Magyar Református Egyház

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

In light of the fact that many Hungarian Reformed ministers have participated in Biblical Witness Fellowship in past years, we are making their press release available here as well.

A Resolution of the General Synod of the United Church of Christ concluding today in Grand Rapids Michigan calls for “diversity/multi-cultural education” in public elementary schools that includes, “the experience of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender), individuals and families.” The resolution also calls for aggressive opposition to efforts by parents whose moral convictions are violated by such teaching to protect their children from LGBT indoctrination. The resolution mixes the LGBT agenda with a call for public school diversity teaching on racism and the acceptance of immigrant minorities.

In protest, the confessing movement within the United Church of Christ known as Biblical Witness Fellowship has issued a statement of protest. “Teaching that behavior and relationships which are morally wrong to most Christian families as well as families of the Islamic, Hindu and other religious traditions is normative makes the public school an unsafe environment for our children. Mixing such a message with the legitimate concerns of racism and the acceptance of immigrating families and children is offensive, intellectually dishonest, and inappropriate. Diversity demands that public education respect the morality of all and protects the innocence of children.”

http://www.ReformationUCC.org

http://www.biblicalwitness.org

Biblical Witness Fellowship
Telephone: 603-484-0506

The English and the Magyar versions of the July Calvin Synod Communicator are available for download:

Calvin Synod Communicator July 2009

KÖZLÖNY 07 2009

Below are photographs of the church members working together one recent Saturday at West Side Hungarian Reformed Church in Cleveland, OH.

The church sold sausage to pay for roof repairs, fixed the roof, and also did Spring Cleaning for the Church.

Photos provided by Rev. Zoltan Keleman

This is an adobe acrobat file of the latest online issue of the “Reformed News” from Europe.

Református Újság Reformed Newspapers June 2009

The article “Faith, Hope, Brotherly Communion” and others comment on the Uniting Synod held on May 22, 2009 in Debrecen along with providing photos from the event.

Other news of interest is also reported in additional articles.

No English translation is currently available.

Szia

Greetings!

This is just a brief update on behalf of Janos Erdos and David Pandy-Szekeres, the originators of the Ars Longa Foundation. Many of you have met them over the past ten years during mission trips, semesters in Budapest, or in summer volunteer programs. Along with Robert Hunlich, David and Janos team up to offer consultation, fundraising, and encouragement to youth programs associated with the Reformed church in Hungary, the Ukraine, and Croatia.

A small group of supporters here in the US formed Ars Longa North America (ALNA), an affiliate non-profit, in 2006 to join forces with them. Although David, Janos, and Robert work in several different arenas, ALNA has chosen to focus its efforts on two, the Reformed high schools in Transcarpatia Ukraine and the Ars Longa community development effort in Baranya County, Hungary.

Here’s what’s been happening:

Baranya County News: A summer camp will again be held in the largely Roma village of Gilvanfa. We are amazed and blessed that after last year’s camp, the lord mayor invited our staff to visit his home and to come back in 2009. Ars Longa continues to work with local people and organizations to slowly build a mini-tourism network.

Ukraine School News: As many of you know, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, with amazing faith, the Reformed church launched three Christian High Schools. Since the first school opened in 1993, more than 1200 students have graduated and most have continued on to the university and to lives of service. With God’s grace, the schools continue, but because of the current economic situation, they are facing a severe financial crisis. Together, the Ars Longa Foundation and ALNA have raised nearly $40,000 to cover urgent operating costs. But we are also working on a long-term strategy to promote economic development in the region. More about this in the future.

This Summer: In June, four volunteers from West Michigan, the Lantingas and Hamstras, will be traveling to Transcarpathia, Ukraine and Baranya County, Hungary with an eye out for service opportunities. During the first week, they will assist in the English camp organized by Eric Hoeksema, our McBain, MI partner, at the Peterfalva Lyceum in Transcarpathia, Ukraine. During the second week, they will visit the Ars Longa summer camp in the village of Gilvanfa and pretend to be tourists visiting other Ars Longa projects in Baranya County. They will also be real tourists visiting Pecs, a beautiful old city in Southwestern Hungary soon to be the culture capital of the EU for 2010.

Volunteer: It’s not too late to sign up for helping in a summer camp in Hungary. Here are some details:

Summer Camp in Roma Village in Southern Hungary – July 2 through12, 2009. Be a presence of light in the village of Gilvanfa. Assist with games, activities, music, food preparation, and some conversational English. Build relationships with local children and with other international volunteers.

Conversational English Camp – July 13 through 17, 2009. Meet elementary and middle-school aged children and young people in Hungary who are eager to sharpen their English skills at a summer camp sponsored by the Reformed church in Erdokertes, Hungary. Stay with families, play games, meet other international volunteers.

Please keep the schools, the summer camps, and our Hungarian colleagues in your prayers. If you have questions, a story to share, some advice, or would like to get more involved, please contact us.

Aldas, bekesseg (blessings)!  Beth Lantinga, Ars Longa North America

Email: arslongana@gmail.com; Telephone: 616.456.9719

p.s. If you decide to visit this summer, you might be invited to hoe Robi’s lavender field!

Ars Longa North America (ALNA) is a registered non-profit  501(c) (3) and is an affiliate of the Ars Longa Foundation, Hungary.

ALNA Board:  Johannes Witte, Patricia Posthumus, Raymond Lantinga, Ryan Dokter

Ars Longa Foundation principals:  Janos Erdos, Robert Hunlich, David Pandy-Szekeres

The June 2009 issue of the Calvin Synod Communicator is available at the link below:
Calvin Synod Communicator June 2009

The following press release was received after the May 22nd Uniting Synod in Debrecen, Hungary.

