Reverend
Albert Hady in the 1951 Yearbook "Isten nevében
indultunk... alig mertük álmodni is, hogy Los Angelesben
valamikor
szép
Magyar gyülekezet dús kalászai teszik szebbé az életet;
édesebbé a mindennapi kenyeret." We began in God`s
name, and little did we dream...
 In
writing the history of our congregation, there is the
danger of looking at the big
things and recording
dates, names and events, and ignoring the fellowship,
the small things and thousand kindnesses that members
have shown to each other and their neighbors. For many
members of our congregation, making the transition
from their lives in Hungary to their new lives in the
United
States was wrought with hardship, pain and loneliness.
Many left behind parents, siblings and other loved
ones, all perhaps never to be seen again. They left behind
the lives they had, the individuals they had been in
their villages and cities and were often forced to
become
someone else in a strange country. Many faced unimaginable
hardships as they put together a new life. For these
people, the Magyar church with its Magyar life, became
a lifeline in their adopted homeland.
It
is the fellowship, the little things, the thousand kindnesses
in a church that give a visitor the feel for
a congregation, that constitute the grease that makes
the machinery of a church move more graciously and
smoothly. By definition, these things are not very visible.
They
rarely rate newspaper space or the eye of a television.
Sometimes though, they might be captured on camera.
The following pictures give an idea of the Magyar fellowship,
and hopefully reveal the little things and thousand
kindnesses
that have added special meaning to people in the First
Church over the years.
Some
of the photos are of significant celebrations, like the
Templomszentelés on April 13, 1930. Many of
the older photos are posed, but the kinship, the ties
between friends resonate across the pages. In more
recent years, the photos capture spontaneous events in
the life
of the First Church. The photos from our albums reveal
that we have spent our time not just at worship, but
also in fellowship with our church family.
The
photos will show that we break bread together -- at least
monthly, and celebrate holidays with music,
poetry and songs. We thank Lajos Molnár and Anna Együd
for the times they have sung and said poertry at these
occasions. The piano music at these events for many
years has been provided by Margaret Saltzer, later by
Emilia
Chován, among others. We thank these two individuals,
both former organists at the First Church as well as
Marian Csánky, also a former organist. We also thank
Helen Stefl and Adél Tóth for the flowers they have
brought and continue to bring and arrange for the Altar
throughout
the past decade. We are grateful for the strength that
we have drawn from several Chief Elders since 1987,
Margaret Saltzer and Dr. Béla Biró who worked indescribably
hard
to keep our congregation moving forward. Géza Csánky
should also be mentioned for his contributions. We
are grateful to Betty Warga for the work she did as Church
Treasurer for many years. We thank Zoltán and Erzsébet
Elekes for making innumerable contributions to various
projects. We are grateful to people like Rick Hoft,
Zsuzsa
and Tibor Sarkány for letting us know we could count
on them when needed. We also thank our former members,
and children of members who have passed away for also
providing prayer and encouragement on a regular basis.
The
Annual Fall Bazaar is an event that is still going strong
– we include the flyer from 1938 in this booklet
to show how some traditions may change but still they
stay the same. We’ve had a Spring Bazaar too, for longer
than anyone can remember. These events over the years
have been primarily organized by the Women’s Guild,
which for more than 10 years now has been headed faithfully
by Ilona Garai, with strong support from many people
including Margaret Badacsonyi, Tünde Bácsa, Piroska
Castillo,
Éva Fox, Tünde Garai, Ibolya Hudák, Etta Nagy, Susan
Rill, Helen Stefl, Adél Tóth, Betty Warga. In addition
to the Women’s Guild, Regular Bazaar helpers for a
good number of years have been members and friends of
our
congregation including Évike Bagoly, Dr. Béla Biro,
Éva Bagoly Castillo, Hilárion Castillo, Anthony Cariaga,
Dr. Carmen Hoft, Ferenc, Ibolya, Viktor and Eszter
Hudák,
Bill, Jim and Pearl Kovách, Jasmine Laubender, Rose
Marie Markus, Anette Vanila.
Over
the past decade, we have instituted several mission projects
that we believe fill a need. Nearly 10 years
ago, we began a regular Toy Drive project, where we
collected and bought toys and clothes and sent them to
a number
of places in Hungary that house severely disabled children
and young adults. Interex Export and owner Miklós Pereházy
generously shipped what we collected at no charge.
