Hungary – Another Reflection

Introduction
 
This article is a report on my observations of the Ause ministry in Hungary. I felt it was important for all of the people who have supported this ministry to hear a personal review from one who experienced and observed first hand the effects of this awesome ministry.

To understand how powerful this mission and ministry of the Ause family is, you need first to understand the status of the Reformed Church in Hungary. The  Hungarian population was 80%-90% Protestant in the 16th century, primarily Reformed. After the Hapsburgs came into power, the governing bodies began to persecute Protestants, enforcing a return to Catholicism. Legal rights of Protestants were restored in the late 18th century, resulting in a declaration of equality for four established denominations (Roman Catholic, Reformed, Lutheran and Unitarian), including state supported schools. By 1910 there were 2.6 million Reformed church members and 2,000 pastors.

After World War I the boundaries of Hungary were severely redrawn, leaving 1 million Reformed members outside Hungary in Transylvania and other parts of Rumania, parts of Yugoslavia and other European emerging nations. The Nazi era was obviously an era when religion was frowned upon by the Nazis, and many towns and churches were bombed by the Allies in the course of World War II. But the greatest obstacle to Reformed worship occurred during the communist occupation of Hungary. Christians had to worship in secret to avoid arrest and imprisonment by the communist government. It did not help that some ministers were actually communist informers who would report who attended services with sad results.

Hungarian Ministers Recount Their Experiences

Against this background, it is a miracle to me that these stalwart people have nurtured the religion that nurtured them during such difficult times, and there is a nucleus of religious faithful that are working to keep the Reformed Church alive and growing against all obstacles. We met many young ministers and seminary students, friends of the Auses. The love and esteem of these young Christians for the Auses was palpable, and the love and esteem of the Auses for these ministers and students was quite evident. In the course of our visit, Bob and Tammy had arranged a meeting with 5 ministers from the surrounding area who talked with us about their congregations and explained their challenges. Not surprisingly, their problems resemble the problems PCUSA is experiencing today.

Joining in Worship at a Reformed Church

The first Sunday in Hungary we were invited to worship at "The White Church," in Balatonfured, the town where we stayed. The building had been extensively restored and refurbished with funds provided by the government. The service was very formal and liturgical. Most of the congregants were people of the older generation. Bob Schwenck was invited to offer a prayer that Bob Ause translated into Hungarian. Our travel contingent was invited forward to be introduced, at which point we presented a plaque of Mission San Juan Capistrano and sang "Gloria Patri." (Saint Juan Capistrano is a patron saint of Hungary since he was instrumental in driving out the Turks in one of several Turkish incursions into Hungary.)

Bob and Tammy have sung in the church choir during their stay in Hungary, and the choir was especially cordial to us, inviting us to their fellowship hall for refreshments after church. They then accompanied us to a nearby winery, where we were given a tour of the wine cellar and served a delicious luncheon including salad, goulash with wonderful noodles, and dessert provided by the choir members, and of course delicious Hungarian wine. We saw a demonstration of Hungarian dancing that was beautifully intricate.

Contemporary Service for Some Worshipers

Later in the afternoon on that Sunday, we traveled to a nearby town to experience a contemporary service led by a lay leader in a new church built with funds from the government. Interestingly, the pastor is a woman (as were several other of the pastors we met.) She is married with two small children. The service included many contemporary songs that we knew, plus others we did not know, prayers, testimony and a short homily. The people were very cordial to us. It was heartwarming to see Bob Ause shaking hands and greeting people, conversing in Hungarian, showing his love and regard for the people which was warmly reciprocated.

Meeting Hungarian Seminary Students

On another day we traveled to Papa where Bob and Tammy have been teaching church and religious English to 4 seminary students. These students have a fairly good grasp of the English language, but vocabulary relating to religion was lacking, so this was the emphasis of Bob and Tammy's teaching. Each of these young men gave a 10 minute presentation, some with PowerPoint visuals, some with pictures and graphs. Each had emerged from a different environment, ranging from Serbia to a large church in Rumania, a small church in Rumania, and a small Hungarian church. Each told us about the problems facing his particular church, and the problems were daunting. Only God in his own time can find a way to solve these problems.

Alpine Christian Retreat Center

We spent 4 days at Schloss Mittersill, a Christian retreat in the Austrian Alps. The original mission of this organization was to introduce people from Eastern Europe to Christianity, since they had grown up with no knowledge, no awareness, no assurance of the love of God through Christ. After Austria joined the European Union, their mission fell into disfavor with EU due to conflicting laws, and the organization is in the process of redefining its mission. We worshiped with this group on Sunday, a blended service of traditional liturgy with contemporary songs. I felt that "surely the presence of the Lord is in this place."

Bob and Tammy's relationship with Schloss Mittersill goes back to their courtship days and has continued during their mission tour of Hungary. They and their charming girls spent Christmas there along with many seminary students and Christian missionaries who could not go home for Christmas.

Ause Ministry: A Partnership with Other Hungarian Christians

I hope this long dissertation has helped to demonstrate how Bob and Tammy Ause have carried out their mission in Hungary with energy and a true love of God. Bob is especially talented at meeting people, quickly developing friendships, reaching out with love and caring that makes each individual feel special.  His knowledge of the language is essential to his success in this venture. Hungary is virtually isolated because of its language that resembles no other language in Europe - not the Romance languages, not the Germanic languages, not Russian and similar languages. Many times we witnessed him moving from group to group, shaking hands, laughing and conversing, and most importantly speaking the language. His outgoing personality draws people to him immediately, and people quickly perceive him as a loving, caring Christian who is interested in their lives.

Tammy is the more quiet but stable influence that provides the framework for Bob to spend his energy in productive ways. Both Bob and Tammy are devout Christians, and a powerful witness to all who are fortunate enough to know them. Their daughters, Emily and Erica, are wonderful ambassadors for Christ. They ride a bus 20 miles to a nearby town to go to a Hungarian school each day. They have learned to speak some Hungarian and understand much more. We were treated to a school program in which each girl participated with her own class. The program included singing, poetry, readings, baton twirling, flag dancing, and band playing. The band was marvelous as was the young pianist who played - what else? Mozart. In summary, I would like to affirm that the Ause family has witnessed for Christ in a country where Christians are struggling to renew their faith and rebuild their congregations. Hungarians are especially challenged to reach the so-called baby boom generation. Their current seminary students are the children of the older generation of believers. Bob and Tammy Ause and their children, Emily and Erica, serve as wonderful role models by rolling up their sleeves and diving into whatever ministry needs their special skills, from counseling with young ministers to teaching young seminarians, from attending a formal reformed church and singing in the choir to attending a contemporary church in a nearby town. But most of all, through their love of Christ and their love of the Hungarian people, they have affirmed the joy of Christian discipleship.

Donna Beverly