What is the connection between a European Youth Presbytery Meeting of the Church of Scotland and the Reformed Church in Hungary?
As it has been noted before, the Church of Scotland and the Reformed Church in Hungary have quite a unique relationship. They are partner churches on a national level and share in programs, such as the Eco-Congregation project, but the most tangible and historical connection between them is St. Columba’s Scottish Presbyterian Church, formally known as the Scottish Mission, which is a congregation of both the RCH and Church of Scotland.
This year on 21-23 February, St. Columba’s was able to welcome 19 delegates from all across Europe (including a young person from the RCH) to Budapest, Hungary for the first time as host of the annual European Youth Presbytery meeting. The weekend focused on the theme, “Making Connections,” where participants discussed different ways to connect the Christianity that is so easily found on Sunday mornings to the rest of the week and to their everyday lives.
Erzsébet Komlósi, director of Scripture Union Hungary, gave the first lecture of the weekend on what it means to be a single Christian in today’s world and what the Bible says about single life. The second workshop was from Tom Hoppel, a yoga instructor and member of St. Columba’s, who spoke about finding the connection between your passion and your faith. Both discussions offered the young adults an opportunity to ask honest questions on the topics and delve for answers together. The moderator of the European Presbytery, Rev. Rhona Dunphy, was also heavily involved in the weekend, participating in both seminars and leading an intimate worship service on Saturday morning.
Together, the youth delegates planned and led St. Columba’s worship service on Sunday morning. The message consisted of a set of short dramas based on the themes and ideas brought up throughout the weekend. In addition, the participants also formed a full choir, including a 4-person brass and wind accompaniment, which performed traditional and contemporary worship songs. At the end of the service, all were welcomed to the Lord's Table, where Rev. Dunphy and Rev. Aaron Stevens, pastor at St. Columba's, served the Lord's Supper.
The success of this weekend serves as a good jumping off point for the upcoming European Presbytery meeting of the Church of Scotland, which will also be held in Budapest – at the Synod building of the RCH – on 10 and 11 October.
Both of these meetings show the collaboration of these institutions and work to strengthen the continued ties between the two.
Amy Lester