Bethlen Naptár, 1960 (Ligonier)

Bethlen Almanac

BETHLEN ALMANAC

139

Dorcas Guild — Magyar United Church of Christ, Elyria, O.

of the pastor’s wife, worked faithfully and efficiently during the year. They served several meals and attended women’s meetings and conferences in the city and the area. The Elyria United Church Women held their annual meeting at our church. Dorcas Guild celebrated its 20th Anniversary February 22; Ruth Guild its 10th and Lydia, Martha and Rebecca Guilds their 5th Anniversary on March 8. The Ladies Aid Society — Women’s Circles — observed its 40th Anniversary on May 24th. Dorcas Guild presented a beautiful “pulpit robe” to the pastor as a Christmas gift and Circle I. gave him a Samsonite robe case. In the year 1958 the Guilds and the Circles gave a total of $3,212 to the Church.

Christian Education in our Sunday School, under the direction af Aladar Bara superintendent, Lewis Balas secretary, Eleanor Nagy treasurer, ten teachers and the pastor is being carried on satisfactorily. Attendance in Vacation Bible School was 62. The children’s Closing Exercises were concluded with a garden picnic on the church lawn. This was the only picnic of the year.

The Youth Program is conducted in the Junior and Youth Fellowships. At the Ohio District Youth Conference, held in Youngstown, Ohio, 30 young people and 8 adults were present. They again received the “Best Attendance Award”. During the summer the Youth Caravan of the Department of Youth Work of the Denomination spent a week at our Church with our young people. The Junior Choir and the Chancel Choir, the latter under the direction of Daniel Bodor Jr., sang alternately at the worship services. Our organist was a music major from Oberlin Conservatory and Rosalie Bacsó during the summer months.

On Orphanage Sunday Rev. Alexander Daroczy, superintendent of Bethlen Home, preached at both church services.

The church presented a Bulova wrist watch to John Toth, magyar elder, for his faithful and untiring services at the church, and a transistor radio to Frank E. Elek, retired treasurer for his many years of faithful service.

This spring the pastor successfully underwent surgery in the Elyria hospital. He rendered pastoral services on many occasions in the city and church events. He preached the Baccalaureate sermon at Clearview High School. He gave the dedicatory prayer at the dedication of the new fountain in the city park. In June he was elected president of the Elyria Council of Churches for the year 1959-1960. At the 1958 annual Consistorial Conference of the Ohio District Hungarian Reformed Churches he was the principal speaker, speaking on the subject: “The Responsibility of elders in Christian Education”. (The 1959 Conference will be held at our church on Sept. 27.) The Elyria Chronicle Telegram carried a biographical “HEADLINER” of the pastor in June, depicting his life and work.