Bethlen Évkönyv, 1993-1996 (Ligonier)
Zoltán D. Szücs: Our churches and our federation
These and practically all our historical documents about the life of our churches and our Federation clearly reflect that our forefathers were very much aware of both the spiritual and social needs of our people here. The spiritual needs and faith were nurtured through church life, yet its practical expression came to life through the activities and charitable work of our Federation. As it is so clearly reflected by their common history, wherever there was a local Reformed Church, its members sooner or later organized a Federation branch. On the other hand wherever a Federation branch was in existence, its members also sooner or later organized themselves into a Reformed church. They came to existence continually one from the other. This, mutual birthgiven character of both, is the result of their mututal and deep social concerns. It is the result of their shared concept, that a living Christian faith has to be expressed through the practice of charity. As early as in 1906, at the jubilee anniversary of the Federation, at the Trenton convention, this became very self-evident. In the opening worship service of the convention, Dr. Lajos Nanassy encouraged everyone to create something even better and bigger than the obvious success of our church and federation life. To follow this up, in his opening address, President István Molnár emphasized that the Federation, at this ten-year anniversary, must establish something of a permanent value “which will be a speaking testimony forever for the American-Hungarian Reformed people” (Dr. Zoltán Beky, op.cit. Page 18.) As the result of these encouragements, the idea of a home for orphans was introduced. Dr. Sándor Kalassay made the motion, that the Federation should donate a substantial amount for this purpose. Dr. Lajos Nanassy amended this motion and proposed “that our Federation at its first jubilee should make the initial steps for the foundation of a Hungarian-American orphanage by starting a financial drive, so that such benevolent institution could be opened as soon as possible. The convention accepted this motion unanimously.” (Dr. George S. K. Borshy, Secretary, op.cit. Page 141.) This convention allocated $1,000 for this orphanage. Donation were coming in slowly. — Then came the tragedy of the First World War, the infamous influenza epidemic and the 90
