Consequently, after much and feverish discussions, the consistory on April 20, 1901, recommended the establishment of a "Church Fund" for the purchase of property for building our church.
In June of 1901, the Chief Elder, Péter Pente, described the availability of two lots for $400 at the end of Monroe Street, which runs into Garfield.
According to him, the lots were relatively close and would soon be accessible by a newly planned bridge across the Passaic River. These lots in Garfield
were far less expensive than anything in Passaic.
Our founders were men and women of action. They formed a committee to appraise the lots and within a week they reported on it favorably. On July
22, 1901 with the assistance of Rev. Zoltán Kúthy, the "Church Fund" raised $98. The list of the first 27 donors and the amount of their donation reflect
an enormous zeal and spiritual thirst as well as great sacrifices to build their own house of worship. At the turn of the century an average working man
worked six days a week, usually 60 hours, and earned about $6 for this.
The property in Garfield was finally purchased on Sept. 28., 1901 for the $400, including a $100 loan from the chief elder.  Our church, however, was
never built on these lots.
From the very first yearbook put together by Rev. Paul Ferenczi, who was our assistant pastor in 1930, we learn that our consistory approached the
Board of Home Missions of the Reformed Church of the U.S.A. for a charter. 
This charter was granted and registered in Passaic County in April of 1902. As a result, we have officially become members of the U.S. Reformed
Churches just as some of the German and Dutch Calvinist churches. This synod has offered to help support our full time minister with $400 per year.
According to the rules of the synod, we have even printed our first official set of by-laws, wherein we have increased our dues to 25 cents per month per
person and 50 cents per family. In addition to all this, we have asked Rev. Zoltán Kúthy to help us find a full-time pastor.
At our April 24, 1903 Congregational  Meeting we chose  Rev. Elemér Kúthy, our interim pastor's brother, to serve as our first full-time pastor. Rev.
Elemér Kúthy was an assistant pastor in the Hungarian town of Derecske of Bihar County. Rev. Elemér Kúthy accepted the call and arrived on Nov. 1,
1903, immediately assuming his duties as our regular pastor.
A momentous occasion was the visit of Count Joseph Schomberg Dégenfeld, the delegate of the Hungarian Reformed Church and the brother-in-law of
the famous Hungarian prime minister, Count István Tisza.
At the consistory meeting on March 11, 1904 Count Dégenfeld proposed the unification of our church and other Hungarian Reformed Churches with the
Reformed Church in Hungary.
For our little church,  membership in the Hungarian Church meant a dream come true. On October 7, 1904, at a meeting held at the Seventh Street, New
York Hungarian Reformed Church (now the 69th Street Church), we became one of the six founding members of the American Synod of the Reformed
Church of Hungary. The presiding pastor was Rev. Zoltán Kúthy, who became the Dean of this synod. The membership instantly paid dividends by
receiving a $7000 loan from the "Budapesti" Általános Földhitel Intézet for fifteen years.
In the last two months of 1904, our young and energetic pastor oganized a committee to find a more appropriate site then the one in Garfield to build our
church, start a new fundraiser, develop plans for our sanctuary and begin the construction project. We bought two lots on the comer of Fourth Streeet
and Morris Street (200 feet x 51 feet) for $1,800.
The foundation ceremony was on January 15, 1905 but most incredibly, the ceremony for the dedication of our church and parsonage took place on May
7, 1905. On the steps of our church they all sang the first verse of the 84th Psalm. Following the singing, Rev. E. Kúthy gave the key of the church to his
brother, who in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit opened the doors, and our congregation walked in singing the 88th song in our Hungarian
Hymnal, "Im bejöttünk nagy örömmel."

Our church proposed the establishment of a school not only for the spiritual growth of our youngsters but also toward the development of their general
education.   Within a short period of time., our first full time teacher., Mr. Sándor Nagy, also known as a Kántor, arrived from Hungary and by the Spring
of 1908 we had a full time school with 46 kids attending.
Rev. Kúthy,  resigned on April 9, 1909 and returned to Hungary by May. 
A week later, the consistory accepted Rev. Kúthy's resignation with regrets and extended a call to Rev. Lászlo Tegze of Detroit, Michigan.  Rev. Tegze
assumed his duties on June 1, 1909. With him, our church entered a new era of stability and unprecedented growth. This wonderful man came from a
Hungarian noble family in Ugocsa County. He was one of the leading students in Debrecen, served as an assistant pastor in Nagybánya, a pastor in
Verbőcz and, for 19 years shepherded his congregation in his hometown of Fertősalmás. Rev. Tegze came to the U.S.A. in 1905 and served our church
for 21 years until 1931.
