Bethlen Évkönyv, 1993-1996 (Ligonier)
Zoltán D. Szücs: Our churches and our federation
OUR CHURCHES AND OUR FEDERATION One of the most colorful and beloved president of our Hungarian Federation of America, The Right Reverend Zoltán Beky (1964-1976), who was elected to his third term of presidency by acclamation, expressed the truth about our Hungarian Reformed faith, hope and brotherly love in connection to the relationship of our churches and our beloved Federation, about their common goals and indissoluble nature in these eloquent words: “The indisputable teaching of our history is, that the service and work of the Federation is inseparable from the Hungarian Reformed faith and church life. From the year of their conception: it is provable, that self-evidently they came from one another: from Federation branch a congregation, from congregation a Federation branch. The apostolic-minded pastors of the first two decades went from town to town organizing churches and federation branches. At most places where they had worship service only once a month, the president of the branch was the chief elder of the church.” (The Principal Events of the History of The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. Part 11896- 1966. Part II1966-1970, by Dr. Zoltán Beky, President, Bethlen Freedom Press, Ligonier, Pa. 1970. Pg.7.) These words are inevitably true from the birth of the Federation to our present day. Our Hungarian Reformed Congregations and our esteemed federation were born as twin brothers of our Hungarian Reformed accomplishments in the new world and evidently their lives, hopes, health and futures are intertwined to the Glory of God and to the good of our American-Hungarian existence. Our Hungarian Reformed forefathers worked for the realization of their dreams in the United States for a long time, in isolation. They had no ties, organizations or pastoral oversight to bind them together. Many of them fell prey to industrial accidents or smooth-talking swindlers. The great majority of them came to the United States working 12 to 14 hours a day, hoping and praying that through sweat and blood could save enough money to realize the deepest desire of their hearts: that is to purchase some land in their beloved “old country”. Many, many of them returned, time after time, to Hungary, crossing 81
