Bethlen Naptár, 1950 (Ligonier)

Joseph Kecskeméthy: On in the bonds of Christian love

BETHLEN NAFTÁK

241

ONE IN THE BONDS OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

By Mrs. Joseph Kecskeméíhy, Bethlen Home

For a number of years it was my privilege to represent our Magyar Evangelical and Reformed Church women at the meetings of the Board of Directors and Synodical Presidents of the Women’s Guild, held annually at Cleveland, Ohio. Each occasion gave me much spiritual happiness; each occasion was a delightful experience.

I gained a good insight into the scope of work, the goals, ambitions and spirit of the Women’s Guild. Their work extends to the four corners of the earth. They labor untiringly for home missions and foreign missions. Each year they seem to add new projects to their already stupendous tasks and obligations. Nothing seems too much work or effort for them, since they find genuine happiness in the work of the Lord. They have never fallen short of their goal, but have always met their challenge. Each year, prayerfully and with deep-seated faith in God, they allocate almost a quarter of a million dollars for the building of God’s Kingdom.

Much has been done by the Women’s Guild in recent years in church world service, shipping countless parcels of food and clothing to suffering humanity. It was in February, 1948, at the regular annual Board of Directors and Synodical Presidents’ meeting that I fully realized how far-reaching their goals and Christian service can be! Mrs. Ruth Steva, Social Service Chairman, approached me regarding the need for floss, yarn and art thread of all kinds for the women of Hungary. We agreed that embroidery floss, crochet cotton, ordinary sewing thread and yarn are the items greatly needed by our Magyar sisters. Women of Hungary traditionally have God-given talent for making exquisite handwork. Using the floss and yarn sent by their American sisters for this purpose, they might sell their art work, thus assuring themselves and their families of a better livelihood. From the money realized, they might also help their churches. The idea seemed so excellent, so highly worthwhile! How Mrs. Steva would get this project underway interested me very much. The answer came the following summer.

Annually, during the months of July and August, summer conferences are held by the Womens’s Guild for their church women at five colleges, four of them of the Evangelical and Reformed Church: Hood College at Frederick, Md.; Heidelberg