Bethlen Almanac 2000 (Ligonier)

Közép Egyházmegye - Central Classis

commemorate our 90th Anniversary. Our congregation was one of the very few Hungarian churches in this country to realize the New Testament concept of the church as a living and witnessing community, self-supporting and autonomous from the very beginning of its earliest history. We have preserved the great heritage of our fathers and mothers- we faithfully remained Hungarian Reformed. We feel that the biblical command “Be faithful unto death...” certainly includes faithfulness to our religious heritage too. At our 90th anniversary milestone, we remembered those who have their time, talent and money to make our church life what it is today, and we have high hopes for an ever increasing dedication to Christ’s cause in our congregation. We thank God who gave us the replacement for the victorious battle to be fought today and in the future.

Worship services continue each Sunday and on Holy days without interruption. During the year, the Lord’s Table is spread regularly for Holy Communion. Visitations are made to our shut-ins at their homes, nursing homes and hospitals and Holy Communion was administered to them. We had two baptisms, one marriage ceremony and a few funeral services. The circumstances that compare us to our father’s life has been drastically changed, both socially and economically. New styles of life are constantly changing, yet our congregation meets the challenges of our times. We are an active church, not only within our denomination, but in our community as well. It is our long tradition that each year we host a Lenten Community Worship Service, as well as participating in a combined Duquesne Ministerial Association Good Friday Worship Service. During the year we have had a variety of events take place in the church. These included noodle making by a group of dedicated women who started this service in order to financially aid our church. We also make kolbász; we Hungarians are known for the delicious homemade kolbász we prepare. We know we provide a worthwhile service by the number of orders we receive. Our Christmas Roll Baking- our church ladies (and men) are known for their outstanding baking skills, and so the natural conclusion was to bake rolls for the Christmas season. The ladies also provide a much-appreciated charitable service of donating rolls to the sick and shut-in members of our congregation. After a long period of absence, the members of the church undertook several events to supplement the church’s finances. They hosted affairs such as a “Four Seasons Celebration” and “An Afternoon with the Starts.” A great deal of time and effort was spent by everyone, much to the delight of all our guests. A Christmas Party and Party for the

123