Bethlen Almanac 1999 (Ligonier)

The Bethlen Home

the Bible, prayers and the experiences of life. I was deeply touched by the Bishop’s humility and modesty. He also has a good sense of humor as shown by this episode. In our concluding resolutions we thanked him, and his wife, Ibolya for their presence. One of our pastors objected to the use of the wife’s first name, claiming that the Bishop is coming from the old country where they do not practice this American familiarity with first names; we should call her “the Right Reverend Bishop’s wife.” We asked the Bishop to make a decision in this matter. He said his wife should not be listed by the title nor by her first name; but by her nickname: “Ibolyácska.”

We were moved by the mission spirit exhibited by the tiny and burdened Reformed Church of Carpatho-Ukraine. Besides the worship services and pastoral care, they are fully engaged with the running of Hungarian schools, cultural events and the distribution of social aid. In addition, they are also concerned with foreign mission. Since they are the only Reformed Church in the former Soviet Union, they send pastors and lay persons to do missionary work in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and in other states in the area. Their Gypsy mission is exemplary. They have four Gypsy congregations at this time, where they do intensive spiritual and cultural work.

At the Ministers’ meeting, I delivered my lecture in Hungarian on the bilingual church. The response was supportive. I was especially honored by the comments of such veterans of our church, as the Rt. Rev. Dr. János Bütösi, and the Rt. Rev. Imre Bertalan. The latter, called my essay, “the Cleveland catechism,” and recommended it for study by every bilingual church. We were informed about the Fourth Hungarian Reformed World Congress planned for next year. This will open on June 30, at the Budapest Sport Arena; then followed by some scientific and other panel discussions until July 6, when the first phase will conclude at Opusztaszer. Between July 7 and 15 the Congress will be on the road to visit several Synods in Hungary and in the Carpathian Basin, such as in Debrecen, or Transylvania, and other places. The Congress will end in Geneva at the Reformation monument. The pastors and members of our churches are asked to attend these events, possibly in large numbers. The American Hungarian Ministers’ Association - perhaps as the first one in the world - officially requested that in the coming year of the millennium, the two Hungarian world organizations, that is the Hungarian Reformed World Federation, and the Hungarian Reformed Consultative Synod should merge into one organization.

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