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Partner Church
GROWING WITH OUR PARTNER CHURCH
Report, Spring 2007
TWO ANNUAL PROGRAMS
This is the fifth year for our Bread and Scholarship Programs. At the annual Thanksgiving Bread Service in Nov. 2006, we collected $4,832 to provide a weekly loaf of bread to more than 100 elderly parishioners of St. Martin who are poor or sick. In addition $860 went to supplement Rev. Sandor Varga's meager salary.
In May we raised $1,924 in Scholarship money which helped support 24 high school and university students from our partner church congregation. Eight students received $100 each and sixteen students received $50 each. School supplies were also provided as Christmas gifts to elementary students.
OTHER HELP IN 2006
- . The Library Committee joined with our committee and the UU churches of Raleigh, NC, and Cincinnati, OH to buy Rev. Varga a "new" used car. His old car had died, leaving him only a bicycle to travel to his three churches and to visit needy parishioners.
- We supported two regional association conferences hosted by St. Martin. One was a minister's meeting and the other a UU Women's Conference.
- We continue to support the St. Martin artists/crafters by selling their handiwork and sending the purchase price to the artists, who give half to their church.
BACKGROUND OF ELIOT CHAPEL'S PARTNER CHURCH COMMITTEE
This year marks the sixteenth year of our partnership with St. Martin, our partner church in the village of Nyaradszentmarton, Transylvania, in the western part of Romania. Rev. John Robinson began the relationship with his contribution of $100 to St. Martin in 1991. He was responding to a new UUA program originated by Dr. Judit Gellerd of the Center for Free Religion in California, who was from Transylvania and knew of the struggle of the Unitarian churches there.
In June of 2000, John retired as minister of Eliot Chapel. As his and Diane's parting gift to Eliot and to St. Martin, he requested that contributions be made to an Endowment for Nyaradszentmarton (St. Martin Church). Twenty-four thousand three hundred dollars was collected for the fund. This is expected to generate about $500 per year, going directly to the church board of St. Martin to be used at their discretion. The National Unitarian Partner Church Council, to which we belong, is the larger network for helping struggling Unitarian churches in Transylvania. They connect Unitarian churches in America with churches in Romania as well as provide an avenue for sending money and organizing trips to those partner churches.
HELP FROM MANY DIRECTIONS
Our past support to St. Martin has come from many sources. In addition to the committee's work, support and participation has come from the R.E. children, Women's Alliance, the Library Committee, and from generous donations from Eliot Chapel members and the greater community, including the Hungarian community in the greater St. Louis area.
WORK OF MORE THAN A DECADE
Other projects undertaken by our committee over the previous sixteen years have included the following:
- The establishment and funding of a revolving loan fund so that people may borrow money to start their own businesses.
- The repair of a leaking church roof, which had caused severe damage to the painted ceiling panels, and the "adoption" of 70 panels to repair.
- The funding of a playground next door to the parsonage was dedicated the summer of 1999 when a group from Eliot Chapel made a pilgrimage to St. Martin.
- Support for flood victims, the elderly and the sick.
- Support for Christmas gifts of school supplies for elementary school children.
- Funding for repairs to the church from wind damage.
- Modernization of electrical circuits in the church.
- Funding for 4 gas heaters for the church and Sunday School.
- A new roof on the bell tower in Csikfalva
- Scholarship money for University and high school students.
- Bread money for elderly.
- Church fence repair.
- Church interior repair.
- Computer with internet and printer.
- Funding for new toilet and kitchen/serving room.
- Annual supplement to Rev. Sandor Varga's salary.
SANDOR AND EDIT TO KIRKWOOD
Our goal in the fall of 2007 or Spring of 2008 is to bring Rev. Sandor and his wife, Edit, for a visit to Eliot. They along with their daughter, Viola, have journeyed to the U.S. twice in the last sixteen years. They have not been here since John Robinson retired, so we feel it is time to have them meet Daniel and Bonnie as well as so many people in our congregation who are new since the last visit in 1996.
STRENGTH IN FRIENDSHIP
Living in a country where they still feel the oppression of the Romanian government, the Hungarian minority is strengthened by the knowledge that fellow Unitarians in the United States and Canada know of their situation, hold them in thought, support them with donations and have a sincere interest in their future.
Eliot Chapel members have been most responsive to the Eliot Partner Church Committee efforts to raise money for St. Martin. To each of you we say a hearty "thanks".
If any of you are interested in traveling to Romania for sightseeing with a few days spent in our partner village in Transylvania, talk to Sue or Clint Blandford.
Thousands of miles away our smallest efforts make such a large difference. We look forward to your continuing support in this worthwhile project.
Sue Blandford, Chair
If you wish to be a member of the Eliot Chapel Partner Church Committee, please contact Chair, Sue Blandford. Tel.: 314-821-2781