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 21 ministers/pastors since its founding in 1904. The names of previous pastors are listed from the current pastor to the founding pastor in 1904:

Pastor M. Robbie Arnold
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 M. Robbie Arnold.  Pastor Robbie completed her theological training through the commissioned Lay Pastor program of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, graduating in November, 2006. 

In December, 2007, Pastor Robbie was commissioned as Director of Older Adult Ministries, First Presbyterian Church, Sharon, PA, and served in that capacity through September, 2008.

Pastor Robbie began her service as Stated Supply Pastor at Bethlehem on January 1, 2009, and was commissioned for that postion on February 24, 2009 at the regular meeting of the Presbytery of Shenango.