Bethlen Naptár, 1960 (Ligonier)
Bethlen Almanac
BETHLEN ALMANAC 143 Our Sunday School, which has an enrollment of about 50 children, and is organized into 6 classes. Its superintendent is Mrs. Ernest Gayhart and its treasurer, Mrs. Frank Orbán. Our Confirmation Class has 9 pupils, who are beginning their second year of instruction. A first year class is being organized at the time of this writing. The weekly worship services are conducted in English and in Hungarian: the Hungarian service at 9 A.M., followed by the English at 10:15. The pupils of the Sunday School participate in the first portion of the service, during which time the pastor has a special spiritual message for them; they then proceed to their Sunday School rooms for regular classes. Holy Communion is administered in both languages on the first Sunday of each month. The communicant membership of the congregation at this time is about 100. With the use of the duplex envelopes they are making their contribution to the work of the local church, as well as to the Church at large through the Apportionment, Church World Service and the Synodical levy. It may be said here that through truly generous giving all these obligation were met in full. The congregation also contributed to the benevolent work of the United Synodical Appeal. This year has been an especially joyful one for our congregation. On May 24, in a special festival service, we were able to celebrate the liquidation of our debt, which was incurred by large scale improvements to the church property: the purchase of a parsonage, remodeling of the sanctuary, rebuilding of the pipe organ, installation of a new heating unit, and, at the time of the celebration, a complete redecoration of the fellowship hall of the church. The burning of the mortgage papers, long before the expiration date, was made possible by constant sacrificial giving on the part of the membership and the loyal support and efforts of the auxiliary organizations. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Pastor: vacant. No report was received. STOWE, Pa. — Pastor: Rev. Andrew Arvay. No report was received. TONAWANDA, N. Y. — Pastor: Dr. László Vatai. This small congregation is characterized by peace, generous giving and love. One of our loyal members, Mrs. Joseph Szabad, died. In her will she left bequests of $1000 each to the First Church of Tonawanda, the Buffalo West Side Church and Bethlen Home. Her memory will be perpetuated by her generosity. Our congregation has pledged $500 to Bethlen Home, over three years, for its expansion program. We also regularly mark Bethlen Home Sunday. The congregation’s leaders include Stephen Szabó, chief elder; John Major, vice-chief elder; Louis Kiss, treasurer, and Louis Borko, clerk. Mrs. Emma Horvath serves as president of the Women’s Society. VAN NUYS, Cal. — Pastor: Rev. László Kecskemethy The first worship service was held at the Congregational “Church of Chimes” on Pentecost in 1958. 35 people were in attendance. This was a sure sign for the minister to go on with the organization of the congregation. The Board of National Missions, in spite of the 135 names under the petition submitted by the organizing pastor, was sceptical about the ability of these Hungarian Reformed people to organize a “good” Church with a possible future growth in the community. Realizing that the fault lies not with the people but in the fact that there is no minister in full charge of the work and that a sacred promise was given to these people in regards of a congregation, the Reverend László Kecskemethy resigned his pastorate at San Bernardino and took charge of the organization of the Valley Church.
