Eco-Congregations in the Reformed Church in Hungary

Rev Ian Alexander, Rev Tamás Kodácsy, Right Rev David Arnott, Rev Eszter Karsay

The Right Reverend David Arnott, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland recently visited Hungary and met Tamas Kodácsy, who is leading the development of Ökogyülekezet, the eco-congregation movement in Hungary.  He reports on his visit.

The Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) has an historic connection with the Church of Scotland and an exciting growth point is our common interest in eco-congregations.  Their 'Church Market Garden' programme is trying to establish a direct link between rural farmers and the urban consumers of the church.

It arose out of a sense of responsibility for our created world, all human beings, animals and vegetables.
At the end of September 2011 they celebrated Creation Time 'Recycling. . . .so that nothing may be lost.' For the first time this was celebrated ecumenically with discussion leaflets, brochures and posters. The working group set up by the RCH contains many of the leading thinkers and activists on green issues in Hungary and recently they were invited by the Hungarian government to contribute to an on-going discussion. I am really pleased that the Church of Scotland is working with the RCH to support eco-congregations both in Hungary and in Scotland and that we can work and learn together to care for creation. 

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Ökogyülekezet (Eco-Congregation) Hungary recently launched a web site which can be found here: http://www.okogyulekezet.hu/

Partnership between the Reformed Church in Hungary and the Kirk

The Church of Scotland recently hosted a delegation from the Reformed Church in Hungary. The Hungarians came to the UK under the sponsorship of  the ECEN Eco-Management group which propomotes the development of twinning partnerships between churches in Europe with an Eco-Management ethos. ECEN also promotes the twinning of churches who would like to develop an eco management approach to their activities. The Hungarian delegation visited different Councils within the Church of Scotland and an agreement has been signed between both organisations. The low-down of the agreement is a project for the development and promotion of eco-congregations in Hungary.


The main goal of the project is to adapt the“Eco-congregation” programme to Hungarian church life, and to sensitize Hungarian churches and church members to care for creation in a self-supporting way. The Reformed Church in Hungary committs itself to develop and promote eco-management programs in Hungarian congregations and other church institutions since up to now, isolated programs and projects have been accomplished in the church, but the increasing need for environmental provision has prompted  them to establish a wide-ranging initiative of church environmental activities in Hungary. The project has established the following outputs by 2012.

Exchange information on activities and facilities within both countries
Import and adapt ideas from “Eco-Congregation Scotland” project, 
Form an Advisory Council in Hungary to help congregations to make the link between environmental issues and Christian faith both in spiritual and practical life,
Organise conferences in Hungary on the Christian eco-management, 
Establish a Hungarian homepage and printing leaflets to disseminate eco-congregation facilities, 
Translate relevant materials from http://www.ecocongregation.org/, 
Establish an Eco-Congregation Award Scheme in Hungary.

Congratulations on the agreement. This opens up great prospects of cooperation between churches in Hungary and Scotland.