsement of same sex marriage in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, 2005. Faithful and Welcoming Churches (FWC) of the United Church of Christ (UCC) was formally organized January 19, 2006 in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, to halt further losses and reclaim the churches’ heritage of faithfulness to the Lord, and welcoming all who respect the teachings of the Scriptures. FWC has been holding regional gatherings to create a network of UCC laity and clergy for support and encouragement, to call attention to its concerns, and to promote its first National Gathering on July 2-4, 2006. We have changed the location of our National Gathering from Grove City, Ohio, (just outside of Columbus) to First UCC, St. Marys Street and West Bremen Street, New Knoxville, OH 45871 (419) 753-2446. Please spread this word to all your contacts and encourage everyone to sign up. It is also a good idea to sign up now and to arrange car pools and bus trips to New Knoxville. This location is more rural than Grove City, but there are plenty of motel rooms within 15-20 minutes. A chart of these will be listed on our web site soon. (FWC’s web site is www.faithfulandwelcoming.org.) Early registration ($5 savings) has been extended to June 1, since we have made this change in location. Regional Gatherings We are pleased to report that 1635 people attended at least one of the nineteen regional gatherings. We gained many new friends and, more importantly, raised awareness that we are out there - a key goal at this phase. Our offerings covered about half our travel costs, but we think our time was well worth it. If you did not get a chance to attend one of the gatherings, a written manuscript and a Power Point show are both posted on our web site. If you want someone to come to your church or area to present FWC, please contact president@faithfulandwelcoming.org. We have board members and representatives in many different places who are willing to spread the good word! Finances FWC is solvent, with $ 15,384 as of3-29-06 in income received or promised (gifts from individuals, churches, and one chapter, as well as offerings from the regional gatherings and registrations for the national gathering) and $12,116 in expenses, mostly for printing, advertising in UC News, and the costs of regional gatherings. As we move forward, we are counting on gifts from churches and individuals, and on a good showing at our national gathering. We have just published our second half-page ad in the United Church News, and plan at least one more for the June 1 issue. These half-page ads cost about $2,500 each, but we think it is worth it to get our message out. You may donate online using PayPal and a credit card, or send your check to FWC, P.O. Box 5382, Hickory, NC 28603. Goals and Strategies Many people are asking about our next steps or our longterm goals. Please remember that FWC is created primarily for the purpose of having churches and pastors identify themselves as FWC and find networking and encouragement. We have frequently made it plain that we are not trying to “take over” the UCC - we are counting on the Holy Spirit to do the work of changing and renewing the church. But our first and primary goal is to give those who dissent with the national church’s direction and self-destruction an opportunity to stand up and be counted, and not to feel so alone. The board certainly welcomes further input on our goals, and we will try to be clearer on our strategy as we move toward the national gathering, perhaps in these monthly updates. But if you are expecting us to articulate how we are going to clean out Cleveland or reverse policy at the next General Synod, please remember that among those active in the political process in the UCC, we are clearly in the minority and our objectives and strategies must reflect that reality. It is very UCC to ask for a greater voice for underrepresented groups and
