Last year's meeting of the Hungary-Romania Annual Conference was already a historic one: It was the first official meeting of the new Annual Conference consisting of these two neighboring countries. Now history has been made once again, as this gathering took place for the first time in Romania, in a city that is historically strongly influenced by Hungary. The bond was strengthened last year through reciprocal visits by individual groups and the organization of a joint meeting for the pastors. And it is not least the extremely committed and varied work with Roma people that connects the two districts.
The motto of the Annual Conference was "Here I am, send me" from Isaiah 6:8. God's love is for all people. That is clear to us. But how does this love reach people? Well, certainly in different ways — but often through other people who were and are willing to be sent by God.
"I have been thinking for a long time about how we can anchor Robi's missionary work in our structures," said the Rev. Rares Calugar, superintendent in the Romania district. He was referring to the work of Róbert Lakatos in Salacea, Albis, and Valealuimihal among Hungarian-speaking Roma. The former Roma musician, who worked in a Roma congregation after experiencing a calling and eventually served as its pastor, was commissioned as local pastor by the Annual Conference.
The fact that The United Methodist Church is growing slightly in both countries is cause for celebration and also reflects the great commitment of many. In this context, Calugar mentioned in particular the outreach to minorities and marginalized groups (in Romania these are not only Roma, but also people who have fled from Ukraine). He emphasized that it is not primarily about working for these people, but with them.
In the Hungarian district, Dániel Vadászi was commissioned as local pastor for the congregation in Szekszárd. The delegates traveled to Budapest on Saturday to celebrate Vadászi's appointment and the ordination of Kristóf Sztupkai as a United Methodist elder.
God's love is for all people. That is clear to us. There are many reasons to thank God for the Methodists in Hungary and Romania who allow themselves to be sent so that God's love reaches many people.
— Pastor Martin Obermeir-Siegrist, guest delegate from Austria, and Urs Schweizer, assistant to the Bishop, Zurich