Fraternity-Testvériség, 1992 (70. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1992-01-01 / 1. szám
Page 30 TESTVÉRISÉG REVEREND STEPHEN SZŐKE 1915 - 1991 The Reverend Stephen Szőke was born in Hungary on December 16, 1915. He studied in Debrecen and came to the United States in 1935 on a scholarship. Upon graduation from Eden Theological Seminary (B.D. 1 9 3 9 ), he attended Union Seminary (S.T.M. 1940). During his graduate work he served as a supply minister on Staten Island. He was ordained by the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. He was elected to his first pastorate in 1941 by the Hungarian Reformed Church of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, where he ministered twenty-four years. During this time a new church and parsonage were built. He served six years as Dean of the Western Classis; six years as General Secretary of the denomination and locally as President of the Protestant Ministers Association and ten years as Director of Religious Education of Protestant Churches. In November 1965 he became pastor of the First Hungarian United Church of Miami, Florida. During his eleven year tenure the church building was renovated, a parsonage, a duplex and a thirty unit apartment complex were constructed. The Hungarian Evangelical and Reformed Church of Dayton, Ohio, elected him as pastor in November of 1976. Their small chapel and the parsonage were renovated during his four years there. Lakeland's Magyar Presbyterian Church issued a call to him in 1980. He was received as a member of the Presbytery on October 28 and took charge of the congregation on November 1. During his pastorate the congregation became financially stronger, but remained very small in membership though the fellowship dinners were well attended. In 1987 the church was refurbished and beautified. The motto of his alma mater in Debrecen was Orando et Laborando, that is Pray and Work. After a lifetime of dedicated labor and supplication, Stephen Szőke entered the Church Triumphant on December 17,1991. The Hungarian Reformed Federation of American remembers him as a faithful member and manager of Branch 388. Imre Bertalan ELMER CHARLES 1910 - 1992 Amikor Károlyi Elemér elhalálozása hírét vettem, Jerémiás próféta siralmával sóhajtottam: Elesett a mi fejünknek koronája. Arany János sorai kívánkoztak ajkamra: Halnak, halnak, egyre halnak Színe-lángja a magyarnak. Károlyi Elemér az amerikai magyarság színe-lángja. Ez a legrövidebb, legtöbbet mondó életrajza annak a közéleti személynek, akiben legjobb énjére ismer az az amerikai magyarság, melynek célkitűzéseivel, és azoknak munkálásával ő önmagát tökéletesen azonosítani tudta. Hite és boldog megtapasztalása szerint az a két szárny, amely az alkotások csodálatos magaslataira emelte az amerikai magyarságot: az Egyház és a Testvérsegitő Egyesület.. Miközben maga is mindettőnek alapjait építgette, a kevesen való hűség és az Isten által munkált, egyre többre hívattatás útján maga is tartó oszlopává erősödött mindkét szívéhez nőtt szent közösségnek. Az egész amerikai magyarság nagy halottja ő. Életirányt szabó a jelen feladataiban és jövendőnk szolgálatában. Az Amerikai Magyar Református Egyesület tisztviselői, igazgatói és minden tagja nevében vagyok őszinte részvéttel és hálás emlékezéssel. Bertalan Imre, AMRE elnöke Elmer Charles
