About the Reformed Church in Hungary
FACTS
The Reformed Church is the second largest denomination in Hungary.
According to church records, it has 600,000 members, but at the latest census in Hungary around 1,150,000 people claimed (anonymously) to be reformed by religion.
Because one third of all Hungarians live outside the state of Hungary, mostly in the surrounding countries (see under tradition and history), there are several Hungarian-speaking Reformed Churches
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Approximately 1,249 congregations, organized into 27 church dioceses (church counties) on a regional basis, these in turn make up the four church districts, each lead by a bishop and a curator.
The highest decision making body of the church is the Synod. The two members Presidium of the Synod represent the church in matters with third parties.
The RCH operates 129 educational institutions from kindergarten to university level, including 4 theological seminaries (Debrecen, Budapest, Sárospatak, Pápa) and a hospital. The RCH has around 390 Reformed diaconal services, serving 22,800 people in need.
HISTORY
The RCH has existed institutionally since 1567, soon after the first wave of Calvinism reached the Hungarians.
The church history is interlaced with the country’s history. Being loyal to the church and faith was often equal to being loyal to the nation and vice versa.
The RCH has always played a significant role in the cultural development of the nation.
with the peace treaty that concluded WWI, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory to the surrounding countries and the Reformed Church lost half of its members.
Under the socialist regime (1948-89), the church was openly persecuted, its institutions were nationalized, later it was oppressed. Although isolated, nevertheless it was allowed to operate.
In the democratic era (since 1989), several institutions have been given back to the church, a vast majority of the schools were started or restarted in this period, much work was been invested into restructuring buildings and finding new ways to serve among the people.
The aim of the immediate future is to focus on mission in a society which is now materialistic and characterized by moral crisis and nihilism which results from a consumer society.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The closest relations are maintained with the Hungarian-speaking Reformed Churches in the surrounding countries.
The Reformed Church in Hungary has been a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches since 1909 and so became a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches after its founding in 2010. Since 1948, the RCH has been listed in the World Council of Churches roster. It is also a member of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and its commissions, the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE/GEKE) and other global or regional organisations.
We maintain contacts with several European, American and Asian protestant churches.