The congregation has long-standing ties to Hungary as immigrants located in the Shenango Valley.  From 1903, when the Presbytery of Shenango explored Christian work in the Valley among the Hungarian Protestants and Reverend Zoltan Domeny's arrival from Hungary in 1904, 105 Hungarian Protestants were identified as possible members of a new congregation. 

Reverend Domeny was supported yearly as the congregation was formed by the Synod and the Presbytery of Shenango.  With these initial efforts and support -- spiritual and financial --the formation of a new Hungarian congregation began to take shape.  From the group of Hungarian Protestants identified earlier, the Magyar Presbyterian Church was established in Farrell, Pennsylvania, on Darr Avenue.

In the early 1952, the church and congregation moved to Sharon, Pennsylvania, at its present location, and became the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church.  The church was built by Johnson-Sizer Contractors, Sharon, Pennsylvania, as their first church construction project, and was designed by Damon, Worley, Samuels & Associates during the pastoral leadership of Reverend William B. Furgess, who came to serve as Bethlehem's pastor in 1947 as the new facility and manse were planned and constructed.

The spiritual and financial support of the Presbyterian Church USA continued into the period of time when the new facility was being planned and erected through grants, gifts, and loans from the Presbytery, Synod and the General Assembly. In 1903 - 1952 dollars, these gifts, grants and loans represented over $10,000, but in today's dollar would approximate $75,000 - $100,000, if not more.

In addition to the members whose families have ties to Hungary, there are members who do not have a Hungarian ethnic connection, but who feel that the congregation is Spirit-led and that the congregation provides a place "where everybody knows your name."

The congregation has been led by 20 ministers/pastors since its founding in 1904. The names of previous pastors are listed from the current pastor to the founding pastor in 1904:

Dr. John R. Loch    
Rev. Dr. Gary S. Smith  
Rev. William Bovard
Rev. Charles Reynolds
Rev. Istvan Slakovits
Rev. Marshall Berryhill
Rev. Spencer Van Gulilk
Rev. Paul Kovacs
Rev. Joseph A. Babinsky
Rev. William B. Furgess
Rev. Stephen Fazekas
Rev. Paul Ferenczy
Rev. Francis Nagy
Rev. Mathis Daroczey
Rev. Eugene Vecsey
Rev. Charles Jozsa
Rev. Gero Garay
Rev. Louis Almassy
Rev. Adam J. Schodle
Rev. Dr. Zoltan Domeny

For the years of service please contact the Church Office.

Our current pastor is Dr. John R. "Bob" Loch.  Dr. Loch, or Pastor Bob, served as an administrator at the University of Pittsburgh and at Youngstown State Universityfor forty-two years prior to enrolling in the Commissioned Lay Pastor courses offered through the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. 

Pastor Bob completed the required courses, was examined by the Committee on Preparation for the  Ministry of the Shenango Presbytery on November 17, 2007, and was "commissioned" on February 27, 2007 at the regular meeting of the Presbytery of Shenango to serve as the Stated Supply Pastor at The Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Sharon.  Pastor Bob began his service at Bethlehem on February 1, 2007.

The Presbytery of Shenango commissions its Commissioned Lay Pastors for one-year terms of service.