Bethlen Naptár, 1984 (Ligonier)
Kálvin Egyházkerület
1984 97 McKeesport—Rankin Church Union. Vice President Mr. Richard Gergely. Elders Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Shaw Owing to historic and economic factors the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Rankin was not able to continue her independent ministry in 1983. After much soul searching and prayer, careful consideration and open-hearted discussion the membership unanimously decided to seek comon services and mission with the McKeesport First Evangelical and Reformed Church. The McKeesport Church received the request of the Rankin sister-church with great compassion, sincere responsibility and Christian love. To do justice to the Rankin sisters and brothers the more radical way of consolidation was favored to a simple merger. The consideration behind choosing the longer and more complicated way was that with the completion of the ecclesiastical and legal consolidation a NEW CHURCH can be formed together. Our sister-churches properly petitioned the Calvin Synod Conference b\ submitting a carefully detailed plan of the church union and the formation of a new church. The plan and petition of consolidation was unanimousiv approved by the May, 1983 session of the Synod. The implementation of the synodical decision took place on June 26, 1983. when the two congregations gathered together for historic congregational meetings to vote on their church union. These meetings were chaired by the Right Reverend Bishop Dr. John Butosi and also attended by the Right Reverend Deputv Bishop Dr. Francis Vitéz, the Very Reverend Dean Aaron Elek and Mr. Joseph Poruban. chief elder of the Bridgeport United Church of Christ. The enthusiastic and un animous vote of both churches closed the first part of the process of consolidation. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will he the next authoritv
