Calvin Synod Herald, 2010 (111. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2010-05-01 / 5-6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 11 Hungarian Reformed Church Woodbridge, NJ Report for 2009 The Spirit of the unchanging Lord, the same yesterday, today and forever, guided the faithful congregation in its 106th year of His worship and service as important changes marked its life and impacted its future. At the Annual congregational meeting in 2008, the Rev. Albert W. Kovács announced his retirement ending his eighteen years of service to the congregation. The consistory set up a ministerial search committee in the hope of finding a new spiritual leader to lead the faithful of the church into the future. The congregation, jointly with the John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church, held a touching farewell dinner for the Rev. Albert W. Kovács and his wife Theresa, on June 14th at 3:00 pm, with many of the area ministers and members present. The Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, preached to a full church with almost 200 people in attendance. The very next day, on June 15th, the members of the congregation heard the trial sermon of the Rev. Stefan M. István Torok. Bishop Ludwig then presided at a congregational meeting, at which Rev. Torok was unanimously elected to be the new minister. (Please also see the report of the John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church, Perth Amboy) Rev. Torok commenced his pastorate on August 1st. 2008. The last Sunday of July, Rev. Kovács served Holy Communion to conclude his pastoral ministry of 18 years. Following it, a joint picnic was held on the church grounds with members and guests from the Perth Amboy (John Calvin) and Woodbridge churches. The retiring Rev. Kovács and his wife Theresa have moved to the Bethlen Home’s retirement cottages in Ligonier, PA. Rev. Torok was happy to accept the new call following such great pastors as Rev. Albert W. Kovács, and the late Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis Vitéz in Perth Amboy. In his opening remarks to the congregations he said: “we the people of God in Woodbridge look forward to the challenges God places before us, praying that He will give us strength to continue to build His Kingdom.” It is hard to believe that since that joyful time of beginning my new ministry another year has passed. In this report we are happy to report that the year God has given us was uneventful and peaceful. Worship services have continued on the regular Sundays and holidays. The work of the Lorantffy Women’s Guild, under the capable leadership of Audrey Marciniak, continues to meet and serve the good of the congregation as well as the greater community. The members of the congregation run our weekly Bingo on a volunteer basis. Due to the declining membership, and the greater financial burdens on the congregation, we would like to extend our special thanks and appreciation to all those who participate and make donations of food items. In the last part of our report we would like to share with our readers and the greater Hungarian Community, that Rev. Torok has been officially installed as pastor. Once again, the Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig visited with the congregation, and in accordance with the By-Laws of the Calvin Synod of the United Church of Christ, a service of installation was held on October 11,2009. Ahead of us both, as new Pastor and congregation, lies another year of service to the churches of Jesus Christ in the Hungarian Reformed traditions. “So faith comes by what is heard,... and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. ” Romans 10: 17 Rev. Stefan M. István Török John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church of Perth Amboy, NJ Report for 2009 Jesus Christ, who promised his followers that He would be with them always, continues to sustain His church amidst the many changes in recent years at the John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church. Again, only a few years after the loss of its longtime shepherd, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis Vitéz, the church faced the loss of his successor, the Rev. Albert W. Kovács, whose body was not as willing as his spirit to continue the work of building the Kingdom of God. However, the Lord had prepared another messenger awaiting His call, and the summer of 2008 brought the beginning of the new pastorate of Rev. Stefan M. István Torok. Rev. Kovács had no sooner announced he would retire in the summer, when he was suddenly hospitalized, necessitating the postponement of the Annual Congregational meeting to March. However, the church carried on, and the Consistory completed the inventory of the church’s safe and secured significant documents. Mr. William Toth, Vice Chief Elder and Consistory Secretary also completed the pictorial history of the church, assembling old photographs from its first days to the present. Upon his homecoming from the hospital, the Rev. Albert W. Kovács announced to the congregation his retirement due to health issues, after just three short years of fulfilling the promise to the former pastor, that after God, he will use all his ability to keep the life of the congregation going. The members of the congregation joined together with the members of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Woodbridge and marked the end of Rev. Kovács’ service with a retirement Service and Dinner, on June 14th of 2008, with both churches cooperating in the event. The two congregations tendered generous gifts and an outpouring of affection to Rev. Albert W. Kovács and his wife Theresa. On the last Sunday of July, 2008, following his last pastoral service after 54 years, with the New Bread Holy Communion, both churches joined in a picnic in the church yard of the Woodbridge congregation to say farewell to the retiring couple as they moved into their new home, in one of the cottages of the Bethlen Home, in Ligonier, PA. Before the announced retirement of Rev. Kovács, the consistory established a search committee and extended a call to the Rev. Stefan M. István Torok. The new pastor was very familiar with the John Calvin Church since he had been the pastor of the Magyar Reformed Church on Kirkland Place, Perth Amboy, NJ,
