Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1961-10-01 / 10. szám
16 FRATERNITY city, and soon settled in and around the metropolis. Bishop Ravasz reorganized the whole constitution of his diocese. He cut the Budapest area into two Church Counties, and from the year 1921 till the year 1911 was active in instigating the erection of 56 new churches, 75 schools, 71 manses, 41 teachers’ residences, and 85 parish halls. Budapest’s Reformed population grew in that same 20 years from 98,000 to 135,000, its communicant members meantime rising from 35,000 to 58,000. In these two decades seven new parishes were formed in the capital city itself. The last remnants of 19th century rationalism having been wholly extirpated, the best available preachers now preached an evangelistic Gospel on the radio to the whole Hungarian people, and experts produced a constant stream of good religious literature. In 1929 the Synod introduced a new Book of Order that took into account the rich historical traditions of the Church. Thus congregational life everywhere was active and alive in the year that World War II broke out, with youth organizations and women’s associations of all kinds flourishing and strong. The question of “reversal” has now become much less of a problem than it was. The ordinary church member today is undoubtedly highly conscious of his heritage. In 1920 the Reformed Church lost some 300 children through reversal. By 1940 this number was cut in half. From 1935 to 1940, moreover, the free-will offerings of the people exactly doubled, and in some places even tripled. And what is true for Hungary in this regard is true also of the Reformed Churches in the Succession States. Thus it came about, by the grace of God, that when Hungary had to undergo the terrible years of World War II, including the three-month long siege of Budapest in 1944, her Reformed Church had reached a pinnacle not only of self- conscious loyalty to the Faith that she had received from the fathers, but also of a true and vital relationship to Him who is the onlv King
