TheHungarian Evangelical Fellowship (HEF=Magyarországi Evangéliumi Testvérközösség – MET) is aChristian church of theMethodist confession. TheHungarian Evangelical Fellowship accepts spiritual affinity with the Methodists of the 18th century and with Methodist churches of today which have preserved that heritage. Its founders separated from theHungarian Methodist Church(Magyarországi Metodista Egyház – MME) in 1974–1975,[1] and suffered official harassment until it was officially registered on 1 October 1981. It is led byGábor Iványi.[2]
The church accepts theApostles' Creed, agrees with the common recognition of the German and Helvetianreformation, and professes articles of faith composed byJohn Wesley based on the 39 articles of theAnglican Church. The Fellowship professes Jesus Christ as itsSavior. In conformity with the recognition of the Reformation, the only norm for its faith and Christian life isHoly Scripture. It seeks to fulfill its mission as a Christian church by trusting the guidance of theHoly Spirit. Its calling is to preach the Word of God in words and in writing, to provide spiritual care for its members, and to support all who wish to be converted and need and accept its service. It considers its duty to encourage the poor, needy, disabled and weak in society, and help the endangered to the best of its abilities.[3]
In the 1970s members of HEF, due to internal tension created by the dictatorial powers of thecommunist Hungarian government and its state security forces, and because the church leaders of the MME were collaborating with theparty-state elements, were forced to take their ministerial activities to a new community, and so exposed themselves to police and administrative harassment: dislodgement, church premises taken away, suspended imprisonment sentences, etc. This outcast group took strong action to protect their Methodist identity. In addition to using other symbols, their name request in Hungarian originally contained the word "Methodist". However, the State Office for Church Affairs(Állami Egyházügyi Hivatal) refused to let them use that name, since there was already a Methodist denomination in Hungary. So the initials of the name they chose,Magyarországi Evangéliumi Testvérközösség, form the first three letters of the word Methodist.[4]
The main ecclesiastical board of the church is its National Assembly, headed by the President of the Church. The members of the National Assembly are fully ordainedpastors and lay delegates of thecongregations. Assistant ministers have a right of consultation at the National Assembly. Members of the church are gathered in congregations of various sizes. Smaller sub-congregations are often grouped into larger congregations, which in turn are grouped into church districts. The head of a congregation is its Pastor, employed by the church, or a person head it by the President of the Church. A small congregation can be formed where at least 10 members or candidates for membership ask for its establishment. When smaller congregations form one full congregation, the territory of the congregations is established by the President of the Church. The life of the congregation is directed by the pastor employed by the church or other person authorized by the President of the Church and the Parochial Assembly.[5]
On the current status of the church and other Methodist-derived churches in Hungary see theMethodism article.
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