Bethlen Naptár, 1958 (Ligonier)
Highlights in Hungarian Life…
BETHLEN NAPTÁR 235 Kulifay as its leader, and he had led this station in the time between the World Wars. After the war this congregation left the jurisdiction of the Church in Hungary and became an autonomous unit of the French Church. The organization of work in the many lands took different forms. In Switzerland pastors visited the centers of population in order. In England one great worship center was developed, in the heart of London. In Holland individual pastoral calling was necessary because of the small and scattered population. In North America, Canada and Brazil the existing congregations awaited the newcomers. In Argentina the new arrivals formed their own church which subsequently united with the older congregation. Completely new congregational units were formed in Australia. The mass immigration depleted congregations in Austria and Germany. Many preaching centers were abandoned and in their place a specialized ministry was set up, especially to care for people in transit. At first the Pastoral Service cared for Lutheran as well as Reformed people. By 1950 the Lutheran World Federation was instrumental in setting up a separate organization in Germany. The Lutherans received more financial support from their own Federation as well as the World Council than the Reformed Church. Thus, in Buenos Aires the Lutherans left the United Church while in Venezuela the Reformed people who were unable to obtain a pastor became a unit of the Lutheran church. The Reformed Missionary organization received financial aid from the World Council of Churches, the Reformed and Presbyterian churches of nations which received refugees, Interchurch Aid in England, Hilswerk of Switzerland and the various Reformed denominations of the Netherlands. By 1950 it was evident that the Church in Hungary would be unable to accept its missionary role. The connection between the scattered Hungarian Reformed people was never broken. This was made possible largely by the Rev. Bela Szigethy who emigrated to America in 1949 and for over hve years distributed The Evangelical World Service in 4 to 4,500 copies monthly. Many pastors and laymen felt the need for a unifying organization. Its setting up was decided upon in June of 1951. After two years of preparation this became “The Hungarian Reformed Church is Exile (Diaspore).” It was formally organized in July of 1953 in Detroit. Alexander Nagy, founder of the first work in Germany, was among the founders. The spiritual leader of the movement, Dr. Geza Soos, died shortly after the formal organization in an automobile accident. As a result of Hungarian events in 1956 masses of Hungarian refugees in Western Europe created a new situation entirely. By September of 1957 we find that 27,000 Hungarian Reformed people live in Western Europe. Pastoral work was intensified among them, aided by newly arrived pastors and theological students. The international situation is as follows: In England there are 4,000 Hungarian Reformed Christians. The Rev. Alexander Varga is the pastoral head and is aided by four other ministers. A pastoral office is maintained in London. (This Almanac has another article dealing specifically with work in England.)
