Bethlen Naptár, 1989 (Ligonier)
Kálvin Egyházkerület
of age; women constitute about one-third of our Consistory. The various committees and office bearers are diligent and efficient in their work. We are proud of them. Our organists are delighting us with competent, professional performance on every occasion. Ours is a singing congregation. In church music we have a very simple taste: we are always satisfied with the best... Our Women’s Guild is very active in planning and serving at our social events; congregational dinners, salad luncheons, summer picnic, harvest dinner-dance, family receptions, hurkakolbász sales and coffee-and-cake treats every Sunday. Their annual contribution is indispensable to our general budget. Our Hungarian Folk Art Group meets every Wednesday. Their charming painting and embroidery exhibits are admired by young and old alike. Speaking of art may we mentioned here with gratitude the gift of a 20 ft. permanent Christmas tree from the Women’s Guild. The exquisite decorations were donated by Donald Showalter in memory of their grandmother Elizabeth Vargo. The minister had his quiet, unassuming anniversaries: ten years in Pittsburgh, forty years in the Christian ministry. He is continuing, among his other appointments, as a re-elected member of the Board of Directors of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America and as president of the Central Committee of Hungarian Churches and Societies of Pittsburgh. Our financial situation was adequate by the end of the year. In spite of the ever-rising cost of insurances and utilities we have fully met our proposed budget. The generosity of our people, the diligent work of the Women’s Guild and the interest earned on our reserves together made this possible. We participated in some humanitarian appeals. One was to the Liver Transplant Foundation of America on behalf of Niki Pécsvárady who received not one, but two transplants in the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. She is six years old now, and is doing well, and sends her love from Sárospatak to all who prayed for her life in America. — Another appeal is still open, namely helping our Transylvanian brethren who flee from the insane dictatorship of Ceausescu to Hungary. — We also support the Bethlen Home in Ligonier with our annual donations. The Trustee Board was diligent in implementing the various projects of the Property Improvement Fund. These included new blacktop on all our sidewalks and removal of old trees that were crowding out sunlight and each other. Next in line are the landscaping of our yards and the complete restoration of our church interior for our 100th anniversary in 1990. Before this happens, 156
