Magyar Egyház, 1978 (57. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1978-03-01 / 3-4. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

7

DEAN’S REPORT

submitted to the Annual Assembly of the Eastern Classis of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, Trenton, New Jersey, Sunday, October 9, 1977. Dean Dr. Andrew Harsanyi and Chief Elder Imre Kőváry presiding.

Fathers, Brothers and Sisters:

As an introduction to my report may I add a few thoughts to the Scripture you heard in our opening devotions. The last words of Jesus to his disciples, the Great Commission, is obviously of vital significance to the Christian Church of all ages and thus to our churches today.

Make disciples. . . baptize . . . teach . . . obey all the commands . . . are parts of the Great Commission of Jesus. Here we see loosely connected content and methods all pointing to the ultimate goal: the unity of mankind under the Lordship of Christ.

Does this mean that the ultimate goal is to make every human being on earth a professing Christian and a conscious member of the Church? The fact that the “Church” has become divided and even more the fact that the pace of growth of the world’s population is steadily surpassing the pace of growth of Christian church membership seem to make this goal illusory, never attainable. Was the Great Commission but an irrational dream of Jesus or an overzealous fantasy of the gospel-writer Matthew? Or, was it a kind of clever trick to demand untiring and unceasing work from every Christian? These questions sound quite irreverent, even sacrilegious. They have nevertheless vexed the minds of sincere Christians of all times, and also have been the constant ridiculing arguments of the adversaries of Christianity. Now in the last question “trick” should be changed to “truth” and then there is nothing irreverent or sacrilegious about it: the Christian must be untiring and unceasing in telling forth the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people if the Christian is convinced of its truth? And how could a person be a Christian otherwise?

What about the other two questions? Irrational dream and overzealous fantasy? We could simply answer that for God’s purpose there are no time limitations, there is no deadline for the reaching the ultimate goal: the Lordship of Christ over the whole world is divine promise and God’s promise is unchanging reality.

The important point for US, for the church of TODAY, however, is not lodged in the remote future. We are commissioned to do our work today and tomorrow and as long as we live; and we must repent

of having missed to do our work yesterday and the days before.

We must TEACH. The subject of our teaching is to make people observe all that Jesus had commanded. ALL of his commandments. Neither teacher nor hearer can here be eclectic: observe some and disregard other commandments. Teach the teacher must, in all places, under all circumstances. If Christ is not received the church, we — that is the teacher — is to blame: the teacher was not winsome enough, was not enough persuasive, or did not reach the student at all. Teach the teacher must, not to threaten, not to force; the only force being the inherent truth of the Gospel. Teach the teacher must with word and example.

We must BAPTIZE. I do not want to explain away the outward sign of baptism — outward signs are important, the church as a corporate human community needs symbols and rituals. More important are, however, the accompanying words in Scripture: “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” These words tell us the whole scope of our teaching: to make all people know that this God is Creator of the world and loving, caring Father of mankind; to make all people know that this God became man in Jesus Christ to set the relationship right between man and God and man and man; and to make all people know that God is not far away in heaven, nor had He retired with the departure of Jesus from earth but in His Spirit He is present and at work here and now. This part of baptism is an essential content of our teaching and of our witness to all the world, even before or without the outward sign.

We are hard-pressed for time. The world is on the verge of collapse. Hostile forces are ready for a takeover; only we know that that would not bring peace but disaster.

Congregational vital statistics for 1976 are as follows (figures in brackets show those for 1975) : Baptisms — Bethlehem 2(2), Carteret 5 (6), Linden 0 (0), Miami 2 (1), Perth Amboy 12 (7), Roebling 0 (1), Trenton 14 (13), Total 35 (30; Confirmed — Bethlehem 0 (1), Carteret 5 (7), Linden 0 (0), Miami 0 (0), Perth Amboy 10 (16, Roebling 2 (0), Trenton 11 (8), Total 28 (32); Weddings — Bethlehem 0 (2), Carteret 5 (7), Linden 0 (1), Miami 0 (2), Perth Amboy 3 (8), Roebling 1 (3), Trenton 9 (11), Total 18 (34); Burials — Bethlehem 2 (2), Carteret 9 (8), Linden 2 (0), Miami 4 (7), Perth Amboy 12 (14), Roebling 5 (4), Trenton 39 (27), Total 73 (62). Members eligible to vote: Bethlehem 80, Carteret 287, Linden 15, Miami 152, Perth Amboy 450, Roebling 62, Trenton 500, Total 1,550 (1,784).