Hungary

International Mission to Jewish People reaches out to Jewish people around the world to share the Good News. Budapest is home to more than 80,000 Jewish people – in fact, this large Jewish community makes up 80% of Hungary’s entire Jewish population, making it the largest native Jewish population of any city in East Central Europe. Bogi Kozma is our missionary based in Budapest and she is reaching out in creative ways to share the gospel. Please pray that the Lord will move among this community of Hungarian Jewish people and that many will come to faith as they hear the Good News.

Please pray for Acorn Camps and its work training up Hungarian youth leaders to teach the Bible a little more faithfully, relevantly and clearly. The CORE training year long course takes 12 youth leaders each year. Please pray for wisdom for the team as they develop and plan to run two courses from September. Pray also for plans to work in partnership with other similar organisations in Hungary.

CWI’ s missionary in Budapest reaches out to the Jewish community through street evangelism and regular outreaches focused on the annual Jewish festivals. Pray for Jewish people there as they are introduced to Jesus and the good news about salvation through him.

The Bartimaeus Foundation has been set up by Tibor Miklós, a blind man and a friend of Torch Trust. This non-profit organisation aims to support people with sight loss in Hungary through social integration, training for jobs, and further practical support, alongside introducing people to the gospel of Christ and helping them grow in a relationship with God. Please pray for Tibor and the continued work of the Bartimaeus Foundation.

Torch sends accessible Christian resources to people with vision impairment in 100 countries. The aim is to ensure that people who are blind or partially sighted have equality of access to Christian resources, fellowship and pastoral care, and equal opportunity to serve and grow in their faith, including as leaders. Pray for Torch partner, Pastor Tibor Miklós in Hungary, who is bringing his own testimony and personal experience of sight loss to engage churches in reaching out to people with visual impairment.

Hungary, a landlocked nation in Central Europe, has a colourful past going back at least 1,100 years. Part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867, the Hungarians lost considerable territory and population as a result of the aftermath of World War I and fell under Soviet domination following World War II. Hungary was the first Communist Bloc country to institute a multi-party democracy in 1990. Many Hungarians have since identified themselves as Catholics - the predominant religion prior to World War II. Despite a significant number of evangelical Christians, there remains a deep spiritual need.

Population: 9,797,561 (2017)
Literacy: 99%
Official languages: Hungarian
GDP (PPP) per capita: $28,965 (2017 est.)
Life expectancy: 75 years
Religions: 56% Atheist or Agnostic, 28% Catholic, 12% Protestant, 1% Jewish, 1% other religions