Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1961-09-01 / 9. szám
10 FRATERNITY lessly as the movement spread like wildfire across the Plain. The Development of Church Courts As They Exist Today The danger from within brought about an interesting constitutional move on the part of the Church. For the first time in their history, the four Church Districts, along with the Transylvanian Church, called in 1881 a united Synod meeting in the city of Debrecen. This Synod sought to set the Church’s house in order. It dealt, for example, with the constitution of Kirk Sessions. It enjoined that congregations with 3000 members were to have 50 elders, with the addition of two elders for each 1000 above that number; that elders were to hold office for 12 years; that one-quarter of their number was to retire every three years; that an elder had to be at least 21 years of age, of known probity of character, and a regular contributor to church funds. The Church Counties (Presbyteries) were also put on a sound footing, and were ordered to meet at least once annually. The Church Districts, too, were to hold regular general meetings. It was to have two chairmen, the senior bishop and the senior lay curator, and its membership was to be chosen from amongst the moderators and lay curators of Presbytery, ministers and elders, plus representatives from the elementary and high schools. Power was granted to Sessions to join in the election of bishops, moderators, secretaries and clerks. In Transylvania alone the general meeting of the Church District retained its ancient right of electing the bishop. The Conventus The highest court of government in the Reformed Church, reorganized in that year, is now the General Conventus. Its chairman is the bishop senior in office and the corresponding lay curator, and its membership is composed of the
