A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2014., Új folyam 1. (Szeged, 2014)
TÖRTÉNETTUDOMÁNY - Orbán Imre: „...gyülekezetünk egy rendes kis Ekléziává formáltassék...” A makói evangélikus leányegyház megalakulása és működésének első évei (II. rész)
Imre Orbán Formation and Activity of the Lutheran Filial Church in Makó Formation and Activity of the Lutheran Filial Church in Makó (Part II) Imre Orbán Present study introduces the first years of the Lutheran out-parish of Makó. After its foundation in 1812, a conflict arose between the local Lutheran and Calvinist communities. After 1812, the Lutheran believers paid their yearly Church duties to their mother-church in Nagylak. However, not having a pastor in Makó, they expected all the ecclesiastical services (baptism, marriage, education, funerals) from the Calvinist pastor of Makó. The Protestants demanded twofold remuneration for that. This resulted in a quickening conversion to Calvinism, already threatening the existence of the new Lutheran filial church. The Lutheran community unsuccessfully tried to invite a pastor to Makó. The filial church faced the following expenses: costs paid for the Calvinist Church, yearly Church duties, and visits of the Lutheran pastor of Nagylak. These were covered by voluntary work, (cash and land) donations, and from the interests of their bank deposits. Their finance was in order during the studied period. The community also regulated liturgical life. Lutheran religious services were held on Holy Thursday and on the second Sunday of Advent. The Nagylak community mostly consisted of Slovak Lutherans, whereas the Makó community was mainly Hungarian with some believers having Slovak and German as mother tongue. Due to the lack of Slovak language liturgy, some Slovak believers refused to pay the yearly Church duty. Following the decision of the first assembly of the presbyters, the Holy Communion was provided also in Slovak language on Holy Thursday and in German on the second Sunday of Advent. The Lutheran community planned to organize a school and build an oratory. They led successful money raising trips to the communities nearby, and made sacrifices themselves. The oratory was built from soil in 1819-1820 on the eastern part of the town, providing a place to gather on Sundays. János Keblovszky, pastor of the Nagylak community served the believers from 1812. The filial church was governed by the Governing Council, with János Sonkody as leader and six counsellors, who were elected on 1 November 1812. Sonkody was replaced by János Fejér in 1814. During his leadership financial issues were regulated, the conflicts concerning language use were solved, and the oratory of the Lutheran community was built. The study concludes with the name list of the Lutheran believers living in Makó in the studied period. 328
