Faith Church, Hungary

Faith Church is a megachurch and a Pentecostal Christian denomination in Hungary. The headquarters of Budapest has over 30 000 members.

History

Faith Church was founded in 1979 by a group of seven Hungarian believers, led by Pastor Sándor Németh, who leads the church until today.[1] The independent Pentecostal-Charismatic church could only conduct its worship services illegally during the years of the Communist regime. Its activities and leaders were monitored by the Communist secret service. By 1989, membership reached 2000 people. In 1989, the Hungarian State declared Faith Church a recognized denomination based on the 1895. XLIII. Act.

In 2008, Faith Church in Budapest had 30,000 faithful in its 5,000-seat building. [2]

In 2016, the Church has 70,000 believers regularly attend worship services across Hungary.[3][4] The weekly Sunday service of the Church is regularly broadcast on live television.

There are about three hundred local church branches of Faith Church functioning all around the country and beyond the borders of Hungary. All neighboring countries, Germany and the U.S. have local Faith Churches as well. The majority of local churches hold worship services on privately owned property. Local churches in Pécs, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza and Salgótarján are also housed in buildings that can accommodate more than a thousand people.

Based on the 1% tax designation to churches, Faith Church is the fourth[5] most supported church in Hungary. However, according to the last census in Hungary [6] Faith Church was not among the four biggest churches. It kept its official church status after the Orbán government's 2011 reduction[7] of the number of churches. Faith Church follows the biblical model of the self-supporting church. It does not receive any other financial support from the state, aside from the 1% tax designations for churches and the normatives available to schools.

Social programs

The Faith and Morals Cultural Foundation performs social services, provides aid to families, cares for the elderly and also pursues teaching, training, information distribution and cultural services.

Faith Church maintains elementary schools in Budapest, Pécs, Nyíregyháza and Salgótarján and a kindergarten in Kecskemét. The state-accredited theological college, Saint Paul’s Academy functions in Budapest.

Beliefs

Faith Church accepts the results and spiritual, moral values of both early Christianity and the Reformation, as well as other revival movements serving the progress of the Christian faith. Faith Church is a strong advocate of Christian Zionism, and well known for its commitment to support the State of Israel. [8]

References

  1. ↑ worldventure.com, IS HUNGARY ON THE BRINK OF CHRISTIAN REVIVAL?, USA, August 18, 2015
  2. ↑ Sébastien Fath, Dieu XXL, la révolution des mégachurches, Édition Autrement, France, 2008, p. 138
  3. ↑ CNAAN LIPHSHIZ, timesofisrael.com, Jews and evangelicals remind Hungary’s politicians to never forget, Israel, March 12, 2016
  4. ↑ Vinson Synan, J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Amos Yong, Global Renewal Christianity: Spirit-Empowered Movements: Past, Present and Future, Charisma Media, USA, 2016, p. 80
  5. ↑ http://www.atv.hu/belfold/20130916-1-os-felajanlasok-valtozatlan-sorrend-az-egyhazaknal
  6. ↑ http://www.nepszamlalas2001.hu/hun/kotetek/05/diagram.html
  7. ↑ Megvan a törvény: egyelőre 14 egyház a listán
  8. ↑
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