Choral Trip to Hungary
The Great Church at Debrecen

42 participants from Myers Park Presbyterian Church participated in a 13-day worship concert tour throughout Hungary from August 10 to 22, 2006. The Myers Park choir sang in worship at the Great Church of Debrecen, August 13, where Myers Park pastor Steve Eason gave the sermon. The choir gave a total of five concerts in Debrecen, Nyirbator, Saraspotok, Csenger, and Budapest. Click here for Steve's Hungarian Sermon at the Great Church.

History of MPPC's relationship with The Great Church

Since November 12, 2000 Myers Park Presbyterian Church has been involved in a Twinning relationship with The Great Church of Debrecen, Hungary (a Calvinist Reformed congregation).

During these past six years much has been accomplished through many visits of our Hungarian brothers and sisters in Christ from the Great Church to MPPC.

Since the political change in 1989 (the fall of Communism), the Great Church of Debrecen has been working very diligently to transform the Christian culture of the eastern region of Hungary. The Hungarians still live in a predominately socialized system where the state maintains a great deal of influence over social networks.

The Great Church has focused its outreach ministries to meeting those individual needs that the state has ignored.  By helping people as individuals and meeting their human needs, they are extending the Love of Christ in a very troubled society. Under the leadership of their pastor, Rev. Zsigmond Vad (since the political change in 1989), the church has developed many wonderful outreach programs for the people of HungaryWe have had numerous exchanges with adults and youth. On their visits our Hungarian friends observed our work with our homeless neighbors through Room In the Inn and the Urban Ministry Center. Using our work as a model, they are now providing aid to their growing homeless population.

We have worked with The Great church in their ministry at Immanuel Home, a center for disabled children, by sending therapists to share knowledge from their work in the United States. Their youth pastors have visited our church and are learning various ways to encourage their youth in the Christian faith. We are finding that as they learn from us, we learn even more from them as we view a faith that has survived through years of oppression.

History of the Great Church at Debrecen

The Hungarians of the Reformed church, including those of The Great Church in Debrecen, have been abused beyond the experiences of the rest of the country. As early Protestants after the Reformation, these Christians faced discrimination from the dominant Catholic authorities. During the Counter-Reformation when the Roman Catholic church sought to re-establish Catholic control over Europe, sometimes through violent means, the Reformed Church members suffered greatly.

The current Great Church building was built in 1817 and can hold 3,000 worshippers. There has been a church on this site since the 10th century, and has been of the Reformed faith since 1536. Since the fall of communism, The Great Church has been steadily rebuilding its congregation. Three areas The Great Church is attempting to reach out to the community include the following: Homeless Ministry

This is an emerging ministry for The Great Church. After visits to MPPC where people from The Great Church had an opportunity to observe outreach efforts to the homeless community in Charlotte, ideas were taken back to Debrecen, and now The Great Church is providing food and clothing for their homeless community. They are in the process of locating a new building to house their ministry where they can also offer job training, Bible study, mail service and laundry facilities.Koszikla Foundation (The Rock)

Since 1991, "The Rock" has provided help to people from the Ukraine and Romania who are coming to Debrecen for lifesaving medical treatment. More than 2,500 people have been treated and housing has been provided for over 5,000 since this ministry began. Ministry to the Roma Community

The fastest growing segment of the Hungarian population is the Roma people. As more Roma families relocate in Debrecen, they bring with them issues of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and illiteracy. The Great Church recognizes the need to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the Roma community.