Photos by Tom Price

The children of those saved in the ’90s, through the ministry of the Calvary Chapel missionaries, now grow in Christ at the Vajta Conference Center as they serve together.

“I would not be here without the American mission groups of the ’90s, without the American pastors who trained us,” announced Laci Németh, pastor of Calvary Chapel South Budapest (Golgota Dél-Pest), Hungary.

This theme is echoed throughout the first generation of Hungarian CC Christians who came to saving faith in Jesus when Calvary Chapel missionaries flooded into Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now these early converts, who were teens and young adults back then, are enjoying the fruits of God’s promises, watching their own children grow in their faith, and longing to reconnect with their brethren in the West.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. Psalm 128:3-4

Under communist rule from 1949 until 1989, religious freedoms in Hungary were abolished and church properties taken over by the state. A majority of Hungarians today are either atheists or not religious. “Most of our generation grew up in families where Christianity was not present,” explained “Bodi” Bodogán Zsolt, pastor of CC Debrecen. “Although we are a Catholic country historically, most households have never spoke about the Gospel before.” Very much a “sandwich” generation, Bodi and his fellow CC pastors shared the Gospel with their parents while raising their own children in Christian homes, church being a big part of their lives.

“There are many of us who came from a totally unbelieving, atheistic background, not brought up in a Christian environment,” revealed Ladislav (Laci) Gyűgyi, senior pastor of CC Esztergom.

Matthew Edwards, a Moody Bible Institute student, joined many U.S. Calvary Chapel Bible College students and missionaries who volunteered in the early ’90s to serve in Hungary—some short term, some never leaving. Intending to only stay for two years, he explained, “I began leading worship at the Budapest Golgota [Calvary Chapel] and by 1997 … hundreds of young Hungarians were giving their lives to the Lord, hearing the Gospel for the first time in the ’90s. It was very exciting.” Thirty years later, he and his Hungarian wife have three children and he pastors CC Tatabánya and CC Gárdony.

Zichy Castle—A Precious Refuge

Once Calvary Chapel established a foothold in Hungary, Pastor Chuck Smith had a vision to further train missionaries to expand the Gospel into Eastern Europe. Purchasing Zichy Castle in Vajta, Hungary, this 35-acre, 45,000-square-foot facility has been a vital conference center for Calvary Chapel in Hungary since 2002. Throughout the years, congregations from [now 24] Calvary Chapels have gathered there for retreats, meetings, conferences, Bible studies, baptisms, and youth groups—but it’s the weeklong summer fellowships that entire families eagerly anticipate. Replete with hiking trails, a large swimming pool, gardens, games, and Bible teachings, Calvary Chapel fellowships view their time at Vajta as their family vacation. In a country where they are isolated and sometimes ostracized for their faith, what draws them most is the fellowship with other believers in Calvary Chapels across the country.

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 36:7

“One of the tools we are most blessed to have is the Castle here in Vajta,” Matthew reflected. “This is a very special place for our families—we’ve grown up here. It’s like our family has a castle as a summer home. The friendships we see forming are super precious. My kids come and meet their Christian friends who are scattered all around the country. In our city, there are so few [Christians], so our kids come and are part of something bigger.”

Post-pandemic surging energy costs and waning U.S. support has found the property in the hands of Hungarian Calvary Chapel leadership, with CC Békásmegyer Pastor Szilárd Márkus remaining as manager. With limited staff, Szilárd relies on volunteers from local CCs or missionaries from outside the country. The facility is now open to all Hungarians as a site for meetings, weddings, and getaways, exposing them to many Christian-based activities that continue to take place on the grounds.

Second-Generation Growth

“Dad, can I get baptized this summer?” came the text from Laci Németh’s 15-year-old daughter Lotti while at summer camp at Vajta. Her initial impression—“This is a boring camp”—in two days turned to “It’s actually much deeper.” Laci had the honor of baptizing his own daughter in the pool of the Vajta Conference Center along with several girls from her youth group while other Calvary Chapel pastors baptized those from their congregations. “Today, as I was baptizing my daughter, as she was walking towards me in the water, I was reminded by the Lord that it was not my work in her life; it was God’s work,” Laci acknowledged.

After the baptism, Bodi commented, “Our kids grew up and got involved in the summer service and weekend conferences and retreats at Vajta. What a joy to see how these kids are willing to take a step of faith and say, ‘Hey, I’m of Christ and I want the whole world to know that, and I want them to see what the Lord has done in my life.’”

Zoli and Emőke Horváth attend CC Budapest where Zoli serves as an elder. Coming to Christ in their teens, they are committed to raising their four children in the faith through the Calvary Chapel fellowship. Zoli reasoned, “This love for the fellowship was what spoke the most to our kids, and our commitment to the church, that pulled them in. It is incredible to see our generation’s kids come here and connect; deep friendships have formed, and they are growing in spiritual matters as well. It is a vision coming alive through [earlier] people—like Greg Opean and Pastor Chuck—that this facility would serve the whole body of Christ.”

An Invitation to Return

Missing the camaraderie with the original American pastors in those early days, the Hungarian pastors express their desire to reconnect with their American counterparts, new and old. “We remember that many teams from different churches from the U.S. came here,” Laci Gyűgyi revealed. “We really felt loved and supported by Calvary Chapel. Pastors from different churches that had their own unique style, such colorful ministries from churches on the West and East Coasts, were always a blessing. We would love to have them back again, even short-term teams to help us do ministry in our towns, or even long-term pastors that would come and take responsibility in one of the small churches in our cities.”

After Laci Németh was saved in 1991 through Calvary Chapel missions in Serbia (then Yugoslavia), he relocated to Szeged before moving to south Budapest to spearhead the church plant there. Discipled and mentored by Greg Opean and Rod Thompson, the first Calvary Chapel missionaries coming to Hungary from the United States, Laci credits those “brave American pastors who came and invested into our lives for many, many years. [They] were involved in my life-discipling, sometimes disciplining, but always giving grace to us.” Acknowledging the ongoing value that American pastors and missionaries add when they come, Laci admits, “We seek their counsel, sometimes asking for direction.”

Matthew Edwards offered: “We have been blessed over the last 30 years. God has done a special work here, but we are far from done. There is a need for people to come and do evangelism. There are churches that need pastors and cities that need youth leaders. We need to be involved in Christ becoming known among the nations, whether that’s supporting someone financially or serving for the summer—you would be welcome here in Hungary.”

Calvary Chapels in the U.S. have helped support the work in Hungary for upwards of 30 years. Leader of the Hungarian Golgota, whose leadership is now entirely Hungarian, Pastor Jani Németh of CC Budapest remembered arriving at Calvary Chapel Esztergom on a skateboard with a beer in one hand as a teen. He was mentored by Pastors Greg Opean and Armando Garcia where he grew in the Lord and eventually became a pastor. Jani expressed what a sincere privilege it has been to serve together to share the love of Jesus Christ: “I’m very grateful for all the years we’ve been prayerfully supported here—and looking forward to what will be done together in the future.”

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