The Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) recently invited international ecumenical partners to a follow-up consultation to the January Evangelical Church in the Rhineland (EKiR) meeting, regarding the refugee issue as a challenge to the European partner churches. This consultation, jointly organized with EKiR, will be hosted by the RCH in Budapest, Hungary from June 2-3 and it seeks to engage in critical theological reflection on Churches’ statements on migration and will then examine the policy proposals that have been put forth by churches and ecumenical organizations as a result of these official statements. The consultation will then focus on the immediate situation regarding migrants and refugees in countries heavily affected by the current issue. This will provide the opportunity to take an in-depth look at recent changes in migration statistics, the evolving legal environment, government social support for migrants, as well as public opinion on migration in each of these countries.

We hope that this consultation can provide a safe space for churches around the region to engage in meaningful dialogue about common responsibility on the issue of migration. Almost thirty participants from across the continent will attend, representing over a dozen denominations, many different faith-based organizations, as well as more than fifteen different countries. Nations from all over Europe will be represented at the consultation, including Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Hungary. Also in attendance will be Doris Peschke, the General Secretary of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), Martina Wasserloos-Strunk, Vice President of the European Council of the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe, and Martin Engels, Moderator of the Reformed Alliance in Germany.

Bishop Dr. István Szabó, of RCH, was instrumental in bringing about this consultation in Budapest, in conjunction with the strong leadership of Präses Manfred Rekowski, of EKiR, who will lead a German delegation to the event. Both church leaders will be heading large delegations at the consultation, including four representatives from the Hungarian Reformed Church community in the Carpathian basin and four important members of EKiR

In addition, the World Communion of Reformed Churches has recently established a task force whose job is to focus on migration and asylum, and its members will also be participating in this important consultation. It is our hope for the consultation that we might come to a common understanding of our collective responsibility in this time of mass migration. Our plans for engagement in this vital work will then be taken up by the WCRC task force as they seek to equip churches to work on the European level, as well as on the national level, as churches that do not remain silent, but instead seek humanitarian solutions together.

The press conference for this consultation regarding the refugee issue as a challenge to the European partner churches will take place on June 3 at 12:00 at the RCH Synod Office, located at 1146 Budapest Abonyi 21. Consultation members available at the press conference will be Bishop Dr. István Szabó, Präses Manfred Rekowski, Doris Peschke, and Martina Wasserloos-Strunk.

RCH Ecumenical office