Bethlen Almanac 1999 (Ligonier)
Közép Egyházmegye - Central Classis
ALLEN PARK, MICHIGAN American Hungarian Reformed Church Allen Park, Michigan Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Burbridge Chief Elder: George Opra We all know that we survived Y2K. We can thank the Lord for his help. Last year at this time we were digging ourselves out of the worst snowfall that Michigan had in a long time. It was so deep that we had to cancel church the first Sunday in January. Reverend Kontos traveled from Hungary to assist our church in the Hungarian language service. He stayed with us until August of 1999. He was much appreciated and helped a great deal in our ministry. After that time, Rev. István Kacso has been serving with us while being a student at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Our Lenten season began with our traditional soup supper. During this season we had Wednesday night Bible studies to prepare us for the Easter season. We also had our annual congregational meeting, and Mr. George Opra was elected Chief Elder of our congregation. During our calendar year, we had numerous special meals served at our church. The Dorcas Guild served a Mothers’ Day meal that all who attended enjoyed. The Busy Bees served a salad luncheon on a weekday, and we invited the community to join us. The Fellowship Hall was overflowing with people. The M.A.H. A.K. ’ S sponsored our annual Grape Festival, which included dinner, dancing and entertainment. Many of the organizations provided special ministries during the year. The Good Samaritans provided food, medicine, clothing and furniture for people in our community. They also provided baskets for those in need during Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Busy Bees provided medical supplies and made quilts for those in need in Kosovo. The M.A.H. A.K.’S provided assistance for immigrant families coming to our community. Our Nursing Home Ministries made weekly visits to nursing homes in our area and had a choir concert at each of the nursing homes during the Christmas season. Many of our children participated in our community vacation Bible School during the summer. Most of these children were active in our weekly Sunday School program. This fall we had a weekly adult Bible Study series called Alpha. We had six new members, ten baptisms, five weddings, and lost seventeen members through death. Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Burbridge, Senior Pastor 156
