Fraternity-Testvériség, 1981 (59. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1981-10-01 / 4. szám

God is a Spirit, and He has to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. So, I pictured God as if He were a man with white beard and a long robe, who is sitting upon a golden throne. I am certain that there are many people even today who picture God in human forms, who can provide us gifts like human beings. But the secret of Christmas is that his gift to us was different than we receive from our friends.

In Christ we received the perfect gift.

Christ was sent to us to meet our needs. JesuB was sent to us not because we were good, but because God loved us and loves us.

During this advent season let us prepare ourselves to receive God’s perfect gift in humbleness. As we will be opening our gifts at Christmas time let us also remember that the real meaning of Christmas is in Christ. There is no Christmas without Christ.

PAUL KANTOR

Pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church

Fairport Harbor, Ohio

BETHLEN COLLECTION:

The Bethlen Collection, the riches archive and museum material of early Hungarian immigrants, is back in Ligonier. I wish to express our deepest appreciation to the Rev. Sándor Farkas and his entire congregation in Youngstown, Ohio for safe guarding the precious material while preparation was made for its return. The Board of Managers and the Board of Directors made plans for both the temporary and permanent housing of the documents. The Reverend Bela Olah and his wife, Eva, came from Hungary and are putting the material in order and preparing the exhibit.

A second story will be added to the ‘garage’ in back of the Bethlen Home building which will be an adequate solution until enough money is acquired for the permanent home — The Community Center — Archives-Museum. I urge each person, Federation worker and member, to be a co-worker in seeking the financial support of churches, organizations and individuals in order to realize our goal. All donations should be labeled: Archive-Museum Fund, Bethlen Home. Address: Bethlen Home, Ligonier, Pa. 15658.

TO ALL PERSONS OF HUNGARIAN ANCESTRY Learn about your Hungarian Heritage: Read the EIGHTH TRIBE magazine. Especially printed for those who do not understand the Hungarian language. Published monthly: $10.00 per year. P. 0. Box 637, Ligonier, Pennsylvania 15658.

FROM THE PRESIDENT:

The 85th Anniversary year of our Federation and the 60th Anniversary of the Bethlen Home now belongs to history. The closing days of the year 1981 marks the end of the first year of my service as president of our Federation. It is also the time for reflection.

ANNIVERSARY

The Anniversary celebrations gave me an excellent opportunity to get in touch with key areas of the field since our national promotional work was assigned to the office of the president by the 1980 Convention. Large scale observances were held in this chronological order: Washington, D.C., Buffalo, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cleveland, Chicago, New Brunswick, N.J., New York City, Toledo, Pittsburgh-Duquesne, Toronto, Detroit and Bridgeport. I would like to use this opportunity to thank our field representatives and friends who made these observances a great success. What did I learn as I travelled throughout the land?

The number of observances is an indication of the appreciation and love the members have for the Federation; its history, its achievements, and its contributions to the people of American Hungarian communities are well recognized. I registered a wide spread interest for its present and for its future also and it was stated again and again that there still is need for everything that the Federation stands for. I am especially greatful to our churches for making the pulpits available for our anniversary services of thanksgiving and for the cooperation of the pastors in helping our work at the local level. It was a heart-warming testimony that at the yearly meeting of the Presbyter’s Association and the Ministerial Association, the Bethlen Home was declared to be as it has been for 60 years, a uniting force, a center and meeting place of the Hungarian Reformed community.

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

What are these principles? They are stated in the charter of the incorporation signed by President

Theodore Roosevelt: “... the intellectual, fraternal

and social welfare of the members.......to charitably,

and fraternally in the spirit of brotherly love, care for, aid, assist, and relieve its members in the various vicissitudes that may befall them during life, and to give them a Christian burial in death; to provide and pay benefits to suffering and needy members

and to the heirs of deceased members ....................”

It is also well to remember that the Federation was created by the consensus of the General Synod,

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