Magyar Egyház, 2008 (87. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2008-04-01 / 2. szám

16. oldal

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

Two years ago at the Bishop’s Council meeting in New Brunswick, NJ, it was categorically stated that our By-Laws have to be followed and respected. I will make it fundamental part of my service to enforce and uphold our By-Laws and regulations. I greet the proposal to amend of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. Based on proposals, we are planning to ammend the bylaws, we hope this will serve the benefit of our church.

3. Classes’ reports:

In our denomination 34 congregations are in service in the three Classes. 17 congregations in the Eastern Classis, 5 congregations in the Central Classis, and 12 congregations in the Western Classis. I believe God will bless our services.

a. Eastern Classis:

The Eastern Classis has elected its Dean in the last year. May God bless the service of Dean Attila Kocsis. The New Brunswick, NJ congregation has not made a decision regarding the election of a new pastor. Rev. Barnabas Roczey as retired pastor makes the services in the congregation. I would like to ask the previous pastor and the Pulpit Committee of the congregation to speed up the hiring process for the new pastor, for the future benefit of the congregation. Based on the verbal notice of the Dean, I acknowledge the dissolution of the Cliffside, NJ congregation and thank István Szabó, lay pastor and Honorary Chief Elder of our denomination, for his faithful service throughout many years.

I report with great thanks that within the Eastern Classis four new mission congregations have started within the Hungarian community: Charlotte, N.C. and Columbia, S.C. served by Rev. András Debreczeni; Boston, MA by Rev. Attila Tóbiás; Atlanta, GA by Rev. Csaba Szilágyi pastors. We have to accept that this is the future of our church, preaching points are all around as mission congregations.

b. Central Classis:

The Central Classis held its General Assembly at the end of the last year in Windsor, ONT, and the congregations reelected Rev. Ferenc Varga as Dean. Elizabeth Mate is the new Chief Elder of the Central Classis. After a long waiting, the Windsor congregation has a new pastor, Rev. Zoltán Lizik from Cegléd, Hungary. God bless his service in the new country.

c. Western Classis:

The Western Classis has elected its Dean in the last year. May God bless the service of Dean Balint Nagy and appointed Chief Elder Mrs.Ilona Peters. In the Western Classis two new mission congregations were started, in Portland, OR served by Adel Nemes, religious teacher and in Austin, TX served by Aron Kocsis, seminary student. The Portland, OR congregation has no decision yet to merge to our denomination. God bless the new congregations and those who serve them.

4. Magyar Egyház-Magyar Church:

I would like to inform everybody of the status of the Magyar Egyház-Magyar Church publication. As Editor in Chief, I inform you that Zsolt Demeter, Editor of the Magyar Egyház-Magyar Church with reference to his personal activity has resigned from his position last September. I regret that his decision came very late, making the editing of the publication very difficult. I have taken on the duties, as I have before, for all issues of the publication between 2003 and 2006. Unfortunately, technical difficulties surfaced during the editing process between September and November, my computer was infected with viruses and I have lost all data of the already prepared materials both in the newspapers and in my other church related documents. In addition, during the holiday season 1 was ill and was bed ridden for several weeks. These circumstances further delayed the editing and printing of the publication. Finally, this year before Easter, every congregation received two consolidated versions of the 2007 issues and the first full issue of the 2008 Magyar Egyház-Magyar Church. I ask for your understanding and ask everyone to continuously support the quarterly publication despite these difficulties, and that everyone send in their subscription dues and send articles, photos and sermons to the editorial office. Thank you for your continued support and help.

5. Ministerial Qualification Committee:

In the last year the Committee made its service and 4 pastors were examined and admitted them to the roll of ministers in our Denomination after their ministerial qualification is complete. Rev.Ilona Komjáthy, Pittsburgh, PA; Rev.András Debreceni, Charlotte, SCColumbia, NC; Rev.Csaba Szilagyi, Atlanta, GA and Rev. Attila Tobias, Boston, MA.

6. Youth Camp:

Our church along with the Calvin Synod are in cooperation regarding the Youth Camp. Mr.Gabor Csapó is the representative of our Synod who was appointed last year eventhough he has been working with the Youth Camp for years. God bless his continued service.

We thank Ms. Priscilla Hunyady for the many years of her service, which position is now filled by Mr.Gabor Csapó. The youth camp continues its work, despite insurance related difficulties, the Calvin Synod offered to help solve the problem. We hope that these difficulties will not distrupt the work of the Youth Camp.

7. Bethlen Home:

We greatly value to work of teh Bethlen Home. I have to mention the great success of the past years, which proves that we have to keep supporting the Bethlen Home both financially and morally. It is in line wih our long term plans, to strenghten the image of the Bethlen Home in our member’s minds as a Hungarian religious and cultural center in the U.S.A. Rt.Rev.Stefan M.Torok and Rev.Ferenc Varga represent our church on the Board of Directors of the Bethlen Home.

8. Services

In my service as Bishop of our Church, I have represented our church at many church and social events in Hollywood, CA; Hawthorne, CA; Reseda, CA. Also conducted services and visited churches in Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Honolulu, HI; Carteret, NJ; Staten Island, NY. I attended Classes meetings 4 times in Perth Amboy, NJ and New York, NY in the Eastern Classis, and in Hollywood, CA and Phoenix, AZ in the Western Classis. I attended the meeting of the Calvin Synod in Somerset, PA. I was in connection with the pastors and elders by writing and talking them by phone.

During my stay in Hungary the last summer, I attended the Doctor’s College of the Reformed Church in Hungary, where I greeted the participants on behalf of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. 1 have met with Church leaders along with Hungarian bishops Bölcskei Gusztáv, Szabó István and the Subkarpatian bishop Zán Fábián Sándor, ecumenical officer of the synod Tamás Bertalan, officers of the Synod, president of the Bible Alliance Sipos Ete Álmos pastor, and other persons to discuss about bilateral relations of our two churches. I have taken part and held services in congregations. I have represented the Hungarian Reformed Church at the annual meeting of the Consultative Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Churches on Nagyvárad, where I have been elected as Managing President of the Synod.

In my service, I thank the help of my fellow officers of the Synod, Chief Elder Mr. Beke, Ecclesiastical Secretary Rt.Rev. Torok and Lay Secretary Dr. Mester, Controller Mr. Okos. On behalf of our Synod, we congratulate to Mrs. Szilvia Russel, Treasurer to her first-born baby Benjamin. Thank the help of the Deans Rev. Dr. Kocsis, Rev. Varga, Rev. Nagy, and the Chief Elders of the Classes: Mr. Király, Ms. Mate and Ms.Peters.

With God’s help, I would like to continue my service at the Hungarian Reformed Church in America and would like to visit even more congregations in the future. In order to achieve my goals I would like to ask for the support of the pastors, officers and congregations of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America.

I thank the Bishop’s Council for its attention and sincerely propose the acknowledgement of my report.

Sándor Szabó, Bishop