A Family Visit

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners” (Hebrews 13:3, NIV). “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them that suffer adversity” (Hebrews 13:3, KJV). A few months ago these words of the Scripture took on new meaning for me. No, I did not visit a high security federal prison, nor did I become involved in a local prison–visiting ministry. Through the generosity of some Christian Reformed friends, my wife and I spent three weeks in Hungary. After the editor of this publication saw my slide presentation, he asked me to write about conditions in that land, to help us remember. Located in Eastern Europe, Hungary is a nation of some 10 million in bonds, it is a country imprisoned, isolated from the West by rows of barbed wires, minefields, guns and a state religion of Communism.

We visited relatives, friends, ministers, we worshipped with Reformed and Lutheran Christians and we realized that we had not remembered “them that are in bonds . . . and them that suffer adversity.” Although both of us are natives of Hungary, our living in comfort, enjoying freedom, worshipping freely and exercising our Christian faith in the U.S.A. has dulled our sensitivity to the adversity of our Reformed and other Christian brothers and sisters. If this can happen to one who has his roots there, then how can others remember? To remember, we have to be informed. I hope that these lines will help the reader to catch at least a glimpse of the adversity of Reformed Christians in Hungary. (Of course thousands of other Christians in many parts of the world suffer hardships and even persecution—many much more severe than those in Hungary—and we need to remember them as well. Think of those in China, Russia, Cuba, Cambodia, Viet Nam, etc.)

History

Hungary was one of the first countries in Europe where the Reformation became a vital force beginning in the 1540‘s and 50’s. Hungarian reformers were in close contact with Luther, Melanchton and Calvin. The Reformed Church in Hungary during the next four hundred years was strong and vibrant. (It also had close ties with the Reformed Church in the Netherlands. Around 1670 an Admiral M. Ruyter was instrumental in freeing two dozen galley-slaves who were Hungarian pastors. Through the years ministerial students were exchanged between Hungary and the Netherlands. Many Hungarian children spent summers in the Netherlands 50–60 years ago. Some of the readers might remember this.)

A Beleaguered Church

However, today the Reformed Church in Hungary is in difficulties. Living under a communist government for thirty-five years has taken its toll. (At least it appears so from our observations, brief as they may be.) For the first twenty–five years under communism there was a shortage of ministers, one seminary was closed, confiscated, and repression was the order of the day. In the last ten years conditions improved somewhat, but with a change in government policies anything can happen. And according to communist doctrine (which always controls the policies) the church is not only unnecessary, but is considered an opposing entity to socialist–communism. Any concession which the church enjoys, such as that in Poland, is only temporary, and is allowed only if in the long run it helps to reach the goals of communism. The people in Hungary know this and understand its implications—as well as the workers and Catholics do in Poland. Contrary to whatever propaganda we might hear, communist Paradise is not a paradise. It is a destructive, de-humanizing dictatorship/tyranny by the ruthless, faithful few—and they are the only ones who benefit from it.

Church Attendance

On the three Sundays we were in the country we worshipped with three small town congregations. In smaller towns or cities there is only one Reformed Church, regardless of the number of Reformed people. Each of the buildings had a seating capacity of about 200–250. The membership of these congregations is about 500, at least that many belonged to the parish. Yet, on a Sunday morning there were only about 45 worshippers. Of these only 7–10 were men, the rest women, and of the total only about 5–10 were under 60 years old. Only once did we see three children—one teenager and two younger ones. None of the congregations had Sunday School. One Sunday we observed an older lady who was teaching two children for about half an hour before the service started. They were sitting close to the front not in a classroom. She told a Bible story, quizzed the two youngsters about last week’s lesson, drilled them in the Apostles’ Creed and Lord’s Prayer and tried to sing a couple of songs with them. There were no teacher manuals, student workbooks, or the latest in audio–visual aids such as we are blessed with. The time of our visit was in the late fall and the buildings were cold. Nearly everyone was wrapped in an overcoat, our fingers and feet were cold. They cannot afford to heat the buildings , and some have no heating facilities at all. (Another small Reformed congregation installed heat by receiving help from two or three congregations in the Netherlands.) Keep in mind that we are looking at typical Sunday activities.

Few Bibles

The sermons we heard were sound, Biblical, evangelical. The call to repentance and faith, and the promise of eternal life is no threat to the system, especially if the majority of the hearers are already old and established Christians. There were no songbooks in the pews, the worshippers have to take along their own if they have one. Bibles are scarce, again, none in the pews. Bibles can be bought from the local pastors and the one religious bookstore in Budapest (population around 1 million). But the pastors do not have too many copies on hand, they cannot afford to buy a boxful and there are not that many copies available. One copy of the modern translation costs 180 Forint, for which an average worker needs to work a full day of nine hours. (Compare that to a Bible we can buy in a supermarket for $8–9 or less.) Consequently not many Bibles are being sold. (After we found out the situation about the Bibles we tried to buy four from a rather large Reformed Church office. But in spite of the talk about Bibles being freely available, they had only two copies. So, some of our relatives still don‘t have Bibles.)

At the evening services only one half or less of the morning attendants were present.

