Bethlen Naptár, 1958 (Ligonier)
Highlights in Hungarian Life…
242 BETHLEN NAPTÁR HUNGARIAN REFORMED LIFE IN SOUTH AMERICA AND A PICTURE OF PRESENT HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH IN ARGENTINA Though there are at present Hungarians in most countries of South America, there is only organized Reformed church life in Argentina and Brazil. The founding of the Church in Brazil took place 30 years ago. It has church buildings and pastors. Rev. Stephen Gemes, Lutheran pastor, has recently begun work there. In Venezuela, especially in Caracas, there are many Reformed people but they have no independent Church for they receive aid from neither the Hungarian Reformed people in America or the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. They have united with the Lutheran congregation led by Rev. George Posfay. Miklós Nyerges serves as their Chief-Elder. In Bolivia and Paraguay there are but a few people of our faith. They have been visited by the Lutheran pastors, George Posfay and László Hefty. In Chile the same two pastors visit regularly and hold worship services for Hungarian Protestants. They state that in the capital city of Santiago there are 70 Protestants, 50 of them of the Reformed faith. Mr. Alexander Hajpal, an outstanding layman conducts a Bible class. Some refugees of the recent Revolution in Hungary have arrived in Chile. In Montevideo, capital city of Uruguay, there are 700 or 800 Hungarian Protestants, three quarters of whom are Reformed. In the early ’thirties Reformed church work was initiated under the leadership of a former Constabulary sergeant, Stephen Madarasz. The Convent lacked vision and failed to send the requested pastor. Instead it gave conditional ordination to Madarasz. At the beginning of the Second War the Free Magyar Reformed Church extended aid to this work. After the war Madarasz turned to the Communist Hungarian Consulate for help and got it. He took an active part in return for the aid in left wing agitation, and the congregation dissolved as a result. Upon his death on August 8, 1956 at the age of 73, the Hungarian Evangelical and Reformed Church collapsed. The people were visited later by Lutheran pastors who conducted services twice. They were offered aid by the Lutheran World Federation if they would enter that fellowship. On August 25 of 1957 they were visited by the Reformed pastor from Buenos Aires, the Rev. Dezső Balazs Nagy and his wife. The people requested the resumption of Reformed Church activity. The Reformed Church bodies have a great responsibility to this forgotten fellowship. By neglect the people have suffered much, an entire generation has grown up without the advantages or aid of