Our first brand new organ played by Rev. Tegze, announced in glorious sound the feelings of our congregation on August 15, 1909. Two years later we
bought the two lots next to our church with a two family house.

After the W.W.I.,  the contact and the relationship with the Hungarian Reformed Church became far more distant than even the number of miles would
suggest. Rev. Tegze was not receiving his salary and the question of separating ourselves from the Hungarian Church became a viable alternative. Not
until the Fall of 1919 was there "word" from the Hungarian Church.
Rev. Zoltán Kúthy saw through the politics of the "sellout" and attempted to arrange an independent status for the Hungarian Reformed Churches.
Unfortunately, he died on Aug. 14, 1921 on one of his many trips to Hungary.
On October 7, 1921 an agreement was reached in Tiffin, Ohio by which most of the Hungarian Reformed churches became part of the Reformed
Churches of the United States, including our own when the Congregation voted 58: 1 not to become independent. and that the choice of our association
be the Reformed Church of the U.S. 
In June of 1923, our church and parsonage was provided with electric lights..
The two family house directly adjacent to our church burned down on January 8, 1927. Within a short period, a plan was formulated to build a brand
new four family dwelling which was completed by October 1927 and rented for $30 a month for each apartment
In July of 1927, Károly Barabás was chosen as the teacher of our Summer School as well as our Sunday School.
   The Lórántffy Zsuzsanna Ladies Aid was formed on October 28, 1928 with 35-40 members. The President of the group was Rev. Tegze but the officers
included Mrs. Ede Czigay, Vice President, Mrs. Joseph Knight, Treasurer, Mrs. Endre Csap, Secretary, Mrs. John Dull, Recorder, Mrs. William Sedlák,
Mrs. Steven Varga and Mrs. Paul Orják. At our congregational meeting on May 25, 1930, Dr. Géza Takaró, the Dean of our Synod presided in the
presence of the ailing Rev. Tegze. The members decided to call the young Rev. Joseph Kecskeméthy, who at this time was still in Hungary, to serve in
the capacity of an assistant pastor. Rev. Tegze offered $500 from his $1,700 a year salary for the support of our assistant pastor. Rev. Kecskeméthy
arrived soon and was already a participant of the October 5, 1930 consistory meeting.
The Rev. Laszló Tegze, our beloved pastor for twenty-two years announced his retirement on August 2, 1931 and on September 6, 1931 the
Congregation unanimously elected Rev. Joseph Kecskeméthy as our pastor.
In commemoration of our fortieth anniversary, Rev. Kecskeméthy organized a film presentation of the history of our church and an insight into the life of
our church and its members in their Passaic environment. In addition to this, a Harvest Festival was planned for September to accent last year's "Wedding
in Borsod" celebration in Belmont Park and a November dinner for our anniversary.

It is not certain when we have instituted the use of small cups in addition to the chalice, for communion, nevertheless, by 1936 it was already practiced.
During Rev. Kecskeméthy's first and very energetic ministry, a tremendous amount of work was done at our church, both physically and spiritually.
Considerable renovation took place on our church, including the beautiful lead glass windows, the handmade light fixtures and the building of the balcony.
Furthermore, the Calvin Club was organized along with a very high quality Church Quartet led by the beautiful Mrs. Kecskeméthy with Margaret Szabó
and John Nemesnyik as members. This choir toured the Hungarian churches on the eastern seaboard with a great deal of reputation and success.
Church life was flowering and even the financial conditions were improving in 1937 when Rev. Kecskeméthy announced to our congregation that he
accepted a call to East-Chicago, Illinois.
At a congregational meeting in Sept. 1937, the congregation's call addressed Rev. Győző Rácz, the minister at Phoenixville, Pa. to become our pastor.
Rev. Rácz accepted the call and became our fourth full-time pastor on October 24, 1937. Already in November there was a discussion about the
reorganization of Hungarian Reformed Churches and a proposal was made that if a Hungarian Synod is organized separate from the American Reformed
Church; we should join this new organization. This proposal was accepted and our church became a charter member of the Magyar Synod of the
Evangelical and Reformed Church of America on March 14, 1939 at a meeting held in Cleveland, Ohio.

