Calvin Synod Herald, 1985 (85. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1985-10-01 / 5. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 5 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA r mmmmtHnnnnmmmmmmtmtnmntmv Pittsburgh Church j 95 Years Old áljl The First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh, PA has celebrated the 95th anniver­sary of its founding on September 29th with a thanksgiving service and dinner-dance. Paul Kantor, pastor of the Columbus Hungarian Reformed Church, editor of the Calvin Synod Herald was the guest speaker. The Rev. Nicholas Novak, pastor of the Pittsburgh church briefly summarized the his­tory of his church at the banquet, which was held at the Bradley House at Pleasant Hills. The First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh was organized April 6, 1890. The church was built in 1902. The educational build­ing under the ministry of Rev. Kalassay was also used as an orphan home and parsonage. The following ministers served the congrega­tion during the last 95 years: Rev. Sándor Ka­lassay, Rev. Odon Vasvary, Rev. Louis Varga (for 25 years), Dr. László Harangi, Rev. Sándor Babos, Dr. George Csia and now during the last six years, Rev. Nicholas Novak. At the banquet the master of ceremonies was William S. Andre, chief elder of the church. The music was provided by the George Bátyi orchestra. During the church service Rev. Kantor’s text was from Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go” In his sermon Rev. Kantor drew a compar­ison between the time of Joshua, Jesus and our time. In Old Testament times the enemies of Joshua were destroyed in order to create a new life in the Promised Land. In the time of Jesus the gentiles and pagans were brought into the Christian Church. In our Hungarian churches we often turned inward, and ignored those who were around us. The message to the people of Joshua was simple. If they obeyed the Covenant they would live. If they disobeyed it they would be de­stroyed. Obedience to the Law and loyalty to God would bring life, and disobedience would bring death. In the time of Joshua he gave permission to his soldiers to kill all the enemies for the sake of unifying Israel. In the time of Jesus, he, the leader of his people sacrificed himself so that his followers could find a new life. Joshua gave specific command to his people about their responsibilities. Jesus also told his followers to into the world and preach the Gospel. Rev. Kantor reminded his listeners that we also have specific tasks that we need to do in our churches, and the two main commands are: seeking the kingdom of God, and going out into the world to make disciples of all nations. “ We need to be strong and very courageous, being careful to obey both the law of Moses, the Gospel of Christ and the teaching of our Hun­garian Reformed Church." BRIEF NEWS Local Churches Needed to Sponsor Refugees The Refugee Resettlement Office of UC Board for World Ministries is seeking congre­gations to sponsor refugees. Last year, 494 refugees were sponsored by congregations and individuals working with the office. During the first six months of 1985, 358 refugees arrived, reports Anne Wilson, re­fugee officer for UCBWM. “They have left their countries because of war and civil strife or fear of persecution,” she explains. Sponsoring congregations are assisted by more than 20 local ecumenical or denomi­national refugee resettlement offices which are funded in part by UCBWM. Housing, language training, employment, health and social services arranged by sponsor churches help refugees become self-sufficient. Each refugee is loaned money for travel to the U.S. and receives a $75 “transitional grant” upon arrival from Church World Service’s Im­migration and Refugee Program. Project leaders hope to boost involvement by linking suburban churches’ resources with refugee sponsoring urban churches. For more information write Ms. Wilson at UCBWM, 475 Riverside Dr., New York, NY 10115. (Keeping You Posted) IIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIMHHIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIimtIIIIIII RESETTLEMENT NEWS With the arrival of Jenő Stile, a Hungar­ian refugee from Austria, we have three residents in the Home; two residents, who were employed full time here, decided to move to New Jersey in July. Walter Sokals­­ki, László Söregi, and Jenő Stile will be joined soon by Sándor and Zsuzsanna Toth, a Hungarian couple at Camp Trais­­kirchen, Austria, whose arrival is anti­cipated within weeks. At the August meet­ing of the Refugee Resettlement Board, three more sponsorship commitment forms were signed on behalf of Ferenc Szilagyi, and Arpad & Enikő Jakab, all three from Transylvania-Romania, who are awaiting immigration into the U.S. in West Germany. The Board voted to assist recently resettled Transylvanian people in the Cleveland area (members of the Bethany Hungarian Bap­tist Church) with family reunification cases. In the spirit of partnership with the local Franciscan Community, the sponsorship of the 4-member Miklós Fulöp family is being explored. The Open Door — Youngstown, OH ............................................... Romania: ten students enrolled CLUJ NAPOCA (Romania) — Only ten students were allowed by the state to enroll at the Reformed Theological Sem­inary at Cluj. The Reformed bishops had requested the enrollment of 36 students; there had been almost double that number of candidates. The number accepted by the state is therefore extraordinarily low and manifestly insufficient to fill the churches’ need for future pastors. Besides, the churches are not allowed to provide theological in­struction to the youth outside the theological faculties, which means that they have no other means of palliating the insufficient number of students enrolled. This same policy has been practiced for years, which seems to indicate a deliberate wish to slowly stifle the Reformed church. Reformed Press Service lllllllllllllllllllllimillMIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIItllllllltllllllllll Post-graduate courses The pastors of the Reformed Church in Hungary attend every year a post-graduate training course. These courses are arranged by the four church districts, and the pastors are grouped generally by the seniorates. The aim of the training courses is to inform the pastors about the topical problems of the theological disciplines, parish work, of the ecumenical movement and of the social and peace service of the church. The 1985 programme of the training courses includes, among others, the fol­lowing themes: — The Institute of the Family Today, — The Social Defence of the Family, — The Service of the Church in the De­fence of the Family and Education in Christian Ethics in the Family, — On the Way of Becoming Serving Congregations, — The Recommendations of the Colle­gium Doctorum about the Lima Text. Reports will be given about the mission carried on among alcoholics and drifting young people. There will be a lecture about the social service of the Reformed Church. (HCP) MORRIS POTTI DIED Morris V. Potti, owner and founder of Potti Funeral Homes in Ferport Harbor, Painesville and Madison, Ohio died on August 28th as a result of a heart attack. He was a funeral direc­tor for the past 53 years. He married the former Hilda Baffer of Fairport Harbor in 1937. Their son, Robert of Madison, OH has four children. Morris V. Potti has been a long time sup­porter of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Fairport Harbor and an advertiser of our pub­lication, the Calvin Synod Herald. We wish God's blessing upon his memory.

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