Calvin Synod Herald, 1997 (97. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1997-01-01 / 1. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 3 -AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

100th Anniversary of the Organized Hungarian Reformed Church Life in America

by Francis Vitéz, bishop

(Continued from Our Former Issue)

IV. American Hungarian Reformed Classis

The Presbyterian Church, seeing the success of the Reformed Church in the U.S. organizing Hungarian Reformed congregations since 1900, also began to organize Hungarian Reformed churches.

The Reformed Church at their General Synod held in Baltimore in March of 1903, decided to contact the Reformed Church in Hungary to unite all Hungarian Reformed congregations in one group. The home church sent their Lay President, Dezső Banffy to the United States for this purpose. Unfortunately, the Presbyterian Church did not give permission to him to visit the Hungarian Reformed congregations under their jurisdiction. The home church sent another delegate, Count Degenfield, for the same purpose. He visited all the Hungarian Reformed congregations with success. A Hungarian Reformed Classis under the jurisdiction of the Reformed Church in Hungary was organized in New York on October 7,1904 with Rev. Zoltán Kuthy as dean. Unfortunately, not all the congregations joined the Classis, thus instead of two groups, three groups remained since the remaining congregations in the Reformed Church organized their own Classis on December 12, 1904.

The Hungarian Reformed Classis under the jurisdiction of the Reformed Church in Hungary at their meeting held on February 11,1911 was divided in two Classes: Eastern Classis and Hungarian Zion Classis, which later became the Western Classis. Some years after the start of World War I, The Reformed Church in Hungary was no longer able to help their congregations in America, thus, the Eastern and the Pittsburgh Classis decided to reunite with the Reformed Church in the U.S.

V. The Situation of the Classis and Congregations After World War I

The Reformed Church in the U.S. and the Reformed Church in Hungary were looking to resume their ties after the War. The home church again sent Count Degenfield to solve the problem.

Our American congregations first rejected the Lancaster and also the Budapest plan on January 7, 1921. Finally, the home church and the Reformed Church agreed to accept the Tiffin Agreement on October 7, 1921, in which the home church released their congregations to the Reformed Church in the U.S.

The Duquesne congregation, under the leadership of Rev. Endre Sebestyen, did not accept this agreement and wanted to remain completely free.

VI. The Organization of the

Free Magyar Reformed Church

The Trenton, Perth Amboy and Carteret congregations held a meeting in Trenton, NJ on November 23, 1922 and organized an independent Free Hungarian Reformed Classis. On December 9, 1924, five more congregations joined with the Free Classis and organized the Free Magyar Reformed Church in America under the leadership of Rev. Endre Sebestyen as Arch Dean. A paper, the Magyar Egyház, was started in 1922 with Rev. Sebestyen as editor. The title arch dean was later changed to bishop. Rev. Zoltán Beky was elected as the first bishop in Duquesne, PA on February 21, 1958.

I n the first fifty years of our existence, 140 congregations were organized, 120 churches, schools and parsonages were built.

These rival organizations were not peaceful many times. We may read about them in contemporary papers,

not to the glory of our churches.

VII. Situation of our congregations

and Classes in the Evangelical and Reformed Church

In 1934 in Cleveland, Ohio, the Reformed Church in the U.S. merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America under the new name, Evangelical and Reformed Church. In the Reformed Church, there were 80 Hungarian congregations. The new denomination abolished the former Church classes and synods, and reorganized the churches on a geographical level. The existence of the Hungarian Classes were in danger. The General Synod held in Fort Wayne, Indiana in June of 1936, declared that the Tiffin Agreement was in force. The General Synod held in Columbus in 1938 gave permission to the Hungarian congregations to form the Magyar Synod. The Magyar Synod, with four classes, was then organized at the West Side Hungarian Reformed Church in Cleveland, Ohio on March 15, 1939. The new Synod president, Rev. Barnabas Dienes, was elected at this meeting. The Magyar Synod accepted its own Constitution and By-Laws. Thus, the Magyar Synod became an equal partner with the other Synods in the E & R Church. Unfortunately, not all the Hungarian congregations in the E & R Church became members of the Magyar Synod.

VIII. Union negotiations at the dawn of World War II

In view of having almost all the Hungarian congregations in one group, the Reformed Church in Hungary sent Dr. Stephen Szabó to the U.S. to promote this union. Unfortunately, the Pearl Harbor attack brought the U.S. into World War II. Hungary was already involved in the war and thus the proceedings came to an end.

IX. New Plan for Union

The plan to bring all the Hungarian Reformed churches into one group had stopped. In 1947, at the Synod meeting in Passaic, NJ, the Committee of Five was elected to prepare a new Constitution and By-Laws to bring the Magyar Synod and the Free Magyar Reformed Church together. Unfortunately, the plans were not realized.

To Be Continued in Our Next Issue