In the early 1940's, great material progress was made. The parsonage received another renovation. A substantial amount of money was paid back on our
mortgage. By January, 1944 only $3,500 remained and in July we had become debt-free, which meant that in the past six years our church has repaid
$27,000 with the leadership of Rev. Rácz and a very responsible consistory and dedicated membership.
From February of 1946 on the fourth Sunday of each month, an English language service would take place, according to our minutes.

Full time English services began in Jan. 1949, every Sunday at 11 a.m. with the assistance of three young theological students who grew up in our church
and whose parents had served our church for a long time. These young students were Joseph Györke, Jr., Jenő Mikó and István Szabó. They have all
become ministers and served God in their respective congregations.
Work on a large renovation of the church began in 1950. Included in this work was the removal of the elevated pulpit, a new door opening, benches
instead of chairs, painting and a knotty pine backdrop to the new pulpit area.
In November of 1950, Rev. Peter Sharick was chosen as assistant pastor and our church assumed the responsibility to provide him with an apartment
and an annual salary of $1,800. Unfortunately, Rev. Sharick did not stay with us long and after a year of his work, we were again without an English
speaking pastor to help Rev. Rácz.
The lots we originally purchased in Garfield in 1901 for $400, finally sold in 1957 for $1,000. After fifty years of ownership, this did not prove to be a
great investment.
Rev. Rácz opened a Vacation Bible School in June of 1952. The tuition was two dollars per person.
A significant event in the future of our church was the availability of a two family house on the Morris Street side of our church during the Summer of
1953. If we can purchase this house, than the City of Passaic will gift us the dead-end portion of Morris St. with one condition: that a 10 feet wide strip
be available to allow access to the park behind us. We were grateful to the city for this decision because we came closer to the realization of building the
future Calvin Hall. We bought the house for $35,000 which we had to pay off before we could get a loan for the new building.
The Lórántffy Zsuzsanna Ladies Aid Society celebrated its 25th anniversary in October, 1953.
On March 5, 1954, Rev. Győző Rácz died very unexpectedly. Our congregation was in shock. On May 23, 1954, the congregation chose Rev. Imre
Bertalan, a young minister with very distinguished credentials and a beautiful little family. Rev. Bertalan came to us from Staten Island by way of
Sárospatak, Basel, Switzerland and Princeton, N.J.
Undoubtedly, there were mutual expectations, both from our new pastor and our congregation. We were a sizable church by synodical standards and on
the move. Rev. Bertalan was a pastor of the highest standards. He was fluent in both languages and ready to form Passaic into a "flagship congregation"
of the Hungarian Reformed Churches. It proved to be a great match. With Rev. Bertalan, a tremendous amount of church work began. The "Church
Visitor" was published in Nov, 1954, a Hungarian language school was started every Saturday, a senior youth fellowships (16 yrs. and older) and a
Junior youth fellowship (ages 12-15) were organized. Also, a men's club or Brotherhood started its activities with men over 21 years of age. The
Zsuzsanna Lórántffy Ladies Aid Society was stronger than ever with the leadership of Mrs. Joseph Györke (Mrs. Helen Szabó's mom). In addition to all
these groups, we also had a Ladies Guild, mostly participated by younger ladies and led by Mrs. Henry Ackermann and twenty-eight other members.
Our annual Food Fair tradition was started.
The work toward a new cultural center went forward with renewed energy and a beautiful 60th Anniversary book was published. Furthermore, four
different choirs were organized and a recording of our church members singing the Psalms with Rev. Bertalan was published.
The first Chinese Auction was held on March 17, 1956 with combined efforts of the Lórántffy and the Ladies Guild.
The Hungarian Revolution of October 23, 1956 marked a turning point in the life of most Hungarians living in Hungary or in the United States. Tens of
thousands of refugees left their homeland and found a new home in Western Europe and in the United States. Most of these immigrants were very
different from those who came at the turn of the century. These new immigrants were political refugees and did not plan to return to the Communist
world left behind.
Our church immediately organized to help the newly arriving refugees. We rented an entire apartment house on Gregory Ave. in Passaic to help provide a
place for them to stay. By the end of December, 1956, more than $4,000 was raised for their benefit. Rev. Bertalan and several members of our
congregation were finding jobs and apartments for many of them. Our church opened its heart to the Hungarian refugees and welcomed them among our congregation. Eventually, our church helped 106 Hungarian refugees, who arrived from Dec. 1956 to Dec.1957.
