Calvin Synod Herald, 1994 (94. évfolyam, 2-6. szám)

1994-07-01 / 4. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 4 -REFOMATÜSOK LAPJA

The Deans (Esperesek]

In this series, our Synod Herald would like to introduce the four heads our four classees (egyház-megyék). Since our congregations are spread all over the nation, it will serve a worthwhile purpose.

THE REVERANV BÉLA POZNAN

Dean of the Eastern Classis of The Calvin Synod

Written by Árpád Beres, Chief Elder, Calvin United Church of Christ Fairfield, Connecticut

I would like to introduce Rev. Béla Poznan, our new pastor at the Calvin United Church of Christ in Fairfield, CT.

Rev. Póznán was born on May 27,1952 in the city of Rimaszombat, Felvidék, Czechoslovakia. His parents were Béla and Erzsébet Póznán of Nagybalog. He has two older sisters, Marta, a school teacher, and Edit, who is a Reformed minister in Felvidék. He attended elementary school in Nagybalog and Batka and then was a student at the Magyar Tannyelvű Gépészeti és Elektrotechnikai Középiskola, a technical high school in the city of Kassa for three years. During this time, he was strengthened in his faith and felt a calling to the Christian ministry. To prepare for seminary, he attended high school (gimnázium) in Rimaszombat and graduated with honors. He entered the seminary in 1971 at the Comenius School of Protestant Theology (today it is part of the famous Charles University) in Prague, and afterfive years of study, graduated with a Master of Theology degree with highest honors in 1976. He was appointed full-time pastor of the Reformed Church in Szaloc and its sister congregation in Szilice by the Synodical Council of Christian Reformed Church in Slovakia. He was then called into the mandatory military service and served in the air force for two

years. Rev. Póznán was appointed pastor of the Reformed Christian Church in Györke, and its sister congregation in Felső Csáj in 1979. He held Christian education classes and taught religion to around seventy children in Györke and aboutforty in Felső Csáj each week along with Confirmation classes. A youth Bible fellowship was organized with 25-30 young people attending regularly. During his four years of service in these congregations, his greatest accomplishments were the spiritual revitalization and growth in church attendance and the renovation of both church buildings and the parsonage.

Rev. Póznán completed the two pastoral examinations required by the synod, the first in 1979 and the second in 1981, both with highest honors. In 1982, he married the former Julianna Vitéz, the daughter of Rt. Rev. Francis Vitéz, the present bishop of the Calvin Synod, United Church of Christ. They served together in Europe until he was called and elected pastor of the John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey in August, 1983. He attended classes at Princeton Theological Seminary studying for the Master of Theology degree and intensively studied the English language, taking classes at Middlesex County College.

In September, 1985, Rev. Póznán was elected pastor of the First Hungarian Reformed Church, the oldest Hungarian congregation in the New York City. He completed his studies and received the Th.M. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in June of 1986. Their daughter, Kristina Elizabeth, was born in July 1986 and their son, Attila Béla, was bom in September of 1988. Rev. Póznán preached on WNWK 105.9 FM radio every Sunday to about

40,000 listeners. With this service, he was able to reach the sick and shut-in, the young people and Hungarians of all faiths who value their heritage.

One of the biggest projects Rev. Póznán had in New York was to organize a program for the great number of Hungarian refugees who came from Romania, Hungary and other eastern European countries. The programs included English as a second language classes, finding jobs and homes for the refugees and helping them feel spiritually and physically at home in their new

church and country. He organized a Hungarian Young Adult's Group within the church with about 25 members.

To increase his professional skills, Rev. Póznán completed four units in Clinical Pastoral Education at The Hospital Chaplaincy, Inc. in New York. He edited the bimonthly church newspaper, Új Utón, which was sent to four hundred families. A sense of mission awareness increased in the church with the focus upon our brothers and sisters in Erdély, Felvidék, Délvidék, Karpataija, the mother church in Hungary, the colleges of Debrecen, Sárospatak, Papa, Kolozsvár, Nagyvarad, the South American Hungarian Reformed Churches, and the sick contributing to the Nikki and Beata Funds.

Rev. Póznán was a co-founder and president of the New York Erdély Fund, an ecumenical relief fund formerly for the support of refugees from Erdély to Hungary and now for Hungarians in Erdély. He preached atthe St. Stephen of Hungary Roman Catholic Church in New York City at Christmas midnight mass and ecumenical worship services remembering the martyrs. He was the principal of the Arany Janos Hungarian School in New York for three years. He represented the Calvin Synod at the United Church Board for World Ministries with his wife, who was a corporate member at the annual meetings from 1984-89. Rev. Póznán served as the president of the Eastern Division of the Hungarian American Ministers Association and was a member of the scholarship committee of the Hungarian Protestant Ball. He was the secretarytreasurer of the Eastern Classis for two terms and is presently the Dean serving his second term after being re-elected in Fairfield. He is a member of the Calvin Synod's Church and Ministry Committee and is an auditor by election of the World Alliance of Hungarian Reformed Churches.

After eighteen years in active ministry, Rev. Póznán was elected pastor of the Calvin United Church of Christ, Fairfield, CT., on January 30, 1994. He is actively visiting our members and is involved in activities in our greater Bridgeport area. His installation will take place on Sunday, September 18, 1994, at our church. The Worship Service will be conducted by Bishop Francis Vitéz and a banquet will follow at Sante's Manor in Milford, CT. We extend a cordial invitation to all readers to attend these events. Please caWMargaret Kaminski at 334-6982 for information and reservations.

We welcome Rev. Póznán to our community and we ask for God's blessings upon his family and his ministry among us.