The Reformed Faith in Hungary

Reformed Preachers traveled throughout Hungary explaining the Scriptures in the language of the common people. This was considered revolutionary as the Catholic Mass was conducted in Latin. In addition to Preachers, Laypeople were entrusted with bearing witness to and explaining the Bible.

In 1590, Gáspár Károli, the Reformed Minister at Gőnc, completed the translation of both Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible into the Hungarian language. This accelerated the conversion of the population to the Protestant and primarily the Reformed faith. By 1600, 85% of the population were Protestants - some four million people.

Life in the eastern Hungarian city of Debrecen, the center of the Hungarian Reformed movement, imitated the model set by Calvin's Geneva. Péter Méliusz Juhász, the Bishop of Debrecen, made spiritual life the foundation of social life, education, law and order, and the physical welfare of the inhabitants.

During the last half of the 17th century, the Austrian Habsburg monarchy which then ruled Hungary, launched the Counter-Reformation, a brutal campaign to reconvert the country to Catholicism. Nobility, Preachers, and Schoolmasters were forced enmasse to renounce the Protestant faith. Those that didn't were driven on foot about 450 miles from a trial at Pozsony (now Bratislava) to Trieste on the Adriatic Sea where they were sold as galley slaves. The Protestant world was shocked by the atrocity and moved to pay for their release. After many difficulties the legendary Dutch Lieutenant Admiral, Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter, succeeded in setting them free.

The Reformed Church faced much discrimination and oppression until 1781 when Joseph II issued an Edict of Tolerance. This permitted limited freedom of religion - a Protestant Church was allowed in every town with at least 100 Protestant families, they were allowed to have their own Ministers and were not obligated in addition to pay for the services of a Catholic Priest. Protestants were also allowed to build Churches, but with no entrances from city streets and with no towers or steeples. Religious liberalization was not permitted by the Monarchy until 1868.

After the Communist takeover in 1948, Church assets and schools were nationalized; the state openly persecuted Christians. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 lead to a slight relaxation of this oppression. But, it wasn't until 1989, with the fall of communism that Church assets started to be returned and the oppressive State Office for Church Affairs was closed.

In 1990, Act IV of the new Constitution was passed by the Hungarian Parliament, it states "Freedom of conscience and religion is a basic human right due to everybody, the undisturbed practice of which is guaranteed by the Hungarian Republic".

Today, Reformed believers amount to about 21% of the Hungarian population of ten million. The Reformed Church of Hungary is divided into four Church Districts and 27 seniorates. There are 1,445 Reformed Churches and Chapels, 3 seminaries, 4 universities, and 53 elementary schools.