With this unexpected influx of dozens of Hungarian families and youngsters and the already resolved committment to build, our congregation formally
accepted the responsibility to erect a substantial cultural center in the place of the recently purchased two family house next to our church. On Jan. 16,
1957, we had committed ourselves to this wonderful project to build a two-story structure seating 500 with fifteen Sunday School rooms, two kitchens
and large stage to perform our dances, plays and choral activities.
The eventual cost of the building, was a quarter of a million dollars, most of which was raised through the hard work of our membership. The Building
Fund Committee was chaired by Mr. John Tóth and Mr. John Szabó of Clifton whose outstanding leadership with the help of hundreds permitted that
by Sept. 19, 1958, we were able to hold a ground-breaking ceremony.
The cornerstone dedication of Calvin Hall took place on May 24, 1959 and the final dedication ceremony on Sept. 27, 1959 after a bilingual service.
Our Hungarian language school now held in our Calvin Hall had over fifty students and was led by Mr. Barna Szabó of Clifton, N.J.
In 1961, our church became part of the newly organized United Church of Christ despite some disagreements with certain points in its constitution. At
the consistory's February 14, 1963 meeting, Rev. Bertalan advised the members that he accepted the call of the Hungarian Reformed Church in New
Brunswick and that he can only serve until July 1.
The Congregation, on May 26, 1963, having 202 members present, voted with an overwhelming majority to call Rev. Dr. Aladár Komjáthy to our pulpit
to be our sixth full-time minister. At this meeting, the minutes were also writen in English for the first time. Rev. Dr. Aladár Komjáthy began his
pastorate on July 1 and conducted his first service at our church on July 7, 1963.
Rev. Komjáthy brought to us a level of intellectual leadership which had never been experienced before. His scholarship was not only evident through his
Hungarian and English language sermons, but also through the book he contributed about the Hungarian Reformed Churches in America, "A Kitántorgott
Egyház."
The Family Circle was organized for the cultural and social growth of our church in 1963 and with the leadership of Mr. Árpád Bogdány, it provided
numerous activities which were both entertaining and practical in the more rapid reduction of our mortgage.
In 1964 we purchased a new organ which was dedicated on December 13th with a special service.
Rev. Szabolcs Nagy became student pastor at our church and dedicated his highly skilled and most valuable time to our youth and our Sunday School.
Rev. Nagy served our church until 1967 when he became a full-time minister in Alpha, N.J.
On April 20, 1967, Rev. Dr. Aladár Kornjáthy resigned and our church was again without a pastor. At this time, we remained without a minister until
February 1, 1968.
In September of 1967 a fencing club started its activities with the leadership of fencing master Miklós Bartha. The consistory was fully supportive of
this activity and offered $200 for the equipment of the fencing club.
At a special meeting on November 5, 1967, the congregation was unanimously in support of the election of Rev. Joseph Kecskeméthy to be our pastor
for the second time. During Rev. Kecskeméthy's second pastorate, a number of positive events have taken place. The parsonage was again renovated and
we purchased a large van for the transportation of the youth and elderly members.
In August of 1969 we increased our property by purchasing the one family house at 212 Fourth Street for $10,500 and we paid off our final mortgage on
Calvin Hall on April 27, 1969, celebrating the event with a mortgage-burning ceremony and dinner.
Unfortunately, at the January 28, 1973 Congregational meeting, Rev. Kecskeméthy also had to announce that in the five years of his second service, he
buried 97 members of our church. This loss was shocking.
On March 31, 1974, Rev. Kecskeméthy and Mrs. Kecskeméthy retired and left us for the second time.  On June 9th, Rev. Zoltán Király was elected as
our seventh full-time pastor and came to us with his young family from Manville, NJ..
On May 19, 1974, Cardinal József Mindszenty, the long suffering Roman Catholic Primate of Hungary, visited our church while on tour in the U.S. For
many of us who remember the Communist era and the 1956 Revolution, the liberation of Cardinal Mindszenty was a shining moment of the few glorious
days of October 1956.
Rev. Király served our church for seventeen years until his retirement in August, 1991. During his tenure, our Sunday School student body increased to
62 children. The various church organizations worked vigorously and we even bought our third apartment house, a long coveted property at 214 Fourth
Street next to our four family house. This purchase was culminated Sept. 17, 1978 for $25,000. The grim statistics, however, cut deeply into the heart of
our church and took much of our energy. During his pastorate, Rev. Király laid to rest more than 220 of our beloved friends. Just in 1985 we buried
Dezső Bolla, Joe Molnár, Mike Kurucz, John Szabó and Lorraine Yager, who were the pillars of our little community.
