Bethlen Almanac 1999 (Ligonier)
The Bethlen Home
On September 8, 1999, the Rev. Imre A. Bertalan was elected the new executive director of the Bethlen Home complex. He began serving full time on January 1, 2000. Reverend Bertalan has been a Hungarian Reformed pastor for more than 20 years, most recently serving the Hungarian Reformed Church of Toledo, Ohio - Calvin United Church of Christ. During the last three years he served as chairperson of the Bethlen Home Strategic Planning Committee. For Rev. Bertalan the appointment as executive director is also a “home coming”. As a young person, Rev. Bertalan visited Ligonier with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Imre G. Bertalan. Later, as a pastor, he would come often for meetings of the American-Hungarian Reformed Presbyters’ Association, the Hungarian Reformed Ministerial Association, the Bethlen Home Board of Directors and Board meetings of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. He also visited Ligonier with the youth camps. Reverend Bertalan has always considered the Bethlen Home to be the spiritual center for the American Hungarian Reformed people, and he looks forward to faithfully serving God and the people of the Bethlen Home for many years. Ringing in the New.................and the Old Residents of the Bethlen Home and the surrounding area hear the ringing of another church bell at the beginning of each day. Since the start of this New Year, the bell in the steeple of our Chapel, (The Molnár bell), is being rung on a daily basis. Our bell rings for three important reasons: First, the bell reminds us that each new day is a gift to us from God. The bell calls us to give thanks. At the Bethlen Home we recognize how richly God blesses us and we express our gratefulness each day. Second, the bell calls our residents and staff to worship. At 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., each weekday, brief prayer services are held in the Chapel. Many residents and staff use these opportunities to gain strength and guidance for their day. The weekday services are led by our chaplains, the Rev. Joseph Posta, the Rev. Florence Wood, and the Rev. Imre A. Bertalan. The Rev. Nicholas Novak leads both an English and a Hungarian church service on Sundays. Third, the bell calls us to pray for and to care for others. Each day we pray for our staff and our residents. We pray also for our 37
