Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-10-01 / 10. szám
F RATERNITY vauv. A A OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation Published monthly. — Subscription for non-members in the U. S. A. and Canada $2.00, elsewhere $3.00 a year. Office of Publication: Expert Printing Co., 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh 7, Pa. Editorial Office: Suite 1201, Dupont Circle Bldg., 1346 Connecticut Ave., Washington 6, D. C. Volume XLI OCTOBER 1963 Number 10 “WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN=HUNGARIAN PRESBYTERS’ ASSOCIATION?” By REV. EUGENE Z. SZABÓ Delivered at Ligonier, Pennsylvania — September 2, 1963 Mr. Király asked me to speak to you this morning on the subject, ‘ What is the Future of the American-Hungarian Presbyters’ Association?” In his letter to me, he was specifically concerned with the question, “Would the presbyters of the English speaking congregations continue the work and program of the Association in the various denominations, when the Hungarian work has ceased in those denominations?” If I were a fortune teller, I could gaze into my crystal hall and say with authority, “Yes, I see a tremendous future for the Association; or I see NO future for the Association.” My chances of being correct would be 50-50. Perhaps the latter would be more accurate, for in 1946, when this Association was organized, there were so many delegates present that they didn’t even fit into this chapel. Now look around and see how few we are. This is supposed to represent all of the Protestant Hungarian churches. If I were a doctor, and you approached me and asked, “Doctor, will my child, the Association, live or die?”, I would tell you that I would have to examine the patient. After studying the past history of the patient and conducting various tests, I would be ready to give you my answer. I could be evasive or brutally frank. I prefer to be brutally frank, and so I am going to stick my neck out and say that if you depend on the American-Hungarian presbyters who are outside the confines of the Magyar Synod, Free Magyar Church and the Presbyterian Hungarian churches to keep the Association going — il will die. I cannot speak for those other churches, but I can speak with authority for the first group, because I am the pastor of such a church. But do not be too harsh with us, for tomorrow your church and its presbyters may be in the same group we are in.
