Reformatus.hu

#LiveTheBorder. Churches took an ecumenical stance exploring migration issues

2017. október 10., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

“Living and Witnessing the Border”, an international conference held from 30 September – 4 October in Palermo and Lampedusa, gathered a hundred participants from churches and ecumenical organizations from Europe and the US, including the WCRC Task Force on Migration and its member representing the Reformed CHurch in Hungary,

Hungary would like to be a refuge for persecuted Christians

2017. október 02., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

“Hungary would like to be a refuge for persecuted Christians”, Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog said on Friday in Budapest.

Integration Country Program in Full Swing

2017. szeptember 13., tags: heks, HEKS, refugee ministry, refugee

In February 2017, the RCH and Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) cooperated on a Country Program for Hungary, making refugee integration one of the main priorities. As the school year begins, the HEKS/EPER-funded project is in full swing, helping children at an after-school program and sensitizing the wider church about issues surrounding human migration.

Indispensable Help for Refugees

2017. augusztus 28., tags: refugee, Hungarian Reformed Church Aid (HRCA), hungarian reformed church aid (hrca), interview, hungarian reformed church aid (HRCA), refugee ministry

The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid (HRCA) helps refugees in Hungary by paying regular visits to the transit zones in Röszke and Tompa and also the refugee camp in Nyírbátor. They not only help with supplying food, but they have also enlarged the library, organized sports events and provided spiritual support. Christian refugees are arriving in Hungary in increasing numbers – the opportunity to talk to fellow Christians, or even pastors, is a relief for them. We asked Márton Juhász, the managing director (CEO) of HRCA, to tell us more about their services for refugees.

Living Into God’s Vision

2017. július 13., tags: scottish mission, refugee ministry, Scottish Mission, refugee

A local congregation again partnered with the RCH’s Refugee Integration non-profit to put on a superb English camp at the end of July. The camp brought together a diverse group of children and adults and was a life-changing experience for all of them.

High-level Support for Young Persecuted Christians

2017. június 14., tags: Middle East, refugee, middle east, refugee ministry

The Hungarian government has recently launched a scholarship program to support young persecuted Christians in reaching their educational goals in Hungary. The program will begin in the fall and will be open to youth from countries throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Hungary Signs Accord to Support Iraqi Clinic

2017. május 31., tags: Middle East, refugee, middle east, refugee ministry

The government of Hungary recently signed an accord with the Archbishop of Erbil to donate a large sum of money to a hospital in Iraq that serves mainly Christian refugees. The gift is meant to cover the clinic’s medicinal supplies for the next six months.

Working Among Refugees: Challenges and Opportunities

2017. április 27., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

Martina Wasserloos-Strunk, a German political scientist and member of many WCRC groups, lead participants in Budapest in a seminar about human migration. Participants came from a variety of backgrounds and bonded in a day-long seminar about the challenges and opportunities that come with refugee integration in Europe.

Children at the Forefront

2017. április 05., tags: refugee, refugee ministry, eurodiaconia, Eurodiaconia

Members of the Eurodiaconia Marginalization and Exclusion network gathered in Budapest for their meeting hosted by the Reformed Church in Hungary. The group spoke about child poverty issues and did a field visit at Kalunba Social Services Ltd., the RCH’s implementing partner for refugee integration.

Integration Work Spotlighted in New Case Study

2017. március 08., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

The RCH’s refugee integration work, done in partnership with Kalunba Nonprofit Ltd, has been spotlighted in a recent Social Platform case study report regarding “social investment.” Social Platform spoke with the RCH Diaconal Office’s current Head of the Unit for Refugee Integration, Ms. Dora Kanizsai-Nagy, about the work being done in Hungary.

Refugee Integration in Focus

2017. február 17., tags: refugee, refugee ministry, HEKS, heks

Following months of dedicated work, the RCH and Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) have cooperated on a Country Program (CP) for Hungary to be in effect from 2017-2020. This is the second CP between the two organizations and will focus on the RCH’s Roma Mission as well as the Refugee Integration.

