GAW’s General Secretary visits Transcarpathia

Enno Haaks, the General Secretary of Gustav-Adolf-Werk (GAW), made a solidarity and fraternal visit to Transcarpathia on 3-5 October to the leadership of the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia (RCT) and the RCT Diaconal Coordination Office.

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Photo: Ecumenical Office

The Gustav-Adolf-Werk (GAW) contributes to the diaspora work of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), helping “Protestant congregations worldwide to live their faith in Jesus Christ in freedom and to work diaconally in their communities.”

The GAW has been actively supporting the congregations and community in Transcarpathia for many years. In addition to the church and parish renovation projects supported by the GAW every year, the General Secretary also discussed the extraordinary aid provided in the context of the war situation. The German aid organisation aims to continue its support in 2026, which is used to maintain crucial activities of the church, such as social kitchens, educational and humanitarian programs, children's and youth programs, supplementing the salaries of church workers and covering the fuel costs of pastors, as well as supporting parish and church renovations related to the extraordinary situation.

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Photo: Ecumenical Office

Enno Haaks met with Bishop Sándor Zán-Fábián of the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia, with whom he also visited Mezővár. With Deputy Lay President Béla Nagy, director of the Diaconal Coordination Office, they visited the confirmation candidates of the Bereg church presbytery in Nagybereg, as well as the churches in Izsnyéte and Tiszaújhely, for which GAW had supported renovations, where he met with pastors and presbyters.

Prior to his visit to Transcarpathia, the General Secretary met with Bishop József Steinbach, Ministerial President of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary where the Bishop emphasised the important role of the church, particularly in being a voice of hope and prayer. Finally, he visited the Reformed Roma Mission, which has been supported annually by the GAW since 2018. Here, Haaks held talks with Kinga Lakatos, the head of the ministry, and Andrea Ignácz, the HEKS project coordinator. Among the construction projects in Hungary, he visited the renovation of the congregation centre in Zsámbék.

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Photo: Ecumenical Office

The GAW provides an annual support to the RCH, which since 2017, the church has contributed to the renovation of the congregation centre/church, which is also supported by national collection money, and for the programs of the Roma mission. The GAW also acts as a connection to partner churches in the Middle East, facilitating and contributing to RCH support for sister churches in Syria.

The GAW is a key partner and supporter of the Reformed community in Transcarpathia, which is important for the RCT not only because of their support for project cooperation and program support, but also because an element of the GAW's mission includes enriching religious life and strengthening the Protestant voice, a critical endeavour in challenging contexts.

The GAW was founded in 1832 in Leipzig as Gustav-Adolf-Stiftung. According to its mission statement, GAW supports protestant communities worldwide to enable them to live their faith in Jesus Christ in freedom and to engage in diaconia in their settings. The GAW follows the biblical motto: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6,10)

GAW and RCH have been working together also outside Hungary in the past years. We have coordinated our efforts for the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia, Ukraine and we have been journeying together with minority churches in the Middle-East, especially in Lebanon and Syria. As of 2018, RCH has renounced part of the annual GAW allocation and redirected 5000 EUR to projects in Ukraine and another 10 000 EUR to support protestant churches in Syria.