Magyar Egyház, 1954 (33. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1954-04-01 / 4. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 ZOLTÁN BÉKY ARCHDEAN A special committee on Monday, March 29, certified the election of the Rt. Rev. Zoltán Beky to be the Archdean of The Free Magyar Reformed Church in America. He was elected by the Church Councils in both Eastern and Western Classes, succeeding the late Dr. Charles Vincze, pastor of the Perth Amboy, N. J., congregation, who died January 31. Archdean Beky was educated in the 400 years old Calvinistic Reformed Theological Seminary of Sárospatak, Hungary, graduating there in 1927 as one of the most outstanding students in his class. He received a scholarship to the New Brunswick Theological Seminary and for another year at the Episcopal Divinity School at Philadelphia, Pa. He became pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Trenton in 1928 as has taken a very active part in community affairs there. The new Archdean of our Church was Dean of the Eastern Classis which has been strengthened during his 15 years. He has had several articles published in the Magyar Egyház and served as the editor of our denominational monthly magazine. Archdean Beky received an honorary professorship from The Theological Seminary of Sárospatak in 1947. He was a member of the directors of the Bethlen Home, Ligonier, Pa., Orphanage and Old Age Home, also a director of the Supreme Council of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, Washington, D.C. Whit his predecessor he attended international Church conferences in South America, Scotland and Palestine. The people of the Free Magyar Reformed Church in America look forward with great hopes and expectations toward the activities, the spiritual leadership of Archdean Beky, who bears the flag of our Church with indistructible loyalty. The election of the Churches fell upon a worthy man in the person of Archdean Beky under whos leadership the Church may fulfill its indisputable mission given to her by God. The installation will take place on Fourth of July in Trenton, N. J. Dezső Abraham. ------------oOo-----------THE NEW CHURCH IN DUQUESNE, PA. Sunday, March 8, 1953, was a day of rejoicing, of faith and hope, for on that day the ground was broken for our new church. TheCongregational Meeting of 1952 instructed the Council to prepare the plans, which were completed by the summer of that year. A building committee was elected with the following members: William E Wargo, chairman; Andrew Kovats, Sr., Frank Szalay, Kalman Helmeczi, Michael Rezes, Sr., Louis Bodnar, Daniel Ochiva, and the Pastor. At the end of the year 1952 we had several estimates and bids to build our new church. The Congregational Meeting of 1953 accepted unanimously the plans and recommendations of the Building Committee and authorized it to start the actual building as soon as possible. A special meeting voted to obtain a mortgage in the amount of $1000,000.00 from the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. In May the cornerstone was laid. The stone bears our chartered name: “Hungarian Reformed Church”, the founding year and the building year, 1910-1953. The work progressed according to schedule. The building was completed in February, 1954, and the month of March was spent in feverish preparation for the dedication. Our simple, yet remarkably dignified church is adjoined to the parsonage with the pastor’s study and work room, and the Chapel on the second floor. Its unique tower is 45 feet high, the brick building is enhanced by limestone around the doors and windows. The first section of the church, as we enter, is the narthex which is separated by a stained glass screen from the nave. The main interior is built in a simplified gothic style. The woodwork, the arches and the ceiling, the strong and beautiful pews, the carved panel work and the important piece of the chancel, create a warm and devotional uplift in us. One has the unmistakable feeling of being in the house of worship. The main isle leads the eye to the center of the chancel where we find the Lord’s Table and the pulpit. These bear the ancient Christian symbols, the Alpha and Omega, the IHS and the cross. To the left and right we have the lectern and the baptismal font. The organ and the choir loft is in the balcony which is situated above the narthex. The church itself is not large, the seating capacity is 250, which is far above the attendance of our two morning services at the present time. On the same level with the balcony, above the Pastor’s study, we have the Arthur N. Wargo Memorial Chapel, our “Upper Room”, for personal, family and group devotions, small weddings and special services. It is furnished with a communion table, a dossal curtain, lectern, small organ and pews. The stained glass windows of the church, chapel and study, show a careful selection of themes in history and devotion — in pictures and in symbols. The front or street windows of the church contain the symbols of the four evangelist, the narthex screen the shields of 12 apostles. The nave windows depict, in pictures, the life story of Jesus, crowning it, the picture of the living Christ’s invitation pose (“Come unto me all”) above the chancel; behind the panel work symbols of the sacraments and symbolical services. The Chapel has eight symbols related to devotion and praise, the pastor’s study has the figures of Luther and Calvin, of Bethlen and Kossuth. The basement (all above ground) includes our large hall, the meeting room or nursery, the kitchen, and the necessary smaller rooms, all well equiped. Sunday morning the whole basement will be utilized for Sunday School, subdivided at the present time by curtains only; our plans call for modern foldoors. Also as a future project, we plan to install carollonic bells in our tower. — The parsonage is a modern six room house. The total cost of building, including furniture, windows and special equipments, is about $160,000. The whole building has the mark of careful planning and solid construction: it is simple and beautiful.