Little Christian Education

There are no adult study groups or classes at the churches. Whatever Bible study there is, takes place in homes, outside of the official program of the churches, led by volunteer lay leaders. Once a year there is a pre–confession class, but very few youngsters attend. (A mother told us how she sent her daughter to one of these classes, how the girl made profession of faith—but the mother was unable to be there fearing political reprisals and problems at her job.) At the same time in Budapest there are Reformed churches where weekly, hundreds of young people attend rallies and Bible studies, but always away from their own neighborhoods.

Intimidation

It is interesting—sad is a better word—how the people are actually afraid to attend church services. Several people described the situation this way. If someone is known to be a regular church-goer, he or she will be harassed on the job (not for going to church but for supposedly other reasons), chances are good that there will be no promotions, the children will not be able to attend college, and even in high school they will face discrimination. At union or party meetings they will be embarrassed publicly as they will have to explain why they go to church and you can be sure they are not asking for a testimony! One man, a member of the Reformed Church for sixty years actually travels across town six miles on streetcars, though he belongs to a church three blocks from home. As a high–school teacher the principal would call him on the carpet at faculty meetings and his fairly good pension in 2–5 years would be in jeopardy, if the principal and others would know that he worships regularly. Others related similar stories, only the details are different.

Religious “Freedom”?

Freedom of religion? Officially, yes. It is in the constitution. However, a person cannot really exercise it, unless he is old, lame, a moron, or does not care how he will support his family. Since every business, store and factory is state–owned and controlled, and hiring and firing is directed by the government bureaucracy and overshadowed by the party, working, earning a living is used as a powerful lever. Coupled with this is the pressure of the economic conditions which force a family to devote roughly eighty percent of their time and energy just to provide the daily necessities (working, daily shopping, washing by hand, etc.) Considering all of this we can begin to understand the plight of these people.

An Official View

However, when I talked to a minister and a bishop (the Reformed Church there has a modified episcopal church government) they claimed there were no such problems, no one is threatened, no one faces losing his job or any such things anymore than in America where individuals might discriminate against a Christian. When asked about the obvious low attendance and the age of the worshippers their answer was that all of that is due to the apathy of the people, their chasing after things, and their laziness. Now, I had to conclude that these men were naive, or spokesmen for the system, or afraid to level with me. When the government pays the salary of the minister, maintains the parsonage and decides who can be promoted to bishop, the reader can draw his own conclusions. Their answer is partly true. There is apathy as much as in our country. The people do chase after things, even more than in the U.S.A. The people are tired out after working 5¹/2–6 days a week. But on all scores the communist political system, the socialist economy and atheist philosophy/religion are to be blamed to a large extent.

   

Economic and Social Pressures

We could talk about the poor economic conditions in which an average worker has to work forty-five hours to buy a pair of leather shoes, more than an hour to buy a dozen of eggs and has to wait four to five years for a car even if he can afford it. We could mention the housing shortage, so that a young couple waits five to ten years for a two–room apartment.

We could talk about the ongoing barrage of propaganda, the presence of the hated Russian occupation troops, the government system with an almost paranoiac fear of anyone trying to leave the country, the corruption, cheating, under–the-table dealings at almost every level of living and working, the subtle and not–so–subtle pressures to conform and the hypocritical adherence of thousands to the party line. All of this would help us to better understand the conditions of Hungary, especially the struggle of the church, and help us remember our Christian brothers and sisters.

The Lord’s Victory

Despite communist doctrine which states that the class-struggle and the victory of communist-socialism is inevitable, it can be observed in many parts of the world that after more than sixty years communism failed. It can conquer—but it cannot prosper. The economy is heavily dependent on the infusion of “capitalist,” western currency and capital. Wars between communist countries have not ceased as communist doctrine and propaganda maintains that they would. The workers have not been translated to paradise—witness Poland. And the Church of Jesus Christ has not been erased. Though Christians are pressed on every side, though the education for the past thirty–five years in Hungary (three generations educated from kindergarten to grade twelve) has been unashamedly communist and antiChristian, though much of the church property has been confiscated (“bought” and “reimbursed for” in the language of double–talk), though preaching of the gospel has been curtailed and though t he church has been infiltrated—yet, the church still exists! Christians are meeting informally, books and literature are being passed along, informal Bible studies are held and many Christians find ways to outsmart the system. That system for the present is considered quite lenient. But inherent in it is the ability to crack down ruthlessly at any time—depending on who is at the top—as it did in the 1950’s.

Yes, these Christians in Hungary and in many other places need us who live in freedom. We cannot forget, we must not forget them. We need to be better informed. We need to sift through the propaganda that paints rosy pictures of the church in communist captivity, and we need to withhold judgment on the church’s attempt to co–exist with the communist system. We need to pray for these Christians and we need to encourage them as conditions permit. We need to support them as much as we can. We need to “remember them that suffer adversity.” But above all, we need to remember Him who purchased the church with His blood and who now owns the church, who promised never to forsake His own, and who is mightier than any political, economic or religious system. He has already conquered! He is the victor even over the decaying and dying system of communism and His church will be more than conquerors with Him. Our brothers and sisters in Hungary and other communist countries are looking for a visible demonstration of that with outstretched necks.

Julius Vigh is pastor of the Portland Christian Reformed Church at Portland, Michigan.