Fraternity-Testvériség, 2001 (79. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2001-01-01 / 1. szám
Page 4 TESTVÉRISÉG A CALL TO SERVE By Rev. Leslie E. Martin, Member of the Board of Directors During our lives, we often reflect on the work we do, and how we came to do the things which fill our waking hours. There may be a moment in time when we suddenly realize that our job or occupation or profession is not as fulfilling as it once was. We may begin to feel that there might be a better way we can spend our time. And so, we might begin to search for the answer to that most important question...How can we feel really good about what we are doing with our lives? Some of you know that after following a career of more than 32 years at the New Jersey Department of Transportation, 1 took an early retirement from my job as a Section Chief in Planning in order to answer God’s call to become a Minister of the Hungarian Reformed Church. My decision to do this came after beginning to feel that there might be a better way to spend my time; a way which would be both of service to God and my neighbors, and fulfilling to me. After struggling with the decision, and after years of meditation and prayer, and after thinking about my background and my Hungarian roots, it became clear to me that God planted a restlessness in me for good reason... God was calling me to serve the church and the American-Hungarian community. My focus shifted from managing long-range transportation planning and engineering efforts, to the Hungarian Reformed Church and American-Hungarian community issues. I found myself doing more and more, and feeling very fulfilled in these efforts. Even before retiring to go to Princeton Theological Seminary, I found myself accepting more church work and more volunteer work with American Hungarian organizations. I served as Elder and then Chief Elder of the Trenton Hungarian Reformed Church, and was elected President of the American Hungarian Reformed Presbyters’ Association in 1995. Part of my new responsibility was to attend the Bethlen Home Board of Directors meetings in an advisory capacity. Although I had been a member of the Federation for many years, this was really the beginning of my work with the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. After attending and participating in the Board meetings, I was invited to become a member of the Bethlen Home Strategic Planning Committee. This seemed to be a good fit, since I had many years of experience and training in the professional planning process. I was later named co-chair of that committee. From September 1995 until October 1999, I served with the committee as we developed plans and reached consensus on many complex issues surrounding the development of the new Bethlen Home. Now those plans are coming to life, thanks to the talented and hard-working members of the committee, and thanks to President George Dózsa, the Executive Director, Rev. Imre A. Bertalan, and the Nursing Home Administrator, Michael Walker, and thanks, above all, to God. In September, I attended the Quadrennial Convention in Toledo, and was elected to a four year term as a member of the Board of Directors. My respect and admiration for the officers and employees (and the other Directors) of the Federation grow with each meeting and with each new encounter. God clearly has walked with us and blessed us in our endeavors. He has blessed this organization for many years with gifted and talented people. Today, we step into the future with great anticipation. We have a new organizational structure which came out of the Toledo Convention and which promises to be more responsive to the needs of today’s HRFA. Soon we will name a new management team at the Home Office. We are confident that God will continue to bless this organization and assure us of the bright future we and our predecessors have worked so hard to attain. My personal experience with the Federation has been indeed fulfilling and surely blessed. We have come a long way and today, we can feel good about what we are doing in the Federation. Thanks be to God! Annual Picnic of Branch 151 Beaver Falls, Pa. Sunday, June 10,2001 1 to 6 p.m. West Mayfield Park, Shelter 1 Beaver Falls Kolbász, Sauerkraut, Bacon Fry, Cabbage Noodles, Gulyás. Pastries. Craft table for kids. Free food and drinks for kids. For information, call: Peggy or Joe Fabri: 724-843-6162
