This was the central theme of this year’s Protestant Roma Mission Conference, hosted by the Budapest Gazdagréti Reformed Church. Hundreds of representatives from the Evangelical, Baptist, Methodist, Reformed, and Pentecostal communities participated in the conference organized by the missions of the five Protestant churches and the Gypsy Methodology and Research Center.
For the ninth time this year, representatives from the Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Reformed, and Pentecostal communities gathered for an event focusing on the power of faith, culture, and community.
“The conference is an important opportunity for our brothers and sisters in Christ belonging to the five Protestant Roma missions to meet and demonstrate our unified desire to work together. Every denomination considers it an important task to serve the Roma people so that they may find Christ and transform their lives. We believe in revival and that masses of Roma will convert, for which we need each other. No single church can handle this mission alone,” emphasized Albert Durkó, President of HGMI, who had a speech about the significance of Protestant cooperation at the event.
Guests were greeted by Lászlóné Radomszki, Deputy State Secretary responsible for Social Inclusion at the Ministry of Interior, and Attila Sztojka, Government Commissioner responsible for Roma Relations. Both emphasized the prominent role of churches in the social inclusion of Roma.
“The Roma pastoral care is an important part of the government’s adopted social inclusion strategy. It is heartening to see how churches emphasize this service. It is important to strengthen faith, Roma culture, and Roma identity so that members of the Roma community in Hungary can live fuller lives,” emphasized Lászlóné Radomszki.
“Power primarily means responsibility in every aspect of life. Whenever faith has been attempted to be weakened, people’s vulnerability has been strengthened. It is important to open the doors of the churches even wider than before and introduce even more people to the truth. The key to our survival is the strength of our faith. I am pleased to see that the Roma in Hungary are increasingly experiencing their own faith,” emphasized Attila Sztojka in his speech.
This year’s conference featured preaching by András Berki, Vice President of HGMI, and praise by the Hope Voices Worship Band. Participants had the opportunity to share their successes and challenges in their service and learn from each other how to more effectively support and help the Roma communities involved. As in previous years, numerous testimonies were shared about the miracles that God has accomplished in the lives of those present. The organizers will hold the next jubilee conference one year from now.
