Reformed Church in Hungary | |
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![]() Logo of the Reformed Church in Hungary. | |
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Continental Reformed |
Theology | Reformed |
Polity | Presbyterian |
Associations |
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Region | Hungary, Hungarian diaspora |
Origin | 1567 |
Separated from | Roman Catholic Church |
Separations | Reformed Presbyterian Church of Central and Eastern Europe (1998) |
Congregations | 1,249[1] |
Members |
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Ministers | 1,550 |
Official website | http://www.reformatus.hu/english/ |
The Reformed Church in Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarországi Református Egyház, MRE, pronounced [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːgi ˈrɛformaːtuʃ ˈɛɟhaːz]) is the largest Protestant church in Hungary, with parishes also among the Hungarian diaspora abroad. It is made up of 1,249 congregations in 27 presbyteries and four church districts and has a membership of over 1.6 million, making it the second largest church in Hungary, behind the Catholic Church. As a Continental Reformed church, its doctrines and practices reflect a Calvinist theology, for which the Hungarian term is református (pronounced [ˈrɛformaːtuʃ]).
The Hungarian Reformed Church became the symbol of national Hungarian culture, since it led to the translation of the Bible into the Hungarian language by Hussite pastors, and contributed to the education of the population through its school system.[2]