Calvin Synod Herald, 1981 (81. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1981-12-01 / 5. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 3 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 1 am a native of the Cleveland area, born the third child of Hungarian-American parents in 1943. My father was born in Hungary and my mother’s parents also migrated from that country in the early 1900’s. Both my parents lived in the Johnstown-Windber area of Pennsylvania before moving to Ohio around 1940. My school and community life revolved around Mayfield Heights, Ohio, an eastern suburb of Cleveland. There I attended Mayfield High School as an honors student, graduating in 1961. I was baptized, confirmed, and active in youth affairs in the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Cleveland. During my high school years, my future wife, Bonnie, and I also both participated in activities of the Methodist Youth Fellowship at a nearby church. When I was 16 years of age and maturing in the faith, I experienced the spiritual certainty of conversion and the desire to direct my life toward Christian service. Attending Kent State University on scholarship from 1961—65, I graduated with honors (magna cum laude), earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history. My intention was to pursue a Federal government career, possibly in the foreign service. Bonnie and I were married in 1964 at the First Church; Bonnie, incidentally, is also of Hungarian background and grew up in a Baptist Church located in the Buckeye Road neighborhood of Cleveland. After graduation from KSU in 1965, we set off for Washington, D.C. where I was to attend the George Washington University graduate school of international affairs. The next three years in Washington was a time of searching. I decided to leave the graduate school and by early 1966 had obtained my first position with the Federal Government in Washington as a personnel investigator. Then, within that same year by December, I enrolled fulltime in Wesley Theological Seminary. While there, I worked as an associate pastor with Reverend Bernard Via of the Calvary Methodist Church in Arlington. It was a fulfilling time of growth in worship leadership and youth ministry. However, even this was not the right time to make the full commitment to the ministry, and I returned to the Federal Government to build a career with the U.S. Civil Service Commission. By April 1968, another kind of duty called, and I began a more than 3-year commitment to the U.S. Army. The experiences of worldly and spiritual growth that took place in those 3 years were considerable for us both. In brief, I confirmed some mastery of German learned in my college days by undergoing 6 months of intensive Army training in the language; was stationed along with my wife in Munich, Germany for almost two years, during which time we were able to travel extensively in Europe; and Curriculum Vitae------------ William E. Nyerges----------we were blessed with our first child, Christopher, while there, finally returning in mid-1971. We resettled in the Washington, D.C. area once again, and resumed my government career. Between 1971 and 1974,1 was moved into the field of personnel management with the Civil Service Commission, and our second child was on his way to arrive by September of 1974. By that time, we had returned to the Cleveland area vhere we presently live and I had joined the National Aeronautics & Space Administration as a personnel staffing and recruiting specialist. We were glad to finally be home again. The last seven years since our return to Ohio have been most significant in terms of a long-sought opportunity to pursue formal training for Christian ministry while continuing to meet my family responsibilities with a career in the Federal Government. By fall of 1975,1 had learned of the Ashland Theological Seminary, and its new but growing Center of Theological Education in Cleveland. Though it has been a starkly challenging pace to maintain on many occasions, the growth and fellowship as well as the academic fulfillment of Ashland’s program has been incomparably satisfying. Through an 8-hour per quarter graduate student load, I have been able to earn the Master of Divinity in five years, as of June 1980. In the meantime, to the extent possible, I have been able to also work in a number of ways with the First Church since 1974, as a presbyter, Consistory secretary, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, and assistant in Worship Services. With a number of significant decisions to make now in terms of my Government career, and the nature and extent of any new committment to Christian ministry, I look forward to exploring the full range of possibilities in accordance with the gifts and opportunities God has given me. For I know it is He who has opened the doors, who has chastened in discipline, who has granted the privilege of a calling through a Church I want to serve. A prayer given at the ordination of William Nyerges Eternal God, through the ministry of Jesus the Christ you have established the Christian Church, which is composed of many members, who with different spiritual gifts are called to different offices. From the time of the apostles you have called people into the fellowship of believers to proclaim the good news and to take care of the spiritual needs of your children. Today we recommend unto your loving care our brother, William Nyerges. We ask you to give him grace to fulfill with love the duties that will wait for him in the Christian ministry. Give him wisdom, dedication and a prayerful life, so that he may persevere in your service. Give him diligence and devotion, so that he may unselfishly work for the coming kingdom. Pro-The Reverend William E. Nyerges was presented with a robe by Dr. Stephen Szabó on October 25th, in Cleveland, Ohio.
