Fraternity-Testvériség, 1992 (70. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1992-10-01 / 4. szám

FRATERNITY

Page 3

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

The Preacher says: “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiates 3:1)

After having served in four Hungarian Reformed Churches, a new “season” opened in my life in 1980 when I assumed the presidency of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, a responsibility which I undertook with joy, great anticipation, and sincere dedication. The 12 years of my tenure were filled with challenges and turns of events that were unparalleled in the history of the Federation. Now this “season” is coming to an end, and the time has come for me to write my last message in the President’s Corner.

I wish to start this column by expressing my heartfelt appreciation to the delegates of three Conventions for giving me the opportunity to serve the Federation to the best of my ability. There were many ups and downs during my presidency. At one time the very existence of our society was threatened by ill-fated consolidation negotiations which, as we all know, left us in total disarray, stripped of self-esteem and burdened by a loss of direction. The climb from the lowest ebb of our existence was long and painful. It took a confident building resolution to move the Home Office from our self-inflicted exile in Maryland to the newly acquired Kossuth House in Washington, D.C. This took place in 1986 when the 90th anniversary of the Federation was already being joyfully celebrated nationwide, and we were able to join in this happy spirit with restored optimism gained from an organizational renewal of the field force and Home Office. The result was soon reflected in the reports of the succeeding years which underlined the financial stability

of the Federation. On the other hand, no effort was ever made to hide our weakness, namely the loss in membership, a weakness which is shared by most fraternals, with a few exceptions. I am fully confident that the new national officers and board members will address this problem successfully.

This leads me to the fact that the 34th Convention heralded another new “season” in the life of the Federation. The welfare of the society so dear to our hearts is now entrusted to a new leadership as far as national officers and board members are concerned. In the closing minutes of the Convention, the flaming torch of our Federation was handed over from President Bertalan to President elect George Dózsa - from an ordained minister of our Hungarian Reformed Church community to an ordained elder of the same church family.

In order to gain some understanding of what took place at the 34th Convention, it would serve well to take a journey back to Trenton, New Jersey, in 1896. At that time the organizing meeting of the Federation was attended by an equal number of ministers and elders. The first two part-time presidents elected were lay-leaders, followed by five full-time presidents who were ministers. In 1992 the delegates elected a lay-leader of the New Brunswick congregation of which it was my privilege to serve as pastor for 17 years, with George Dózsa as elder, ultimately as chief elder. As we reflect on the results of the election, we have to understand that in the church government of the Reformed tradition, there is no difference in rank between minister and lay-leader. We believe that in all levels of government there is parity between the two offices - that of the minister and of the elder. This unique distinction of church government reached its highest realization in the life of the Hungarian Reformed Church community in America. Here, from the very beginning, the role of the elder exceeded the mere formality of the title. Here, the care of the everyday operation in the life of the congregation rested upon the shoulders of the elders. No one could think of assuming that respected office without an impressive record of proven service in the church community.

Now there is much similarity between Church and Federation as far as the selection of leaders is concerned. When it comes to electing national officers and board members, the same rule applies, i.e. active participation in the life of the Federation and a proven loyalty in the everyday life of our society.

Our Federation can survive a number of setbacks as experienced in the past; however, the one thing that it cannot afford is any misunderstanding in connection with