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The STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABEŞ-BOLYAI issue article summary
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Abstract: The Settlement of 1867 brought a new chapter in the relations of the Reformed Church Districts. During the absolutistic era relations among the districts existed only at spiritual level, each one struggling for its autonomy separately and in isolation.
The institution of the Convent is based on the decrees of the Synod held in Buda in 1791, its goal being the single representation of the Hungarian Reformed Church.
In the years marked by absolutisms the holding of larger meetings was strictly prohibited, hence the activities of the Convent also ceased. After the withdrawal of the Patent in 1860 Convent-meetings were held in Budapest, however, Transylvania was only represented at these meetings starting with 1867. The Hungarian Reformed Convent was finally created in 1873 after several meetings, becoming the representative
of the whole Hungarian Reformed Church.
The competence of the General Convent can be summarized as follows: its functions were the enforcement of the synodal decrees as well as the protection of the Church’s rights. Other tasks of the Convent were: supervising the mission, administering
the deacon work in the church and the complementary payments of the priests and solving issues regarding church-owned schools. At disciplinary level the Convent was the highest instance. Its members were elected by the general meetings of the districts and not by the presbyteries.
This paper presents the significance of the National Synod as well as those development
phases, which lead to its organization.
Starting with 1876 the necessity of organizing a national synod increased significantly
on part of the Reformed church districts. The task of its organization fell on the Convent.
It was decided that the National Synod will be reorganized every ten years, its primary function being the legislative one.
In its times of intermission the Synod was replaced by the General Convent.
On 31st of October 1881, after a four-year preparation period the highly important
Conventional Synod could finally commence its activities in Debrecen, where the statute books of the five Reformed church districts were drawn up. Its main importance consisted in the fact that the Hungarian Reformed Church could thereafter
finally organize itself at national level, could uniformly define its constitutional framework and its general representation both in its own circles as well as towards the state and the Austrian monarchy.
Keywords: The institution of the Convent, Other tasks of the Convent, disciplinary
level the Convent, National Synod, general representation.
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