Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1966-04-01 / 4. szám

F RATERN I TY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation

Published monthly, with the exception of the summer months, when the June-July and August-September issues are combined Subscription for non-members in U. S. A. & Canada $2, elsewhere $3 a year

Office of Publication: Expert Printing, 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15207 Editorial Office: 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20016

Volume XLIV APRIL 1966 Number 4

THE SECRETARY’S REPORT

FOR THE YEAR 1965

FOLLOWING A CONVENTION YEAR, 1965 was a year which started a new quadrennial cycle in the life and service of our Federation and its leaders. It was a year which encompassed much joy and sorrow, many noble decisions, plans, accomplishments, achievements — and disappointments. Considering our newly initiated and successfully progressing work in Canada, 1965 may also be characterized as THE YEAR OF THE NEW BEGINNING.

Sixty-nine years after the founding of our fraternal organization by a few Hungarian Reformed pastors and elders in America in 1896, on May 2, 1965, similar pioneers, also pastors and elders, hoping that a greater Hungarian Reformed union will bring rich blessings to both American and Canadian Hungarians, started anew and helped us establish the fraternal and insurance work of our Federation in the neighboring country. The resolutions of the last Convention and the Supreme Council meeting which followed, authorizing the Secretary to begin the promotional and organizational work in Canada, meant, up to December 31, 1965: traveling 9,727 miles by plane and automobile, 12 preaching engagements, 16 lectures with slides on the work and life of our Federation and the Bethlen Home, eight merger meetings, three conferences with the moderator and executive board of the Canadian Presbyterian Church, and the appointing of three section managers and six branch managers. The results of these manifold services and meetings were the following: the organization of six new Canadian branches with a total of 583 new members, the completion of the merger with our Federation of the Hamilton Hungarian Reformed Society with 277 members. (Mergers with three other societies are pending.) To date, our Canadian branches number eight and our membership totals close to 700. For all these achievements and blessings, the glory is God’s glory. Our appreciation and thanks are extended to those pastors and church lead-