Hungary plans to become a centre for efforts to combat Christian persecution

2017. február 16., tags: Middle East, refugee, middle east, refugee ministry

“Hungary wants to become a centre for organisations working to combat the persecution of Christians”, the Ministry of Human Capacities’ Parliamentary State Secretary declared at an international conference entitled: “New Opportunities for Solidarity in the Interests of Discriminated Christian Communities”.

RCH Refugee Ministry Reorganized for Bigger Impact

2017. január 20., tags: refugee ministry, refugee

The RCH has been working with refugees since 2006, and in the beginning of 2017 the Refugee Ministry was reorganized in order to have a bigger impact on clients in need. The ministry now falls under the umbrella of the RCH Diaconal Office and partners with a local implementing partner, Kalunba Social Services Ltd, in the work to integrate recognized refugees into life in Hungary.

RCH Takes Part in New Erasmus+ Project

2016. december 01., tags: erasmus, partnerschaft, refugee ministry, refugee

Erasmus+, the European Union program that supports education, training, youth, and sports in Europe, is beginning an exciting new project that the RCH is partnering with – the Train the Unknown Trainer (TUT) project. The RCH will take on a leadership role among other churches and organizations in the project and as partner will even host one of the five TUT meetings in the coming years.

American Journalism Students Spotlight RCH Refugee Work

2016. október 24., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

Two American journalism students visited the RCH Refugee Ministry when it was housed at St. Columba’s Church of Scotland in March and documented their experiences in Budapest with refugees. They were excited by the church’s work with refugees and have included their time at St. Columba’s in their final semester projects.

The right to self-determination is important to the Hungarians

2016. október 24., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

“The Hungarians know what it means for others to decide their fate, and for this reason they feel it is indispensable to take their lives into their own hands and control it themselves; the right to self-determination is extremely important to them”- Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog declared in an interview on Swiss public radio SRF.

Kirk at the Forefront of Supporting Refugees in Hungary

2016. október 04., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

The Church of Scotland is at the forefront of supporting refugees seeking sanctuary in Hungary. The congregation of St. Columba’s Scottish Church in Budapest has been working with refugees for years, and their connection to the Refugee Ministry is at the forefront of this video with Dóra Kanizsai-Nagy. During their recent trip to Budapest for the 175^th anniversary of the Scottish Mission in Budapest, the CofS communications team sat down with Kanizsai-Nagy to discuss her work and how it connects to the wider history of interfaith work that has been so central to the history of the Mission.

Peacemaker hopes Presbyterians will open their hearts to refugees

2016. szeptember 22., tags: refugee, refugee ministry

Dóra Kanizsai-Nagy, Head of the Refugee Ministry of RCH, is currently in the United States of America participating in PCUSA’s International Peacemakers Program. The program brings international peacemakers to the USA for one month to travel and engage faith communities across the country. Kanizsai-Nagy will be talking about her work with refugees through the RCH’s Refugee Ministry as well as through the NGO, Kalunba, that she helped found in 2014. The following is an article from the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Serving with an Open Heart

2016. augusztus 11., tags: refugee ministry, evangelical church in greece, refugee

The RCH’s American intern recently visited our partner church, the Evangelical Church in Greece, to learn more about their aid work with refugees. Kearstin Bailey, a Global Mission Intern (GMI) currently serving in Budapest with the RCH, spent a week in Katerini, Greece immersed in vital on-the-ground work with refugees who are fleeing persecution and seeking safety in Europe.

Love Does Build Up

2016. július 27., tags: refugee ministry, scottish mission, Scottish Mission, refugee

A group of 12 volunteers from Myers Park Presbyterian Church (USA) visited Budapest in July to work at an English camp put on by St. Columba’s Scottish Mission and the Kalunba charity. Court Young, Mission Coordinator at MPPC, recently wrote this reflection about her team’s time in Hungary. During their stay, the group from America experienced a mosaic of humanity in the midst of the camp, bringing a restored hope and faith in the wider world.