Magyar Egyház, 1959 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1959-01-01 / 1. szám
14 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ Hungarian Reformed Church in “Kárpátalja” Dean Louis Nagy reported in the 1959 Bethlen Almanac the little what we know about our Hungarian Reformed brethren in “Kárpátalja”, the former North-Eastern part of Hungary. This territory was taken away from Hungary after World War I and given to the newly formed state of Czech-Slovakia. In 1939 it returned to Hungary but after World War II it was seized by Soviet-Russia and made part of the Soviet- Union. A recent visit by churchmen of Czecho-Slovakia to Churches in Soviet-Russia brought them into contact with the Reformed Church in Kárpátalja. Bishop Imre Varga, head of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Slovakia (the former Upper Hungary) was among the visitors. The report of the visitors states that the Reformed Church in Kárpátalja, some 90 thousand people served by 56 pastors and led by three deans and Bishop Béla Gencsy maintain a church life “at a surprisingly high level”. They cooperate with the Russian-speaking Baptist Churches of that area.--------------o-------------NEW HUNGARIAN CHURCH CENTER IN LONDON A social and church center for Hungarian Reformed refugees in London was dedicated on November 20 by the Rev. Kenneth Slack, general secretary of the British Council of Churches. The center, located at 17, St. Dunstan’s-road, Barons Court, London, W. 6. was purchased from grants donated by Inter-Church Aid, the Irish Presbyterian Church and redecorated from funds raised by the Hungarian congregation. These funds include a $1,000 donation by the World Federation of Free Reformed Hungarian Christians (consisting of the various Hungarian Reformed churches and organizations in the U.S.A.). The new center, when completely redecorated, will have a chapel, church office, lounge, recreational room, kitchen as well as quarters for the resident pastor. Miss Janet Lacey, director of the British Council of Churches’ Department of Inter-Church Aid, told in her opening address that, “you will find in this center warmth and comfort and the freedom that comes to you because you can worship your God in your own language and keep alive your fellowship.” Mr. László Csűrös, chief-elder of the London Hungarian Reformed congregation described the center as “the fulfilment of hopes cherished for the last ten years.” The Rev. Alexander Varga is resident pastor for Hungarian Reformed people in London and Great Britain.-----------o----------LETTERS FROM AMERICA Every letter sent abroad — letters to friends and relatives overseas — helps give a picture of America. Describe everyday examples of democracy, things that happen to you, your family and your neighbors. Friends and relatives abroad know they can believe your letters. That’s why your words are important. Make them count. BISHOP ÁGOSTON SEES POSITIVE TASK FOR REFORMED CHURCH IN YUGOSLAVIA A report on the life and work of the Reformed Christian Church in Yugoslavia says that the church has been advised by the minister of religious affairs that it is expected to do one thing: to teach people “not to steal, fight, kill.” Bishop Alexander Ágoston writes “this vocation is not enough for us. We are not satisfied by being a kind of spiritual police who keep people from evil by frightening them with the tortures of hell. We would like to train people for good.” “It is the task of the State to bring about the frame, to give laws, to reward the faithful and punish the disloyal, to raise the standard of living. To raise the moral standard ... to bring forth conscientious, loyal, diligent, honest men —this is the task of the Church. And there is only one way to this end—leading men to Christ. Thereby we build Socialism.” (E.P.S., Geneva)------------o-----------NEW HUNGARIAN THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY PUBLISHED The Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary publishes a new monthly from May 1958. (At the same time, similar permit was given in Prague to the Ecumenical Institute of the Comenius Faculty to publish a new theological quarterly.) The Hungarian paper is called “Theológiai Szemle” (“Theological Review”), thus it renews the title of a famous Hungarian theological publication that started as early as 1925. But only the title remans, the contents is more in conformity with the front page’s reference to volume: “New Series Vol. I.” The chief editor of the “Theological Review” is Dr. László Márton Pákozdy, professor of the Reformed Seminary at Debrecen, who is becoming more and more influential in the theoretical spheres of the “post-revolutionary church-government.” The editor is Dr. Imre Kádár, whose new book was recently reviewed in our paper.------------o-----------FROM THE TREASURY OF HUNGARIAN ANECDOTES He Cannot Forget Hungarian A Hungarian traveller in 1792 passed through Berlin, the capital city of Prussia. He met a Hungarian who told him that he had been serving in the Prussian army for more than 30 years. “Tell me”, asked him the traveller, “how is it that you didn’t forget to speak Hungarian?” The old soldier’s reply was a simple one: “How could I, Sir? I always pray in Hungarian.”
