Bethlen Naptár, 1987 (Ligonier)
Kálvin Egyházkerület
174 BETHLEN NAPTAR replaced ropes on bells, trimmed trees and shrubs and removed weeds at the cemetery. Cleaned and organized all the storage cupboards, repaired the walk between the church and parsonage, replaced the down spouts at the office and painted the trim around the office. We took a long hard look at our finances this past year: where and to whom we were spending the Lord’s money. Our finding was that we spent $13,000.00 less this year than we did last year. We spent $57,000.00 in 1983 and $57,000.00 in 1984. This year our expenses were $44,000.00. In fact we spent less this year than in 1982 when our church didn’t have a pastor for the first six months. The current expense giving for this year was $32,000.00. Exactly the same as the current expense giving for 1984 [$32,000.00] and for 1983 [$32,000.00]. We can all imagine by how much we would have exceeded the last two years if more of our members would have been rejoicing, giving, working, praying and helping more. We have been responsible stewards with God’s resources and have disclosed every cent of income and expense to the members who gave them, this has resulted in increased giving and a desire to participate in the decision making process. We are taking a long term view of our future with great expectations of what God will do for us. McKEESPORT, PA Pastor: Dr. Eva M. Fabian President: Mr. Harvey J. Barnum Since we walk in faith and not in sight, we call 1986 a year of great challenges and opportunities. (A non-Christian outsider may call it a year of disaster and defeat.) Our Church has been challenged by a great obstacle on our way to building a new Sanctuary. Right during the process of negotiations to rent another facility for our services, and a week before the final decision on the demolition of our old structure, we learned from confidential sources that a) our property was still on the acquisition list of the city, b) we would have never received a building permit for the old site. Two other problems have challenged us to reach for divine guidance, resourcefulness, and wisdom. Our McKeesport community has been reduced by approximately 20,000 residents in the past few years owing to the breakdown of the steel industry. The population went down from 44,000 to 24,000 with 79 churches serving this declining community. We have lost several families during these years of crisis.
