Magyar Egyház, 2002 (81. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2002 / 2. szám
4. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EASTERN CLASSIS PERTH AMBOY, NJ - MARCH 3, 2002 THE DEAN’S REPORT It is my privilege and honor to extend heartfelt greetings to everyone present: To my fellow office bearer in the Classis, to ministers and elders, representatives of our churches and guests who took time to set aside this afternoon to share in the joys and concerns of sister churches within our Classis. We are honored by the presence of our Bishop, the Right Reverend Forró Sándor and Chief- Elder of our denomination Szabó István. It gives me pleasure to welcome representatives of the New York Classis, the Rev. Árpád Drótos, delegates of the Staten Island church, who a year ago asked for the transfer of membership into our Classis, and other guests. At the outset, I wish to express thanks and appreciation to the Perth Amboy Church for hosting our meeting this year. Thank you for your hospitality. I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of the Classis, to my fellow officers, for their commitment to the cause represented here. My greeting to you is taken from the lips of the Apostle Paul as he addressed the church at Corinth: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.’’ I. Corinthians’ 15:58 This is one of the many encouraging words that the letters of St. Paul are full of. The Apostle, on his several missionary journeys, took decisive steps toward organizing a whole network of churches. The Early Christian Church -at that time- was small and scattered all over the vast territories of the Roman Empire. They faced challenges inside and outside the church. In their struggle for survival they needed encouraging words which would give them the necessary strength to go on. The Eastern Classis of the Hungarian Reformed Church of America can, to some degree, be likened to the conditions described in Paul’s letters. A few congregations scattered on the Eastern Coast of the United States, spreading from New Jersey in the North to Florida in the South. Nine congregations to be exact: Bethlehem, Carteret, Linden, Miami, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Roebling, Trenton, and Washington, DC. Unlike the early Christian congregations they do not face pressure from the outside, their difficulties stem from their circumstances. The Yearly Reports, almost without exception, reflect decline in membership due to such causes as: unfavorable location of the sanctuary and parsonage, young families leaving the community first for higher education and then in the pursuit of job opportunities. With decrease in the income column runs parallel the increase in such items as the upkeep of the old facilities and adjustment of salaries. The weight of the obligation is getting heavier with every passing year, while the shoulders to carry them are fewer and fewer. But that is not the whole content of the reports. What comes through in each of them is a word of assurance: “The work of the Lord goes on without faltering”. Pastors and elders, church organizations or individual members are doing the work of the Lord faithfully. Let us therefore encourage each other as we share our thoughts and experiences this afternoon. Let the word of the Apostle clearly ring from Linden to Florida. Brothers and sisters in the Lord: Don’t get discouraged, “Knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” In closing, let us stand and in loyalty and concern for our country and for the security of the world. Let us give expression of support to the President of the United States of America and for what is stands, and in this one of the darkest times of its history, let us sing and let us pray together: “God bless America.” Dr. Imre Bertalan REPORT OF THE CHIEF ELDER Greetings to the congregational delegates, ministers, elders and church leaders present, including Rt. Reverend Sándor Forró Bishop, Dean Imre Bertalan, Chief Elder István Szabó and guests. This past year I again participated in the Bishop’s Council meetings and other memorable events of our Classis. My objective was to continue maintaining the relationship with the congregations. Last year I prepared to attend our annual meeting, but due to inclement weather and icy road conditions was unable to make the trip. In September I traveled to Europe on a personal visit, but also took the opportunity to attend Sunday services at three churches and conveyed greetings from our congregations. In Szabadka a new pastor, Katalin Réti had started her ministry around the time of my visit and I was pleased to have the chance to meet her. On October 28, 2001 I attended the closing service at our UCC fellow congregation in Bethlehem, and arranged to have the terminating congregation’s book of vital records and their bell transferred to the “Bethlehem Independent
