In a country of 9.5 million people, three families gather in a living room every Sunday, seeking to hear God’s Word and worship in a faithfully Lutheran way. They have no local pastor ― yet. They have few books that can teach them the Lutheran faith ― for now.
Andrew and Attila Horvath, brothers who are attending seminary (at Luther Academy in Riga, Latvia), are working closely with LCMS missionaries to achieve their dream of restoring a confessional Lutheran church in their homeland of Hungary.
“Because of the influence of communism, even nominal Christianity is less common here than in countries like the United States,” Andrew said. “Many people who grew up under the previous [Soviet Communist] regime have never heard the Gospel and were not even baptized as a family ceremony. The traditional denominations (including the Roman Catholic Church) have largely become liberalized.”
The liberal influence has also extended to Lutheranism in Hungary, home to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hungary (ELCH), which ordains women.
“In Hungary, the work is akin to attempting to restore the Lutheran Church, which once served the people,” explained Rev. Jordan Andreasen, LCMS area facilitator for Eurasia – East. Existing Lutheranism “has been liberalized and become, more or less, Reformed theology which deemphasized the Sacraments and the grace of God in Christ. We [Lutherans] offer the clear distinction of Law and Gospel, restored, and proper emphasis on the Sacraments as means of grace for the care of souls.”
An essential part of establishing a new confessionally Lutheran church body is books for teaching, translated by LHF into the Hungarian language. “Jesus Never Fails,” a devotion booklet that’s also good for evangelism, has just been printed. Andrew is now working on the translation of Luther’s Small Catechism.
“LHF translations help share the Gospel and provide clear Lutheran teaching for pastors and for people…in these new churches and budding missions,” said Rev. Andreasen. “In the midst of secularization and churches which cloud the Gospel, still the Lord brings people by the proclamation of the Word of Christ.”
In fact, Andrew’s and Attila’s families have now been joined by a third family in their Sunday worship.
“We have already catechized and baptized two adults and are now catechizing our third adult for baptism,” Andrew said. “We believe God’s Word speaks for itself and we do not need to put ourselves in a position above Scripture in an attempt to attract converts. Rather, we make a point of building lasting relationships, through which we can consistently confess Christ faithfully and let God work conversion by His grace.”
More LHF News
Bible books for Muslim Indonesia’s schools
LHF founder celebrates 90 years
