| Reformed Church in Hungary | |
| Logo of the Reformed Church in Hungary. | |
| Classification | Protestant |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Calvinist |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Associations | World Council of Churches, World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Conference of European Churches, Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary |
| Geographical areas | Hungary |
| Origin | 1848 |
| Congregations | 1,230[1] |
| Members | 2,400,000 |
| Ministers | 1,535[1] |
| Official website | http://www.reformatus.hu/ |
The Reformed Church in Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarországi Református Egyház) is a key representative of Christianity in Hungary, being numerically the second-largest denomination in Hungary after the Roman Catholic Church, and the biggest denomination among ethnic Hungarians in Romania. It is a Reformed Church in the Calvinist tradition.
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During the Reformation, Hungary was struggling to resist the influence of the Habsburg Monarchy and the Holy Roman Empire.
Some German-speaking students from Hungary in Wittenberg brought Lutheran ideas home in 1524. In order to gain support Ferdinand I and Maximilian II (1564-76) allowed some nobles and cities to choose their religion. Most of the Germans adopted the Lutheran doctrines and organized their church at the Synod of Erdőd, in 1545, while the Magyars organized their church at the Synod of Czenger in 1557, and at the Debrecen Synod of 1567 the Helvetic Confession was adopted.
When in 1606 Emperor Rudolph II suppressed religious liberty, Prince István Bocskay of Transylvania, allied with the Ottoman Turks, achieved autonomy for Transylvania, including guaranteeing religious freedom in the rest of Hungary for a short time. Then, religious persecution lasted until the mid-19th century.
The Church was closely linked with Hungarian nationalism, attaining full liberty in the revolutionary year of 1848. The revolt was decisively put down by the Habsburgs, but the 1867 accord with Austria, resulting in the dual monarchy, gave near-independence to Hungary. After World War I, Transylvania was incorporated into Romania, dividing the Church. The church struggled for its survival during the Communist regime, especially after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Emigration also helped to spread the Reformed faith of the Hungarians throughout the world.
The Reformed Church in Hungary is one of only two Reformed churches with an episcopal form of church government (the other being the Polish Reformed Church.) As of 2005, there are 22 Hungarian Reformed denominations. The Reformed Church in Hungary consists of four Districts headed by Bishops, almost 30 presbyteries with 1,500 churches, with a membership of around 2.4 million. There is a fraternal body, the World Federation Reformed Hungarians, with members in about 20 countries. The RCH is member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the World Council of Churches.
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