Bethlen Évkönyv, 1990-1991 (Ligonier)

In memoriam

LIFE AND DEATH OF BELA PAP

Bela Pap was born January 22,1907 in Gyalu, Hungary (now Romania). In the 1920 post-Trianon Treaty era, his father refused to pledge allegiance to Romania and sought refuge in Budapest, where for years they lived under sub-standard circumstances. Despite severe hardships his older brother John studied medicine and his younger brother pharmacy, Bela’s outstanding theological achievements earned him a two year scholarship in the United States. In 1929 he received his Bachelor of Divinity from Lancester (PA) Theologiacl Seminary and the following year his Master of Theology from Western (Presbyterian) Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After Christian education work for several years, Bishop László Ravasz appointed (01/01/1933) him executive secretary of the Soli Deo Gloria student movement. By the end of the year he was elected assisting minister to the National Reformed Charities Association, where he fruitfully served for five years. He was married in 1934.

In 1937 he was elected pastor of the Reformed Church in Vác. He also served as Editor of „Magyar Út” (“Hungarian Road”), a very pro-church and socio-political weekly journal. In 1942, the weekly was forced to cease publication. In the interim his tireless activities continued in establishing cultural and nursery centers, renovation of cemetery and its services, Church (Vác) renovation, and establishment of prison chaplaincy services.

In 1942, he was elected pastor of the Karcag Reformed Church which had a membership of 19,000, and an impressive parochial school. In 1948, when all schools were “nationalized”, he negotiated the transfer of the parsonage to the city and the transformation of one church school into a “praver house”. In 1949, the Karcag Church became four congregations. In the meantime, Pap resigned his chairmanship of the Magyar Élet (Hungarian Life) Party. In the early days of collectivism, Pap petitioned the Konvent (i.e. General Synod), of which he was a member, to protest the injustices of “land reform and socialization”. He also» protested the Konvent’s surrendering of Sárospatak Reformed College to the state, and asked for a secret ballot, which was rejected.

On Nov. 27, 1951, as he was leaving his house for the Konvent Office, he was arrested by the Security Police (AVH). After

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