Reformátusok Lapja, 1950 (50. évfolyam, 8-24. szám)
1950-06-15 / 12. szám
2 REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA A GLANCE OVER THE WORK STARTED SIXTY YEARS AGO The Reformed Church in the United States was the first American denomination to take up the care of the Hungarians immigrated into our country. From the very beginning to this very day, the Reformed Church handled this ecclesiastical matter with the fullest understanding and in a perfectly constitutional way. In the spring of 1890 two different judicatories sent up similar overtures to the General Synod. The Westmoreland Classis saw that “thousands of Hungarians are without the means of Grace and are as sheep without a shepherd” and urged the early establishment of “an itinerary missionary among” them. Similar report and request came from the Erie Classis too. The Try-Synodic Board of Home Missions offered itself and asked for proper authority “to enter into correspondence with reliable church authorities in Europe with a view of inducing some suitable foreign ministers to immigrate to this country for the purpose of entering our missionary service in order to minister to these brethren of another nationality that are thrown on our shores and thus within our reach.” To these double overtures, the Lebanon meeting of the General Synod took the action quoted on the first page of this issue. Then the Board of Home Missions immediately started action. In its meeting, still in June, the proposed correspondence began; in the next meeting, in July, they decided to employ first two missionaries, the traveling expenses plus the salaries of whom would be paid by the Board during their entire service of the Church. And the ministers came. The first, Gustave Jurányi, happened to be in the office of the Scotch minister in Budapest, Rev. Moody, when the inquiry of the Board arrived, and immediately offered himself. Others followed him, and the year was not yet over when already two congregations started to form. Here are the dates of the organizing meetings of the first seven congregations: Cleveland, O. (May 3,1891); Pittsburgh, Pa. (September 20, 1891); South Norwalk, Conn. (April 18, 1893); Bridgeport, Conn. (April 23, 1893); Trenton, N. J. (Sept. 23, 1894); New York, N. Y. (September 22, 1895); Mount Carmel, Pa. (October 6, 1895). Out of the first group of ministers, who came before the turn of the century, only two refined with us: Rev. Alexis Csutoros, D. S. Th., and Rev. Alexader Harsányi, D. D., both retired. A few returned to Hungary, the others finished their ministry here. In the year 1896, which was the memorable year of millenium in Hungary, our brothers formed two institutions. One was the first Classis, consisting of the congregations just mentioned; the other was The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, a fraternal organization, started on a charter given by a special act of the United States Congress. This organization grew ever since and became the largest and richest Elyna charitable institution of its kind among all Hungarians of our faith, maintaining a childrens’ .ad old folks’ home in Ligonier, Pa. In this organization all the different fractions of Reformed Hungarians are peacefully cooperating together. Its headquarters are in WashHUNGARIANS IN Magyar Synod is entitled to send six delegates to the General-Synod. To the present meeting, the following persons were delegated: Rev. Matthias Daróczy, pastor of the West Side Hungarian Reformed Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on the West 32nd Street, in a former old German church, which was used for the first Hungarian service, on October 12th, 1890. This church was also scene of the formation of Magyar Synod, in 1939, of which Rev Daróczy was the second president (The late Dr. Barnabas Dienes was the first). Rev. Stephen Szabó, Ph.D., pastor of the First Hungarian Reformed Church, Cleveland, Ohio. This is the oldest and largest of our congregations, which last year built its third church, the largest and most magnificent of all our churches. Rev. Szabó is a member of the Executive Committee of the Commission on World Service. Rev. Desmond D. Parragh, pastor of the West Side Hungarian Refo(rm;ed Church, Chicago, Illinois, also instructor of Hungarian in the Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, 111. He is the Recording Secretary of Magyar Synod. Mr. Joseph Fodor, attorney, member and elder of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Columbus, O., and of the Synodical Council of Magyar Synod, also its Consellor-at-Law.
