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HAMILTON - Due to the industrial nature of Hamilton many Hungarians settled in the area. In March of 1926 Rev. Ferenc Kovács was authorized by the Presbyterian Church in Canada, namely the Hamilton Presbytery, to organize a congregation for the new emigrants. Rev. Ferenc Kovács also conducted services to Hungarians at Niagara Falls, Caledonia, Brantford and Toronto.

Services were first conducted in Calvin Presbyterian Church on James Street. May 26, 1926 the Calvin Presbyterian Church was officially established with the following elected officers: Chief elder and treasurer: András Várady; vice president: István Türky; secretary: József Kemény, elders: Miklós Istvánffy, Sándor Szép and József Baranyi. (In the coming years the church's name was changed from Calvin Presbyterian Church to John Calvin Hungarian Presbyterian Church.)

The congregation enjoyed the hospitality of a sister church for months, but there was a strong desire within the congregation to have its own place of worship. In the summer of 1926 the congregation decided to rent a private residence at 247 Wentworth Avenue as their place of worship. This is where the actual organization began with the newly elected Session. During the great financial difficulties the pastor was paid by the Mission Board. Even in the time of Rev. Ruzsa's ministry the Mission Board still paid a part of his stipend. Later the congregation became strong enough to pay him.

During the first few years the congregation met at other churches, and due to the high unemployment problem the membership in the congregation was changing on a monthly basis. Many Hungarians just came to Hamilton and some had no income or had low paying jobs. During the depression years many left Hamilton for better opportunities elsewhere.

In the spring of 1927 the congregation relocated and continued the worship services at a school at the Neighbourhood House on Beach Road. In 1928 the congregation moved to 325 James Street North. In the rented building a Református Magyar Otthon was established with a library. Soon after, in January of 1929 they were discussing the possibility of buying the Westminster Church on Barton Street. First it was rented and from September the work was continued there. There were only 80 members in the church who with their little money signed up to purchase the church with the help of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The 1929 crash of the Stock Market and the depression that followed, made the purchase impossible. The congregation was not able to hold unto the building. Amidst the constant moving a desire developed in the members to purchase or build a place of worship.

On February 28, 1932 the congregation decided to purchase a lot at 121 Birch Avenue and build a church. This was during the time of the greatest unemployment. During the building program the following were the officers: Chief elder: Kálmán Kovács; treasurers: Gábor Dojcsák and Dénes Szabó; secretary: Gyula Kozma; elders: László Majoros, Sándor Bálint, Miklós Szabó, Imre Szikszay, József Bartha, Gábor Kurpé, András Kurpé, György Béres I., György Béres 2 and the church building was dedicated on Easter Monday, April 17, 1933.

The building phase had a few events that should be remembered. When the Erskine Church burned down in Dundas, the members of the church helped to demolish it. The Cooper Construction Company donated money and material from the salvage. Steel beams, the furnace and even the bricks were built into our present structure. People of different denominations volunteered to help with the building program. Some came for days, but many helped for weeks without any compensation. Those who were unemployed were given a dollar a day, so they could buy food. The work began during the summer of 1932 and by November 3rd the roof was completed. The Christmas service was held in the new church.

Rev. Kovács designed the building upon the style of the Hungarian Reformed Churches of Transylvania, where he was born and raised.

If a contractor would have built the church, the estimated cost would have been 80,000 dollars, but because of the volunteers the church was built for 8,000 dollars. During the building phase Mr. Cooper guaranteed that our bills would be paid, and during this time our members and friends gave us $2,000 in donations. Dr. Grant, president of the Mission Board upon seeing our church and learning about our financial difficulties, donated another $2,000 from his own pocket. The rest of the $4,000 was loaned at a very low interest rate by Mrs. Mowbray, a widow. In 1947 the original church mortgage was paid off and in 1955 the mortgage of the manse was also paid.

On occasions the church faced difficult times, during which friends from the Home Mission Board came to the assistance of the congregation and a businessman, Mr. J. W. Hamilton, who generously helped financially, so that the congregation would be able to pay the stipend of their minister.

The following pastors served at the John Calvin Hungarian Presbyterian Church of Hamilton:

Rev. Frank Kovács	03 - 1926 to 10 - 1933	7 years
Rev. Charles Kovács	10 - 1933 to 01 - 1939	6 years
Rev. Eugene Molnár	03 - 1939 to 05 - 1941	2 years
Rev. Andrew Árvay	07 - 1941 to 03 - 1942	1 year
Rev. Eugene Ruzsa	07 - 1942 to 09 - 1969	27 years
Rev. Csaba Baksa	02 - 1970 to 02 - 2000	30 years
Rev. Paul Kántor	02 - 2000 to present	11 years

It was during the short tenure of Rev. Árvay that the first manse on Fullerton Avenue was purchased. This was followed by the second parsonage on the corner of Birch Avenue & Wilson St. Our present manse at 15 Southill Drive was bought before Rev. Ruzsa retired.