Calvin Synod Herald, 2007 (108. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2007-05-01 / 5-6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 7 UCC Losses = 55% - AN ANSWER Looking at the Yearbooks of the merger churches, the years I have show the following about 1957: CC 1957 1,392,632 ER 1956 + 794,047 1957 TOTAL: 2,186,679 2005 UCC: 1,224,297 LOSS 962,382 or 56% The Yearbooks’ numbers are even higher In 1960 CC 1960 1,432,486 ER 1960 + 814,124 1960 TOTAL: 2,246,610 2005 UCC: 1,224,297 LOSS 1,022,313 or 54.5% So - round it out to 55% ... The question is: who is to blame? Surely somebody!!! ANSWER . .. Since the churches were growing even after the merger, on the strength of their dissimilar heritages, we need to: reclaim our heritage reform the church’s direction renew the local churches’ lives. This can only begin when we repent for a church we let run wild, replace the present leadership, remove the hierarchical controlled election/selection system, refrain from political entanglements, refrain from speaking for the church resolutions should require ratification, recommit to scriptural guidance, resolve to evangelize the world, recognize America is not a Christian nation, recognize the persecuted world church, recognize other religions are false, restore ministry to its highest standards, require Trinitarian belief, require chastity and fidelity, restore the emphasis on the local church, recognize the spirit informs the laity also. The 50th anniversary is a good time to start. If not, why not ? If not now, when ? The lord can give new life to our dry bones - so let all the people say, “Come, Lord Jesus - I give you my heart!” Rev. Albert W. Kovács Hungarian Reformed Church - Woodbridge, NJ TRAC Update - February 2007 Dear Friends: The TRAC program in Transylvania, Romania, is now in full swing. The students have completed one semester, and we have the reports of their activities. In turn, there are several new aspects of our program that have come to the fore, which provide us with new possibilities as we continue in our efforts to assist the Hungarian Reformed people in their recovery from Communism. Particularly encouraging are the reports from the students. They are most active in two different areas, among the villages in the Mezöség and with the poor in the city. In this work their reports reflect a common base on which these students work, the word of God. But this can be seen, not just in the students’ words, but also in the deep compassion that they are developing for the poor and needy people they serve. We see this in the report on the Sunday visits to lead services in the villages (found on the reverse side of this letter), and especially in the reports on the work with the homeless (found in this month’s report). In an untiring cycle, the students meet each Wednesday evening with these outcasts of society for a service of worship and instruction in the word of God. Then on Thursday afternoon they go out to visit the homeless in their makeshift shanties to make sure they have enough to eat, and in the winter to provide some bottled gas for the small heaters that they use for cooking and to withstand the winter cold. In doing so they are developing a close bond of love and friendship with these troubled souls. One of the most encouraging things, however, is the evidence that this work continues to carry on after the students graduate. Two of them, who were leaders in the TRAC work in the past are now ordained and working in the churches, and are continuing in this same work. Zsolt Farkas works out of a city church in Nagyvarad (Oradea). His work includes helping young couples who have moved into surrounding villages by holding Sunday worship services for them. As we noted in our previous report, he is deeply concerned that their children should be able to travel to Christian schools. And he also is working with us to set up a greenhouse project so that the parents can work in their own villages rather than traveling each day to the city. Meanwhile, Krisztián Barticel and his wife are working in the Mezöség, where he led our program for several of his school years. He too has a number of children that need to travel to get a Christian education; and we are including a letter from him explaining this need. But also a new opportunity has developed to make life in the villages more viable. In its effort to join the European Union, the government has returned to the churches he works with over 100 hector (250 acres) of land that had been bequeathed to them in the past, and taken from them by Communism. If we can develop a system by which the people can grow produce on these lands, and it can be brought into the city for sale on the city markets, it might be possible for young Continued on page 8
