Roma Ministry of the Reformed Church in Hungary

Hungary

In Hungary, Roma communities have been an inseparable part of society for centuries. In the life of churches, service among Roma has always primarily meant spreading the Gospel. In the last century, this activity has gradually been complemented with other forms of help to facilitate their integration into society, such as educational and social assistance.

With centuries of experience, Hungarian churches have the ability to contribute effectively to finding Roma integration solutions on a European level. This issue can only be resolved if prejudices and rigid stereotypes are left behind. Furthermore, it is only through this approach that steps can be taken to achieve a European-regulated education and social system that enhances social integration.

Since 2009, Roma ministry has been the main mission focus of the RCH. Within the Roma ministry field, support is needed for pastors serving with Roma and trying to integrate the Roma and Hungarian communities together. To accomplish this, the Reformed Church of Hungary’s Mission Department would like to create a scholarship program to finance the training of a Roma supervisor for each of the church’s four districts. Károli Gáspár Reformed University in Budapest offers a supervision program within its theological faculty that is a 2-year course. The program would cost 200,000 Forints a semester per student (~ $900/semester). The hope is that these Roma supervisors will be able to act as a resource for pastors in their respective district as well as a medium for the exchange of best practices and experiences from around the country.