Calvin Synod Herald, 2006 (107. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2006-07-01 / 7-8. szám

10

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

The Continuing History of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting, Indiana

The history of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting begins with the establishment of the Hungarian Reformed Church of South Chicago in 1898, established by the earliest Hungarian Reformed peoples in the area. As more Hungarian Reformed people came into the East Chicago - Hammond - Whiting area, the East Chicago church was established in 1907, and what was later to be the Whiting congregation moved their membership to this closer church building. By 1918 the Whiting congregation had formed itself as a community of worshipers, and on the nineteenth of March, 1919, the congregation was officially established, and purchased the German Lutheran Church building. Dedicated to the worship of the Lord on the 10th of August, 1919, this building remained our house of worship until this year.

While the Hungarian Reformed Church was in the main comprised of Hungarian nationals who immigrated to the United States, it was not exclusively Hungarians who made up the congregation. From early on a portion of the congregation was Slovak, both in culture and in mother tongue. These brethren had an opportunity to worship in their mother tongue at a local church, and did indeed take advantage of the opportunity, but soon felt their calling to the Reformed understanding of service to Jesus Christ was more important than language, and the brotherhood of the Reformed faith more impelling than any linguistic division. So in December of 1927 the Slovak Reformed renewed their

Continuedfrom page 9 Mary: Blessed Among Women

After the resurrection we get glimpses of Mary with the disciples, apparently held in high respect by them all. It seems that in many respects the home was quite ordinary otherwise, where Mary and Joseph raised up several sons and daughters of their own. She was truly the handmaid of the Lord. In her we see at work the qualities necessary to fulfill God’s design for her life, a good woman serving the Lord by raising her family well. We see in Joseph a good family man, living out his place in God’s eternal design. Not all women are mothers and not all men are fathers, but all are called to create a home, family, and community life that nurtures children to grow up loving and serving the Lord. It is not as superhuman beings that Mary and Joseph are encouragement to all, but in the fact that they were very ordinary people living by faith the good life that finds favor with God.

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. ” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31:28-31

Rev. Albert W. Kovács Woodbridge, NJ

affiliation by once again worshipping in the Hungarian Reformed Church building together in their own language, and on the 12th day of July, 1934, they rejoined the Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting as a group, remaining faithful and active members of the congregation from that time on.

In 1934, major modifications and renovations were begun on the Whiting church building, and these were completed in 1935. The building was raised four feet higher off the ground, the basement was made one foot deeper, and the building, which had until that time been a wooden structure, was enclosed with brick.

For some time the Whiting congregation shared a minister with the South Chicago congregation, but the South Chicago church building had succumbed to age, and could not be renovated. On the 18th of December, 1940, the South Chicago church was disbanded, its members going either to the Burnside Chicago Hungarian Reformed Church, or coming to the Whiting church. The assets of the South Chicago church came to the Whiting congregation, including the pulpit, parsons bench, communion table and lectern, which today serve the Whiting church.

Over the past few years the congregation had not made major changes to the church building, but continued to renew and remodel the sanctuary. In 2003 we completely renewed the structure, with a new roof, plastering and painting, windows, heating system, air conditioning and carpeting.

Over the years the Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting has found many ways to be of service to the Lord, trying to accomplish His work as it has best understood His calling. We have participated in various missions both locally and with the trans-local Church. We have assisted other congregations that were in need, helped foreign theological students who were studying in the United States, helped sponsor a young lady from Transylvania for medical care and helped her obtain state of the art hearing aids which allowed her to hear for the first time in 27 years, and have participated in varied other projects in reaching out to our community. Currently we provide a monthly meal to a local homeless shelter which we have supported over the past decade.

Our Congregation began the Twenty-First Century, having served in this community now for Eighty-Six years with new strength.

Just seven years ago our future seemed very uncertain. We were confronted by financial difficulties, together with the double-edged sword of the possible purchase of our property for development. But somehow at that time, facing decisions concerning the future of the Congregation, we were invigorated with new purpose and life. And seemingly we “turned the comer,” and the Congregation became stronger in the process. In the past seven years there seems to be more spirit, more dedication, more concern for The Church by all the members. The Lord does indeed move amongst us in ways which we would never have anticipated. When we were faced with the possibility of our church disappearing, this stark fact awakened the determination of our members that what we have inherited should not be lost. Attendance and participation reflected renewed interest in the life of the Church, in our dedication to the work of Christ’s Body here on earth.