Magyar Egyház, 1962 (41. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1962-02-01 / 2. szám
10 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ NORTH AMERICAN AREA COUNCIL OF PRESBYTERIAN ALLIANCE HOLDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE In the third week of January the 15 member churches of the North American Area Council of the Reformed and Presbyterian World Alliance met in Atlantic City, New Jersey for their annual conference. For our readers it is interesting to note that the head of our denomination, Bishop Zoltán Beky served as the Vice-Chairman of the North American Area and as such presided over the business meeting held at the closing day of the council meeting. The news release of the Presbyterian World Alliance also reports that Bishop Beky conducted the morning worship services on January 17th. This Area Council meeting was indeed a working session and the delegates present were all involved in discussing a working paper on Reformed understanding of catholicity as prepared by the theological department of the Alliance. Very important reports by the Theological Committee, the Civil and Religious Liberty Committee, and the Administrative Committee were presented and approved. It was reported that a new English translation of the Heidelberg Catechism is being completed and along with the representatives of the United Church of Christ and the Reformed Church in America, our Hungarian Reformed Church in America is also participating in this significant work through its delegate. The Area Council elected Dr. W. Glen Harris of the United Presbyterian Church in the USA as the new chairman. A. K. "66” The Quarterly Conference of the Eastern Classis of the Bethlen Youth Federation was held at Perth Amboy on January 28. The registered attendance was 66. But not all of these were youths. And for this reason 1 can find significance in ths number “66”. It seems to be a good sign that the total attendance was not made up entirely of youth, but of youth and adults as well. I would like to thank those ministers and lay members of the churches who took time to bring the youth to the conference, and who helped in other ways also. Especially, I would like to thank Ms. Dudich, of Perth Amboy, who aided in the evening entertainment program. Also, I would like to thank those parents and other interested adults who helped in the preparation of the meal, as well as in the serving of it. And I’m sure everbody who attendedS the conference will agree that without these people, the conference would have not been so successful. I only hope that this growing interest on the part of the lay members of the church will continue to increase, and will be joined by a growing interest on the part of the youth in their church and in their faith. But the attendance at this conference and the national conference in Detroit last September seems an ominous sign of a decrease of interest on the part of the youth in their church. But where lies the cause of this decrease? Can it be that the parents are falling away from the church and the youth are following their example? Or can it be that the youth organization is inadaquate? Think about it parents? Think about it youth? Think about it Christians? And then do something about it. Lester D. Helmeczi 1962: Andrew Sapos, chief elder; James Lewis and Joseph Kallery, elders, Joseph Voros, treasurer; Joseph Toth, auditor; Charles Nagy, Jr., recorder of offering; and Andrew Gougler, secretary. Members of the Church Council (in addition to the officers): Louis Bodnar, John Estu, Frank Kottán, Jr., Ernest Kovach, Daniel Ochiva, Elmer Shigo and William Toth. The annual congregational meeting was held in two parts. The first part was held during the Sunday morning worship services of January 21, when the Pastoral Report was given. The second part was held in conjunction with our fellowship dinner of January 28, when our lay leaders were elected and installed, At the end of the meeting the Council presented the pastor with a personal gift for his 20 years of service completed. The Pastoral Report indicated that an average of forty per cent of membership (160) attends the Sunday morning worship services and 65 percent of confirmed members (215) lived with the sacrament per occasion (a total of 1507 souls). The spirit of stewardship is good in spite of the fact that one-third of the cngre-NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATIONS CARTERET The annual reports and financial statements of the church as well as of all organizations were sent out to all families in advance. At the annual meeting on January 28 these reports were discussed and accepted and new officers elected. They are the following: Louis J. Szabó chief elder, William Lazar vice chief elder, Andrew Pross treasurer and Julius Reisz financial secretary; elders in addition to the previously named officers: Joseph Adam, Roy Jensen, Bela Kantor, Stephen F. Kovács, John Nemish, Joseph Cinege, Alexander Comba, Frank Deak, John Lazar, Geza Megyesi, Alexander Peter, Bert Pokol, Charles Varga; Frank Vérségi is alternate elder. The officers and the newly elected elders were installed at the worship services on February 4th together with the new officers of the Sick Benefit Society and the Men’s Club. At the installation dinner past and present officers of all organizations were recognized. Special tribute was paid to William Nagy who, after 14 years of service as elder, vice chief elder and chief elder, retired from active service. Speaker at the dinner was the Rev. Aladar Komjáthy who reported — in English as well as in Hungarian — on the New Delhi assembly which he attended together with Bishop Beky. Lenten communion will be shared on Sunday, March 11. English service at 9:30, Hungarian at 11. Miss Nancy Nemish, secretary of the Youth Fellowship reports on several activities during December and January emphasizing the good fellowship the young people from the various sister-churches have as they frequently get together; the last such get-together was on February 11th, a Valentine Party in Carteret. A good delegation from Carteret attended the Quarterly Conference in Perth Amboy. Mrs. John Nemish as advisor and the Pastor accompanied the group. At this meeting, Miss Linda Jensen was elected secretary of the Eastern Classis Youth Federation. DUQUESNE, PA. Officers of the congregation for
