Sárospataki Füzetek 21. (2017)

2017 / 2. szám - RESEARCH PAPERS-FORSCHUNGSMATERIALIEN - Pándy-Szekeres Dávid: Elements of a triangular relationship: the presbyterian church in canada, ethnic Hungarian congregations of the presbyterian curch in canada and the reformed church of hungary

Elements of a Triangular Relationship

different sections of the RCH in order to initiate formalities for agreements pertaining to an official church partnership.47 In the autumn of 2003, acting moderator Rev. P.A. McDonald48 and the newly-installed associate-secretary of International Ministries undertook an official visit to the different countries where the RCH functions. Exchanges such as these and others in the ensuing years greatly reinforced the bonds between the PCC, the Hungarian PCC congregations and the RCH and eventually culminated in the signing of the official partnership covenant between the RCH and the PCC at the General Assembly in 2005:

“A covenant49 between the Reformed Church in Hungary and The Presbyterian Church in Canada was signed by the ecumenical guests, the General Secretary of the Life and Mission Agency and the Moderator of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Dr. Bölcskei offered blessings and peace and brought greetings from the Reformed Church in Hungary. He expressed thanks for The Presbyterian Church in Canadas support for Hungarians in Canada. The covenant is a sign of this co-operation and mutual support. As a symbol of our unity in Christ, he then presented a chalice inscribed with the words, Covenant between the Reformed Church in Hungary and The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 131st General Assembly, Edmonton, Canada, June 6, 2005.”50

While by 2005 the PCC had been able to establish a partnership with the RCH and thus had strengthened its international ties, on the home front, the Hungarian-Can- adian PCC churches had weakened over the years. For many years, there had been no newer waves of Hungarian immigrants to shore up the ranks of the aging and diminishing congregations.51 These congregations were not only experiencing the same general decline in membership as most other mainline churches throughout

47 The Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the PCC 2002,322: listed as partners of the PCC are the sections of the RCH which are in Ukraine (Reformed Church of sub-Carpathian Ukraine) and Rumania (Reformed Church of Rumania).

48 P. Alex (Sandy) McDonald: From the Moderator: Ukraine Needs Our Support, Presbyterian Record, February 2004, 7-8; Ibid, From the Moderator: Following Jesus'example in Romania, Presbyterian Record, March 2004, 9-10. As a point of interest: Rev. A. P. McDonald, who is the nephew of Rev. Dr. Hugh Davidson, the first PCC moderator to visit the RCH in Eastern Europe, was assisted in his visit by David Pándy-Szekeres, staff member of International Ministries and the son of Rev. Dr. László Pándy-Szekeres who was the Hungarian PCC minister who had assisted Rev. Davidson in his visit in 1974.

49 Formal "covenants" indicating the establishment of a partner relationship between the PCC and another church are not always the rule. Although the PCC has scores of such covenants dating from previous decades, it also maintains partner relationships without ever having formally put onto paper the establishment of such a partnership. There exists no such covenant with the Bhil church in India even though the partner relationship was established over one hundred years ago.

50 The Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the PCC, 2005,15.

51 See Appendix A.

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