Bethlen Naptár, 1951 (Ligonier)
To our second generation. Superindent's semi-annual report of the activities and life in the Bethlen Home
206 BETHLEN NAPTÁR NATIONAL YOUTH FELLOWSHIP CONFERENCE IN LIGONIER, PA. The Hungarian National Youth Fellowship held its conference Labor Day, September 4th, at Ligonier, Pennsylvania. This was the first conference since the pre-war days and perhaps for that reason only forty-five young people attended our convocation. Yet the young people were not discouraged. Their enthusiasm was wonderful, their faith in the future success of the National Conference was one of which we may all be proud. It is their sincere conviction that there is a definite place for such a fellowship in the life of the youth of our Hungarian Churches. They feel the need of a medium through which the local young people’s group may achieve greater success in the spiritual and social life of the youth. Exchange of ideas, experiences related to the life of the youth is of primary importance. The National Youth Fellowship Conference will give this opportunity. The conference started with registration. We had young people coming from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey and Connecticut. After the registration came the worship service. This was led by the Rev. Andrew E. Harto, synodical chairman of Christian Education and Youth Work. In his sermon he related some of his experiences at Toronto, Canada, where he attended the International Children’s Work Conference and the Mid-Century World Convention on Christian Education. It was interesting and inspiring to hear of the Youth Service held at Maple Leaf Gardens (Toronto) where 15,000 people representing 63 countries came together to bear witness to one great truth — that Jesus Christ is Teacher and Lord. The Rev. Stephen Bessemer, pastor of the North Avenue Hungarian Reformed Church, Bridgeport, Conn., gave an address that will long live in the hearts of the young people. As the basis of this interesting and thought provoking address he used the miracle of Jesus where he resurrected the son of the widowed mother from Nain. He compared the mother of that miracle to the Church of today, and the members composing the church to the youth of the story. The church grieves because its son is dead. The members are inactive or indifferent. And yet this triumphant Christ had implicit faith in the potential living faith of the youth, for he says, “Weep not.” Christ returned the young man to the mother. This miracle happens today, when the indifferent is touched by the spirit of God and is given back to the Church.
