The Transylvanian Reformed Church District has re-elected Béla Kató as bishop on December 11, gaining 98% of the votes.
Maszol reports that the general assembly gathered together in Cluj Napoca (Kolozsvár) and re-elected bishop Béla Kató to hold his position, while Csaba Kántor, vice-bishop and László Szegedi, general director were re-elected as well. The Church District welcomes two new members, Attila Ambrus and Zsolt Tőkés as main caretakers next to Zoltán Dézsi, who was re-elected in his position.
The general assembly expressed their gratitude and trust in Béla Kató for the third time:
During his first mandate (1) the bishop offered resignation because of political reasons, but the assembly decided that he should keep his position (2). Now, he was voted bishop for the third time, although he cannot carry out his six-year mandate: he is turning 70 in five years, and according to church laws, he has to retire.
Kató was presented with tough challenges while he was the bishop in the past, for example, the time when the state suspended the refunding of church money that was nationalised. Despite the hardships, the church’s spiritual and intellectual progress was not broken in the past six years.
“Our fight against forces that are trying to hinder our lives is a rugged one.
“When a door or a window is closed, the Lord will show you to a mouse hole, expanding which you can break through the wall, reaching your goals. This is the task that I ask the members of the church to join us in accomplishing” – the bishop said.
Béla Kató mentioned that with the help coming from Hungary, the church was able once again to build and expand and to aim higher. The most important task for the future is to build church institutions and to fill them with life and aspirations.
Featured image: www.reformatus.ro