Mr. Lehel Deak, Synod Presbyter of the Calvin Synod summarized the highlights of the press release for English readers in this way:

With the motto: “Christ is the future, we follow Him together” a historic moment has taken place in Debrecen this past Friday, when representative leaders of Hungarian Reformed Churches of the traditionally Hungarian territories of the Carpathian Basin have signed onto the Constitution of the Unified Hungarian Reformed Church. The only exemption is the Church from the SlovakRepublic. The tenth signatory of the document was the Hungarian Reformed Church in America.

The Calvin Synod’s Auxiliary Bishop, Rt. Rev. Joseph Vasarhely attended as an observer.

—

Az Alkotmányozó Zsinat üzenete

Isten iránti hálával adjuk hírül, hogy ma, 2009. május 22-én, 11.00 órakor a magyarországi, kárpátaljai, délvidéki, erdélyi és partiumi részegyházak aláírták a Magyar Református Egyház Alkotmányát. Ezzel a lépéssel, közel 20 évi fáradozás után, mi, magyar reformátusok évszázados közösségünket ebben a formában juttatjuk kifejezésre. A magyar reformátusság a reformáció évszázadától megtartotta
lelki, szellemi egységét. Összetartozásunkat még történelmi viszontagságok és politikai szándékok sem tudták kikezdeni, így a trianoni döntés és 2004. december 5-i népszavazás sem tudta szétzilálni közösségünket. Ezt a közösségünket kifejezi az is,
hogy ma együtt ünnepelünk azokkal is, akik már kifejezték csatlakozási szándékukat vagy még ezt idáig nem tudták megtenni.

Ma ezzel a közös alkotmánnyal is kifejezzük és megszilárdítjuk egységünket.

Alkotmányunk szerint:
• Egyházunk tagja minden keresztyén, aki a magyar református egyházhoz tartozónak vallja magát, éljen bárhol a világban, és legyen magyar vagy más
• Egyházunk a csatlakozó részegyházak zsinati közössége, amely. törvényt alkot és megnyilatkozik mindazokban a kérdésekben, melyekre a részegyházak legmagasabb szint? testületei felhatalmazzák.
• Egyházunk alkotmánya biztosítja és szabályozza a Kárpát-medencén kívüli magyar református egyházak csatlakozását is.
• Bels? szervezeti rendszerük kialakításában a részegyházak önállóak és
függetlenek. Kivételt képeznek ez alól mindazon kérdések, amelyek a közös alkotmányba vagy közös szabályzásra tartoznak.
Jézus Krisztus mondja: Én vagyok az út, az igazság és az élet. Hisszük és valljuk, hogy Krisztus igazsága szabadít meg minden igazságtalanságból és nyomorúságból.

Hisszük, hogy gyógyító hatalma megteremti Benne való egységünket is. Hisszük, hogy ha ?t követjük a megbékélés eszközei lehetünk minden körülmények között.

Hisszük, hogy a magyar reformátusság összefogása Jézus Krisztus egyetemes egyházának egységét és hiteles bizonyságtételét szolgálja, melynek mindnyájan

Krisztus a jövo, kövessük együtt Ot!

(Some accent marks were changed in posting. Our apologies.)

Dear Friends,

Attached, please find the latest issue of our E Church Visitor. Feel free to forward it to Friends & Family!

Have a Spirited Pentecost!

“The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit Or Spirit and they are life.” (John 6,63)

Kedves Testvérek,

Csatolva küldöm Egyházi Látogatónk legfrissebb kiadását – még alig száradt meg rajta a festék – fogadjátok szeretettel, s továbbitsátok bátran szeretteitek, barátaitok felé! Áldott pünkösdi ünnepeket!

“A Lélek az ami megelevenit, a test nem használ semmit. A beszédek, amelyeket én mondok néktek: Lélek és Élet!” (János 6:63)

Rev. Zoltán S. Kelemen
1463 Waterbury Road
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
Cellular: 216. 403-1031

Church Visitor Ascension and Pentecost Edition 2009

Welcome to the Chicago Hungarian Reformed Church. Located in Norridge, IL the congregation’s acting minister is Mr. Trufan Aron, an energetic theological student who has served the church well. You will enjoy these images from the congregation. Many photos are available here at their photo album.

Isten hozott! Ezen oldalak 2007 júniusától adnak otthont azon a külföldön, illetve a szül?hazában él? magyarok számára, akik az Interneten keresztül szeretnék megismerni Chicagóban él? honfitársaikat. Ezen az oldalon szeretnénk tartalmas segítséget nyújtani és érdekest témákat kínálni a nagyvilágban szétszóródott és az otthoni reformátusok számára egyaránt. Témáinkat folyamatosan b?vítjük. 

This coming Sunday, May 10, is Mother`s Day. A combined worship service will be held at 11 AM, followed by a festive luncheon in the Calvin Center as it is our custom. If you did not sign up yet, but wish to participate, contact me immediately! Donations: Adults – $12, Children (ages 7 to 13) – $6, Children (under 7) and students of the Sunday School – Free!

Reánk következ? Vasárnap, május 10, Anyák Napja. Délel?tt 11 órakor tartunk összevont istentiszteletet, melyet – szokás szerint – ünnepi ebéd követ a Kálvin nagyteremben. Aki még szeretne résztvenni, lépjen szintén azonnal kapcsolatba velem! Adomáynok: feln?tt – 12 dollár, gyermek (7 és 13 éves kor között) – 6 dollár, gyermek (7 év alatt) valamint a vasárnapi iskolások – ingyenes!

Köszönöm!
Thanks!