Persistent community

“I have never seen a community as persistent as ours,” says Mária Badi, who has lived at the Őrmező housing district in Budapest with her family for 20 years. “Many years ago, there were only 18 members of the congregation, but I consider it important that everyone took part in the work, we all assumed some service role. Our life can change and become more comfortable thanks to the new sanctuary. Before, we held the Bible study in the pastor’s small apartment. At the new place, we can bravely rack our brain about various programs, we will have more opportunities and we can organize anything.” According to the experiences of the kindergarten teacher, the congregation is surrounded by a confidential atmosphere; the Bible study and the discussion about the Word help her to understand the histories of her own life.

Surplus

“Our community is warmhearted, we gladly help each other,” tells Mrs. Sándor Nagy, who has lived at the housing district of Őrmező for 36 years. She likes the where she lives. She can find everything she needs in the vicinity.

“When there was no local reformed congregation, I did not practice my religion, so I am glad to have come here. Dávid Faragó, our pastor, holds interesting, profound worships, and as an old woman I am learning lots from it. Although I had a peaceful life before, the congregation brought a surplus to my life. My three grandchildren also go to this congregation. They were christened here; the eldest already had his confirmation.” About the new preaching house she said: “At first, the glass walls were unusual, but for me it does not matter where I find my peace of mind, and it is even better this way because more and more people drop in on us.”

Full of energy and hope

“Our congregation is steadily increasing,” confirms Faragó Dávid, the pastor of the congregation. “When I arrived to Őrmező, I received the Word next: ‘not in a year.’ So, I know that we need to build ourselves slowly, but we are progressively growing and becoming more stable. Everyone in our congregation is one hundred percent serving. We are full of energy and hope. The difficulties related to the housing-estate life have not changed in the past years, either. The thin walls have a huge power of maintaining distance,” continues the pastor.

“It is very difficult to dislodge the people from their homes and call them to community, but they wish for it. Therefore, the creation of a sanctuary is an important step in our life, because it is easier to come across us. Literally, we have been sitting in the show-window since the opening of the metro line 4 and almost everyone goes passed the congregation’s room on the way to home. The congregation’s sanctuary on Kérői Street was designed by interior designer Gyula Horváth.

From pub to sanctuary

Bishop István Szabó commented, half-jokingly, at the ceremony that the Church would have a good project if each pub transformed into a sanctuary like Őrmező. The bishop told the Parókia website that although the mission was started by one or two people, if they receive the message of the Gospel, certainly they will not stop short.

“In Őrmező, many people have received the Gospel and they live it in a corporate way. The other side of the coin is that this housing district is also the product of the late Kádár period. The number of spaces and places for community life is minimal. It can be an important message for those who live at the housing estate; they can become a community there, too.” The reformed of Őrmező are sitting in a show-window because of the huge glass walls but the intimacy may be important in a sanctuary. However, according to the bishop the glass walls can be welcoming, too. “The Reformed of Őrmező can show how to invite people with openness. The strength of Christian communities is that they always look at what surpasses them. It’s not the number which matters but the quality.”

In the Danubian Reformed Church District, there are 17 places where congregations have started following the Őrmező’s example.

Written by Zsuzsa Fekete; translated by Ágnes Szaszkó

Photos: Richárd Kalocsai

Originally published on parokiaí.hu