Bethlen Évkönyv, 1993-1996 (Ligonier)
Zoltán D. Szücs: Our churches and our federation
The now-organized Reformed Federation held its first meeting in Cleveland, Ohio on February 5, 1897. Though they did not have the planned 500 members, but only 320 in 13 branches of Cleveland, New York, Mt. Carmel, Bridgeport, Toledo, Phoenixville, Wilkesbarre, Wyoming territory, Hazelwood, Trenton and Johnstown, with a capital of $272.15, yet their faith was unshakable in God and in the dream of a Hungarian embracing brotherhood. They accepted the proposed Bylaws and declared that the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America will officially start their activities on February 15, 1897 at 12 Noon. Their exemplary commitment to Hungarian unity, their unshakable faith and trust in God, their burning love for their Hungarian brethren, and their vision for the future and needed strength for our lives here, in America, were bright meteors, which lit up the American sky for thousands of immigrant Hungarians. These guiding lights will never cease to shine in the lives of the faithful gathered both in our churches and in our Federation. It also should pointed out, that the organizing fathers’ dreams and efforts were always very generous and never restrictive. Though they came from and represented the Hungarian Reformed Faith, yet their aim was the unity of all Hungarians in the new country. This idea is clearly reflected both in the flag and in the statistics of the January 31, 1898 convention of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Their first flag proudly displayed the motto: “For God and for Our Loved Ones”. As the statistical figures clearly reflect, this flag and motto gathered our Hungarian Reformed brethren from churches, as well as from little isolated parts of America. At this convention the Secretary reports that the Federation had 936 regular members and because they had received $3762.36 and had a disbursement of $2283.87, the Federation has a capital of $1478.49. The generosity and inclusiveness of these organizers is clearly mirrored in the following statistics: 816 Calvinists, 31 Lutherans, 86 Roman Catholics and 3 Jewish regular members. This data clearly shows the aim: an American- Hungarian unity. The Secretary also underlines that the greatest number of the members came from the counties of Abauj, Zemplen and Ung of Northern Hungary, from those counties 86
