Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1963-10-01 / 10. szám

2

FRATERNITY

Why are some of the American-Hungarian presbyters not supporting this Assocition? I contacted quite a number of them, and over and over again I received the same reply. “We went a number of times,

but we got terribly disgusted when the presbyter speaker would finish a very fine talk, and then a minister would stand up and rip apart

his talk theologically. Then another minister would start arguing with the first one, and so we don’t care to go anymore.” Since 8:45 this

morning I have heard only two presbyters speak, and the rest have been ministers.

Another complaint was that the meetings were predominantly in the Hungarian language. I’m proud that I’m a Hungarian, but I am also proud of the fact that I am an American citizen. Up until my address I heard only one other person use the English language. We have many people in our churches today who are not Hungarians. The president

of my Men’s Brotherhood is a non-Hungarian. My assistant scoutmaster is a Greek. I have an Italian singing in my choir. There are a number of non-Hungarians on our consistory. How could these men attend this meeting?

Another factor we must consider is that we are living in different times today from 1946. Even the Masons, Kiwanis, Lions and other organizations are complaining about the lack of interest and attendance on the part of their members. People are becoming more selective about the places where they go and the people they want to hear. Why shoud a presbyter travel hundreds of miles to hear Rev. Eugene Szabó, when they can invite far more important people as speakers to their respective congregations. People don’t have to go to the mountain today; they can bring the mountain to them.

Yes, my friends, the times have changed. Something is missing from the American-Hungarian presbyter, and that something is the Hungarian spirit. However, let us not be overly critical, because the American- Hungarian presbyter in many cases is much removed from those things which would foster a Hungarian spirit. And so we find the Hungarian spirit being replaced by an American spirit. And this is as it should be. Dr. Kish said that he was proud of his Hungarian birth and did not want anyone to change him. In the same manner our second and third generation American-Hungarians are proud of their American birth, and yet we are trying to change them.. I say once again, that the American- Hungarian presbyter with the American spirit will NOT perpetuate the Association in its present form.

Let us examine for a moment Point 2 of the By-Laws of this Association. It says, “The Aim — The aim of the National Presbyters’ Association is to unite the Hungarian Reformed Presbyters of America in one organization in order to strengthen the feeling of fraternal unity; to face the common problems with a united front, striving to find solutions and plan united action at the annual conferences; to aid the work of the Hungarian Reformed congregations more effectively; in general — to endeavor to make the Hungarian Reformed churches in America better and more efficient instruments of the spreading of the Kingdom of God on earth.”