The basis of the Church's existence and mission is that the redeeming will of God has become manifest in Christ. The Church, therefore, is both a partaker and an instrument in God's mission. The community of the Church is called to be a sign, foretaste and servant of the Kingdom of God in the world through its congregations and church members, who proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world both with words and deeds. The organization of the Church, the structure that provides the framework for the community of the congregations, must be a tool and medium of the communication of the Gospel creating values, identity and community.
The above mission statement, proposed by the Church Revision Commitee (CRC), was adopted by the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) in 2012.
At the same time the Vision and Strategic objectives were reformulated.
Vision Statement
Our main objective in the upcoming decades is that the Reformed Church in Hungary shall proclaim, demonstrate God’s love, justice and grace in the changing Hungarian society struggling against secularization, individualism and social tension. Therefore, our Church would like to be an ever renewing community through the service of its devoted, creative members and pastors (men and women) living out the Christian spirituality, an accepting community serving in unity and in ecumenical cooperation with other denominations.
Strategic objectives
- Strengthen the missionary identity of congregations (regarding the training and further education of pastors, elders and congregational co-workers).
- Develop and implement the missionary aspects in the ministry related to youth and children.
- Deepen the reformed missionary identity of our institutions.
- Build a national network providing spiritual, pastoral and professional care to support the health of pastors and congregations.
- Raise awareness of the importance of living out the values of God’s Kingdom: we offer Christian answers for the challenges rooting from a changing society and the shift in its values.
- Examine the possibilities offered by new IT- communication; rethink and renew our communication in order to reach society more effectively.
- Develop alternative concepts for the Reformed Church in Hungary’s structural renewal – which support its missionary call and make it function more effectively as a public Church.
- Create a system in our Church community supporting honesty, transparency, greater trust, and encouragement to take more responsibility for one another.
RCH is member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), by signing WCRC's Constitution in 2010, thus part of the Communion of reformed churches worldwide and shares its vision and values. Together we state, that
"Jesus Christ is the foundation and head of the Christian church. It is in Jesus Christ that the Word became flesh and the gospel is embodied. It is to God in Christ that the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit, bear witness. It is through Christ that God gives abundant life and spiritual vitality to the members of the church in the power of the Holy Spirit."
(Preamble of the Constitution of WCRC)
According to the Constitution of RCH, the RCH shall function as part of Jesus Christ's Universal Church. The organisation of the church, its constitutional and governmental order is not an end in itself. It was created for service and for the stewardship of God's gifts. The Church is created by the Triune God to serve as an external means for the salvation of humanity: "because God from the beginning would have men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, it is altogether necessary that there always should have been, and should be now, and to the end of the world, a Church." (Second Helvetic Confession, XVII.) We recognise Jesus Christ as the only Foundation and Head of the Church. The Church shall be the place where God's Spirit moves freely.
The RCH accepts the Bible, the only true revelation of the word of God, as final norm and authority of our life and teaching. At the same time the RCH is confessional, which means that together we have statements of belief, creeds and confessions. These statements guide our understanding of faith and shape its practice. Beyond the Creeds of the Early Church the RCH has two official confessional writings, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Second Helvetic Confession.
The RCH consists of Reformed congregations situated within the Hungarian borders. It also holds a spiritual unity with other Hungarian-speaking Reformed communities and is dedicated to the communion of Reformed Churches worldwide , as well as the wider ecumenical fellowship of Churches. The RCH is governed according to the presbytery-Synod principles, the General Synod being the highest legislative body and authority in teaching.
The RCH aims to follow the call of Jesus Christ in fulfilling a faithful mission, especially by educating young people and by tending to the fallen.
Going Beyond
We understand ourselves as a "border-crossing" community in every sense of the word: crossing political borders for expressing church unity and communion with other Hungarian-speaking Reformed Churches. Similarly, we move beyond the walls of the church in mission and social ministry in order to transform the church into a welcoming community that reaches out to youth, and transforms society by taking responsibility in social life and by standing on the side of the needy and vulnerable. "Going beyond borders" affects our community; it challenges old and traditional forms of being a congregation and living out the church. Going beyond – on the basis of still limited resources is a really an extremely exciting challenge, which we hope changes our community for the better – also means for us "going far beyond our own capacities." The Reformed Church is an ever-reforming church.
Ambassadors for Christ
Church Revision Process