After Rev. Király's retirement, we searched for a year. Meanwhile, five wonderful youngsters needed to learn about our faith in order to be confirmed.
Endre Krajcsovics had a grand time sharing the Heidelberg Cathechism, the Bible and the Second Helvetic Confessions with Erica Tóth, Andrea Tóth.,
Caryn Szluka, Glen Chace and László Vécsey, Jr. In May of 1992, after they were examined by our Board of Elders, their confirmation was administered
by Rev. Strickler of Manville, N.J.. Often we were not able to schedule guest ministers for our services but we had some of the nicest spiritual
experiences listening to Mr. Bertalan Jeremiás in Hungarian and Matilda Puglisi in English. They are a great inspiration to all of us.
Ferenc Gaal served our pulpit from Oct. 1, 1992 to June 19, 1994. We have had a very nice and meaningful Christmas program in 1992. Many of our sick
and elderly were visited and given communion. A Bible study group was formed and several meetings were held at each other's homes. However, by June
of 1994, we were again without a pastor.
We were not left alone. It is amazing how at times when life looks gloomy, opportunities just begin to appear to find a way out of a problem. We
remembered that our church was about to celebrate its Centennial!
The fact that our forefathers had worked so hard to establish and keep our church together inspired us to preserve this heritage and reassert our faith. We
felt the Holy Spirit guide us not only to celebrate an amazing feat for an ethnic church removed by an ocean, time, and the force of a modern, powerful
culture from its roots, but to build the pillars of our faith into the next century. We found our way and found our pastor.
A Centennial Committee with several subcommittees was established to put our house in order. This included the clean-up and decorating committee
headed by Bob Chace and Sándor Pady respectively.
A year-long celebration opening on April 29, 1995 was organized. An exhibit of the history of our church was planned. Commemorating the event was a
special cancellation approved and presented by the U.S. Post Office of Passaic on U.S. stamps of Lajos Kossuth. The cancellation design was the art
work of Zoltán Nagy, Jr. Included in the exhibit was Sándor Pady's original oil painting of our church as it looked in 1935 as well as the Hungarian Crest.
István Tamás presented his hand-carved oak woodcarving of praying hands. Our congregation is truly blessed with talented members.
Our honored guests were from the political, religious and financial world. They shared our joy and watched the video history of our church prepared by
Endre Krajcsovics, chairman of the Centennial Committee shown on a large television screen. The combined English and Hungarian Centennial Service
was led by Rev. Imre Bertalan, former pastor of the church, and Rev. Stephen Szabó, son of the congregation.
On May 7th we held a special service to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of building our sanctuary. Rev. S. Szabó was guest minister and Andrea and
Erika Tóth read reflections of the consecration of our sanctuary.
Just like in 1905 when two weddings were performed to consecrate our church, two weddings took place in the Spring of 1995. Janet Brunda and
Christine Krajcsovics, daughters of our congregation, married their loved ones in beautiful ceremonies performed by Rev. A. Kovács and Rev. I. Bertalan,
respectively.
During this centennial celebration Rev. Stephen Szabó and Rev. Joseph Györke, sons of our church, returned to teach us the word of God along with our
former student pastor, Rev. Dr. Szabolcs Nagy.
Part of our celebration of the centennial was the service and work of Rev. Dezső Ábrahám who, in his retirement, committed himself to travel, rain or
shine, a long distance to preach at our services. His messages were always inspiring, rejuvenating and cheerful. For his sacrifice we are eternally grateful.
While the centennial was planned and celebrated, the search was on for a new pastor. On June 18, 1995, our efforts proved fruitful and our congregation
elected Rev. Maryanna Király, the first full-time female pastor in the history of the church. She came from Debrecen, the Calvinist Rome, where she
completed her theological work. After receiving her Master's degree from Princeton, she served as an interim pastor at the 69th Street Church of New
York City. It is quite amazing how much of our destiny is tied to the New York Church. The seeds of our congregation germinated in New York at the
turn of the century and now our new pastor again came from the same church to lead us into the next century.
She served our church until  March 2002, when she reurned to Hungary.
Soon after that the church's loving congregation invited Rev. József Vásárhelyi. He was serving our congregation from April 2002 by the grace of God until his sudden passing on June 27, 2o15.