Evangéliumi Hírnök, 1998 (90. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1998-03-01 / 3. szám

1998. március

9. oldal

EULOGY OF DR. ALEXANDER S. HARASZTI BY THE REV. DR. FRANKLIN GRAHAM

AN UNSUNG HERO ALEXANDER HARASZTI

Excerpts from the sermon of Dr. Oscar I. Romo *

Diplomat

Alex was a diplomat par excellence! The talents as a diplomat helped him to acquire access to the various socialist countries in Europe. He invited a staff person from the USSR Embassy to visit Atlanta. On the scheduled day, this gentleman and his wife visited my office. Although they were scheduled to visit Andrew Young at a certain time, the gentleman chose to continue our visit. He and his wife wanted to discuss why Baptists baptize by immersion.

At a later time Alex brought the Deputy Minister of Religion from the USSR to my office. The Minister was seeking counsel in the printing of Bibles. Although he had earlier declined a Bible, upon leaving he asked a member of my staff to deliver some Russian Bibles to his hotel.

Alex asked me to accompany him on a trip to Hungary. This was an enlightening experience. There were meetings each day with religious, academic, and governmental officials. This provided me with the opportunity to discuss with the Minister of International Relations a possible visit to Cuba. A few days after returning to Atlanta I was notified that permission to enter Cuba had been granted. Thus came the opportunity for Southern Baptists to undergird the churches in Cuba for many years.

Later Alex traveled with me to Cuba to discuss, at the request of the Cuban government, the possibility of Billy Graham conducting an evangelistic crusade in Cuba.

Friend

Often when in my travels I became ill, Alex would call a pharmacy wherever I was and prescribe medication. Alex was my friend, counselor, mentor, and brother in Christ.

Last Friday a voice was heard to say,

“Welcome my good and faithful servant ... enter into the mansion reservedfor you." The angelic choir sang.

Alex rejoices as he dwells in the house of the Lord forever and sings in the celestial choir. Alex was an unsung hero who left a legacy of uplift, encouragement, and inspiration to others.

Morrow, Georgia, January 21, 1998

* Dr. Romo - former Head of the Home Mission Board, SBC

fathers started so many years ago. If anyone reading this would like to be considered for the administrators position, please make contact with me and send me your resume. God bless you all.

I have been asked to read a letter that my father sent to Rosalie just yesterday.

Dear Rosalie,

I was shocked to hear of the homegoing of your beloved Alexander. I was also fdled with joy because I know that he is in Heaven, waiting to be reunited with you and his family and friends.

I have always had a great lovefor you and Alex, and believe that God allowed our paths to cross for the first time in Cleveland many years ago. Through the years. I have loved him and learned from him. He taught us the strange and curious ways of the leaders of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. He was a great student not only of the Bible but of the communist methods both outside and inside the church. Deep in his heart I felt he was always committed to Christ and the Baptist Church, even though he worked a great deal with the Orthodox and other Churches. In those countries he had a wide acquaintanceship and friendship with all kinds of people.

I will never forget the many stories he told us of his experiences in Hungary, West Africa as a missionary, and later as a doctor and surgeon both in Atlanta and Hungary.

I am in Washington attending board meetings and deeply regret I cannot be there for the service. Franklin and Ruth will express the feelings of our family and BGEA to you all.

We will always remember him with affection and appreciation.

In the meantime, I hope you will give my condolences and love to the entire family. May God’s grace be sufficient for you at this time of loss.

With much Christian affection. God bless you all.

BILLY GRAHAM

It was a privilege and honor for me to watch Dr. Alexander at work. I traveled with him on several occasions and my father in Eastern Europe - and what a man! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite as brilliant as Dr. Alexander. He is the man responsible for opening up Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union for my father. He did this single-handedly. He was a diplomat, a negotiator. I would sit with him in some of these meetings. He was one of the most clever individuals I think I have ever met. He could take the Communist reasoning, he could take their thoughts and he could turn them around in such a way and use

it against them. And he would wear them out. And finally they would just give in and say: “Okay. Okay.” I’ve never met anyone quite like him.

He was a friend. He gave up his position as a Doctor. He gave up a good part of his health, a good part of his life for one reason. Because he believed with all of his Heart that the Gospel was the power of God for the Salvation of everyone who believes. Dr. Haraszti was not ashamed of the Gospel. He did everything that he could to open up Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union so the people of those countries could have an opportunity to hear the Gospel preached. This man believed with all of his heart that Jesus Christ was God’s Son who came to this Earth to die for our sins. He believed with all of his heart that if we confessed our sins and repented of our sins and received Christ by Faith into our heart that God would forgive us and that we would be with him in Heaven. He believed it. And friends, I believe it too.

I believe it. This man gave his life, he gave his strength, he gave his health so that the people of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union might hear the preaching of God’s Word. God Blessed this man! What a Friend! You know, you only meet a man like this once in a lifetime. And what a privilege it was for me to have met this man and to know him. He was a Friend.

My father would have never been in Eastern Europe if it was not for this man. He would have never preached in the Soviet Union if it were not for this man. He worked behind the scenes. Oh, there were times he translated - translated for, for my father, and I remember he translated once for me. I gave such a bad message. But you know it didn’t matter, because he preached a different one, I’m sure! And then afterwards he congratulated me! But, what a Friend! And so we owe a great debt at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. We owe a great debt. My father owes a great debt to this man. We loved him. And we just thank God for the opportunity to have worked with him and knowing him. Thank you all. We love you. We love him. And we know that we will be together with him, Leland, we’ll be with him one day. We’ll be with him one day in Heaven. Thank you."

Morrow, Georgia, January 21,1998.

Transcribed by Leland B.G. Haraszti