Gründung der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche (Hungarin Reformed Church)

22. Mai 2009, konstituierende Synode der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche in Debrecen, Ungarn

Reformierte Kirchen aus Ungarn, Rumänien, Transkarpatien (Ukraine), Slovakien, Serbien, Kroatien und Slovenien schließen sich zu einer synodalen Gemeinschaft zusammen, der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche (Hungarin Reformed Chruch).

Einladung zur konstituierenden Synode der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche,
unterzeichnet von Bischof Dr. Bölcskei Gusztáv und Präsident Dr. Imre Sándor
im Namen des Präsidums der Reformierten Kirchen im Karpaten-Becken >>>

Auszug aus der Meldung zur Gründung der Hungarian Reformed Church auf der Internetseite der Reformierten Kirche in Ungarn: www.reformatus.hu 

“On 22 May 2009 the Reformed Churches in the Carpathian Basin will express their unity by accepting a common constitution. Get acquainted with the constitution! Preamble Dating back to the Reformation, the Hungarian Reformed Church has always flourished on the territory of various countries and within the frameworks of different states, embracing in Canon Law with other ethnic churches of the Carpathian Basin who joined the Reformation.

In the 16th century, after the rupture of the historical territory of Hungary into two - and later three parts - the Western region was brought under the rule of the Habsburg Empire. The Principality of Transylvania was established in the Eastern territory. The region encircled by these two witnessed the development of Ottoman dominion with its changing borders. After the expulsion of the Ottomans, Transylvania maintained its independence.

Following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, 14 years of preparatory work gave birth to the complete organisational structure of the Hungarian Reformed Church in 1881, at Debrecen.

Until the issuance of the Trianon Peace Treaty, the Reformed population in the Carpathian Basin lived on the territory of one state; however, as a result of Western and Eastern immigration, the "Overseas Diocese" took shape in the United States of America and the "Old Romanian Diocese" within the borders of the Romanian Principality

After WWI, Hungarian Reformed people lived in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia, besides the Hungarian territories left behind.

Following the provisional re-annexation, the situation remained unchanged until 1989/90. Since the changes, the Reformed population of the Carpathian Basin have lived in Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Hungarian Reformed people live in Western Europe, the United States of America and Canada either engaged in independent Reformed ecclesiastical organisations or in the Reformed church of those countries. Hungarian Reformed people also live or serve in other dozens of countries, either as independent congregations or in varying degrees of ecclesiastical organisations.

As a result of further historical changes in the early 21st century, the Hungarian Reformed population of the Carpathian Basin, except for Ukraine, Serbia and Croatia, now lives under the same federation, the European Union.

The organisational structure of the Hungarian Reformed church, once violently torn apart, can now gradually be re-established. Re-establishing unity is even more feasible as the Hungarian Reformed people continuously preserved their unity of faith and theology, based on God's Word, creeds of the ancient church, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Second Helvetic Confession. Worship agendas maintained their common principles, and the unity in serving the sacraments - baptism and communion - has never been discarded. Reformed Christian education, pastoral service, mission, Christian charity, Synod-Presbyterian governance based on parity and the basic principles of exercising ecclesiastical discipline never questioned unity and communion, nor unity with non-Hungarian Reformed church people.”

Weiter im Text auf: http://www.majus22.org/constitution.html


Barbara Schenck

7. Vollversammlung 20.-25. September 2012 in Florenz – gemeinsame Position der GEKE-Kirchen zur Sterbehilfe in Vorbereitung – Studienprozess für junge Ökumeniker beginnt 16.-18. Oktober 2009 – Konsultation zur Zukunft der Kirchengemeinschaft 15.-19. September 2010.
Geneva (ENI 10/06/2009). The Rev. Fred Kaan, a prolific 20th century English-language hymnologist, once described himself as the "world's most surprised hymn writer". Kaan, who has died aged 80, was unable to read music but wrote the words of more than 200 hymns in English, even though he started to learn the language only at the age of 16. He was born in the Netherlands in 1929 of Dutch parents, and moved in the 1950s to England, where he died on 4 October. Kaan was a retired minister of Britain's Untied Reformed Church. 1970-1978 Kaan was executive secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Barbara Schenck

GEKE: Ökumenisches Gipfeltreffen

Wipf: ''Wir sind eine Kirche. Wir müssen es aber auch leben.'' - Bukowski: Konfessionelle Weltbünde müssen zusammenarbeiten
In einem Gespräch mit den Spitzenvertretern der in Genf ansässigen ökumenischen Organisationen stellte die GEKE kritische Rückfragen an das Nebeneinander und Miteinander der konfessionellen Ökumene in Europa.

Pressemitteilung 21/2009 / GEKE, 3. Oktober 2009

RB/ERK: Setri Nyomi in Emden

Generalsekretär des Reformierten Weltbundes bei gemeinsamer Tagung von Evangelisch-reformierter Kirche und südafrikanischer URCSA
Der Generalsekretär der Reformierten Weltbundes, Setri Nyomi aus Ghana, hat die gemeinsame Globalisierungstagung der Evangelisch-reformierten Kirche und der Uniting Church of Southern Africa besucht. Vom 28. bis zum 29. September war der Ghanaische Pfarrer in der Emder Johannes a Lasco Bibliothek. 25 Theologen und andere Wissenschaftler vornehmlich aus Südafrika und Deutschland tagen seit dem 27. September dort zu Fragen der Globalisierung.

Ulf Preuß, Pressesprecher der ERK

Church of Scotland: ''Climate Change: Managing Your Carbon Footprint''

Kirk welcomes carbon footprint measures for congregations
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Barbara Schenck

Internationaler Kongress: Das Menschenbild im Strafrecht

Körtner: ''Kein Rechtssystem kann letzte Gerechtigkeit schaffen''
In Wien fand ein internationaler Kongress statt zum Thema ''Das Menschenbild im Strafrecht'' – Bischof Bünker: Gegen Rachefantasien im Rechtsdenken

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Ein Erfolg der Kampagne «High Tech - No Rights?»
RNA (24.9.09). Chinesische Nichtregierungsorganisationen (NGO) konnten in Zulieferbetrieben des Computerunternehmens Hewlett-Packard erstmals ein Bildungsprogramm zu Arbeitsrechten durchführen. Das Programm war eine direkte Folge der Kampagne «High Tech - No Rights?» der beiden Hilfswerke Brot für alle und Fastenopfer.

Pressemitteilung: RNA, 24. September 2009
Die Baptist Union of Great Britain, die Metodist Church und die United Reformed Church fordern gemeinsam ihre Gemeinden auf, den 20. September 2009 als Peacemaking Sunday zu feiern. Dazu wurde eine gemeinsame Liturgie erstellt (auch als PDF zum Download).

Barbara Schenck

WARC/Global Dialogue on the Accra Confession

Strong emphasis on need for action by Christians against economic and ecological injustice
Setri Nyomi: ''We cannot ignore the millions of victims of injustice and the consequences of human devastation upon the Earth.''

Barbara Schenck

Niederlande: Balkenende: ''The church is a haven. You can recharge there''

Premierminister Balkenende würdigt neue Möglichkeit, den Glauben mit der Zeitschrift ''glossy'' zu zeigen
Friday afternoon (11. September 2009) Prime Minister Balkende received the ‘glossy’ newspaper “We believe” from the hands of Dr. A.J. Plaisier, secretary general of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.

Barbara Schenck