Message of the Joint Synod of the Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church in Hungary at the occasion of the 500th Jubilee of Reformation

On the 13th October, the Reformed Church in Hungary and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary held a joint Synod meeting in Budapest on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the reformation. The Synod meeting concluded by adopting a Common Message.

At the 500^th Anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation Reformed and Lutherans, we give thanks together for God’s saving and sustaining work. We give thanks for our ancestors who let shine the name of Jesus Christ in the world longing for God, translated the Bible into mother tongues and preached the liberating Gospel of Christ’s redeeming cross and resurrection to each in his own language. Jesus bears the perfect image of God, the true humanity and the life in dignity is hidden in Him.

Today we express our unity based in Christ through the Holy Communion and the Joint Synod session witnessing/confessing our faith. We confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2,11). “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4,12).

We lament that we didn’t seek the unity of the Christian Church according to the measure of grace bestowed upon us and deplore whenever we failed to witness to the love of Christ with words and deeds in our life. We nevertheless confess and proclaim the trustworthy saying: “If we died with him, we will also live with him” (2 Tim 2,11). We believe that God, from eternity, has reconciled the world to himself in Christ and calls us through his Gospel to be reconciled to Him (2 Cor. 5,20)

We encourage our brothers and sisters to table and pulpit fellowship, according to the centuries old tradition and to relevant agreements (e.g. the Leuenberg Agreement), which exemplifies the realisation and experience of our Unity in Christ.

The Reformation has started a process in Europe, which is still going on. We need this renewal today as well in a world martyred/teased by the injustice and hit by wars. On 500^th anniversary of the Reformation we recommit ourselves to the fraternal unity, to healing the wounds of centuries, to the service of the Holy Church for the benefit/sake of every nations and communities.

We ask our redeemer God to keep us in love, guard and shelter us in fidelity and grace. We await for His Kingdom comes.

Come Lord Jesus! Amen!