A congregation center was handed over on Saturday in downtown Debrecen. The headquarters of the Reformed Church in the Great Church was built from government funds with an investment of HUF 102.5 million.
The Hungarian government is trying to give everything to the people, it sees the churches as a strategic partner – said the Deputy Secretary of State for Church and Ethnic Relations at the handover.
Zoltán Fürjes added:
although the state and the church operate separately, they are interdependent, they seek each other, which is why the government also provides assistance for church renovations: 1,800 churches in the Carpathian Basin are being modernized as part of the renovation program.
In the Trans-Tisza Reformed Church District, HUF 2.4 billion was provided for the renovation of 172 churches, he indicated.
Referring to the congregation center, which also provides a place for people to live together, Zoltán Fürjes said, “a person is a social being, if at least two people come together to help, encourage each other, if one falls, the other helps up”.
The Deputy Secretary of State, praising the strength of the community, also mentioned that
Christianity is not a two-hour program on Sunday, but a lifelong lifestyle, which is why it is attacked by many.
Referring to the renewal of the Reformed community center with government support, Zoltán Fürjes expressed the expectation that “they should function as a prosperous community and make this way of life attractive”.
The Reformed Bishop Károly Fekete from the Trans-Tisza pointed out that thirty years ago, after the change of regime, the church in the Great Church had taken new paths and started building churches, which it has been doing continuously ever since.
The church needs to be nurtured, built, and the church center is helping them to show themselves, “a powerhouse where the weaknesses of our souls heal even in everyday life,” the bishop said.
The congregation center “serves to strengthen spiritual endurance,” said Bishop Károly Fekete.
István Puskás, the deputy mayor of culture of Debrecen, said that one of the characteristic buildings of the old town had been renovated, and that the community opening its doors was “showing itself to the city”.
Lajos Kósa, the Member of Parliament for the region, referring to the fact that others had previously wanted to acquire the property hosting the congregation, said:
“We cannot be pushed out of our own symbolic spaces”. “
The Reformed Church is at home in the heart of Debrecen, ”he added.
Pastor István Oláh told about the investment: the 500-square-meter building was renovated inside and out, the doors and windows were replaced, the attic was insulated, the electricity network was replaced, new group rooms were created, two pastoral apartments were renovated, and 300 square meters it also provides space for church fairs.
Photo: Facebook / Lajos Kósa