We at the First Church discovered that in showing this
kindness,
the blessing in giving was first to us, the giver.
This past summer, instead of the toys, we thought the
need
might be better served if we raised funds, so we held
a Musical Luncheon and sold tickets. Providing the
music as their donation to the project were the distinguished
piano and violin team of László and Mária Cser. The
funds
we raised were sent to the Kertvárosi Református Egyház
in Nyíregyháza to help their ministry program for the
elderly, and the Szeretet Otthon in Sajósenye to help
their ministry program for the disabled. Also this
year, we raised funds for flood victims in Eastern Hungary.
We have recently instituted a children`s Hungarian
language
study group spearheaded by Tünde Bácsa that seems to
fill a strong need. The children learn Hungarian language
skills and poetry, and it is our hope that with God`s
help, this fledgling program will thrive.
In
thinking of our future, our prayers are remarkably similar
to what Reverend Antal Szabó wrote in the 1966
Yearbook "Épitsünk továbbra is arra a fundamentumra,
amely vettetett, amely a Jézus Krisztus, hogy életünkre
áldás, Isten nevére dicsőség térjen!" Let us continue
to build on the foundation that was sown, which is
Jesus Christ, so that our lives are blessed, and
that glory be given to God`s name.
We
at the First Church face the future with challenges,
but also confidence and hope. Most of all, we face the
future with God`s promise of his presence, His promise
to address us and to lead us as we are faithful.
"Te
benned biztunk eleitől fogva"
Young
and Old...
Chief
Elders:
János
Décsmán 1926-1932
Gusztáv Homuller 1933
János Brunner 1933-1951
János Nagy 1952-1953
András Fodor 1954 – 1957
Imre Bodnár 1958-1970
Károly Hangyássy 1972-1982 (Magyar)
Howard Records 1971-1974 (English)
András Márton 1975-1979 (English)
Ferenc Hudák 1980-1981
Zoltán Elekes 1982
István Benkő 1983
Zoltán Péntek 1984-1985
Gondnoki Bizottság Nov. 1985-Mar. 1987
Miklós
Kincses
Erzsébet Sovincs
Margaret Saltzer
Intéző
Bizottság Mar. 15-June 26 1987
Margaret
Saltzer
Dr.
Béla Biró
Dr.
Béla Biró 1987-1989
Margaret Saltzer Oct. 1, 1989-Jan.
1990
Dr. Béla Biró Feb. 1990-Aug. 1999
Géza Csánky Sept.1999-Mar.2001
Tünde Garai Apr. 2001 –
Organists:
Mrs.
Albert Hady 1926 – 1946
Margaret Szabó 1946-1949
Margaret (Szabó) Szaltzer 1949-1953
Magda Sovincz 1953-1959
Margaret Saltzer 1959- Aug. 1990
Emilia Chován Fall 1990-Mar.
1998
Csánky Marian Apr. 1998-Apr. 2001
Choir
Directors:
The First Church Organists 1926-1961
Sándor Bory Sept.
1961-Jul.1963
Mrs. Albert Hady Nov. 1963-Feb.1965
Sándor Bory Sept.
1965-May 1966
Kató Saltzer May 1966-1970
Margaret Saltzer 1970-1981
Women’s
Guild Presidents:
Scheible Jánosné 1926
Mágory sándorné 1927
Spisák Jánosné 1928-Oct.1928
Vrana Gyuláné Oct.1928-Dec.1928
Csathó Istvánné 1929-1930
Galbavy Józsefné 1931-1936
Köpeczy Józsefné 1937-May
1938
Spisák Jánosné 1938-1942
Tudor Dánielné 1943-1946
Sovincs Lajosné 1947-1951
Oláh Józsefné 1952
Nagy Jánosne 1953
Pói Bertalanné (Réthy Lajosné) 1954-1955
Torma Józsefné
1956
Réthy Lajosné 1957
Sovincz Lajosné 1958-1959
Szakál Sándorne (Tudor Dánielné)
1960-1961
Biro Sándorné 1962-1963
Sovincz Lajosné 1964-1982
Grecz Gyuláné 1982
Zsuzsa Pálinkás 1984
Ilona Garai 1985
Péntek Zoltánné 1986
Ilona Garai Jun. 1986-
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