Happy Easter!

He Is Risen!

Flower Sunday

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, called Virág vasárnap (or Flower Sunday) here in Hungary.  It is truly spring in Hungary and flowers are beginning to appear.  Happy Flower Sunday, a day late.

Our neighbor's flowers in her garden

Goodbye to Good Friends

Last weekend we ministered in Gherla, Romania.  We had a wonderful time there and enjoyed the presence of the Lord in the service Sunday morning.  It was good to see new faces and to feel the love and joy of our precious brothers and sisters in Christ.

Many times on our weekend trips to Gherla, we have stayed with Heinz and Rosmarie Bahren.  Heinz and Rosmarie are missionaries from Switzerland and are great hosts and even better friends.  This weekend was our last visit with them, though, since they will be leaving Gherla soon to go back to Switzerland to live.  They have been faithful supporters of the Open Bible Church in Gherla and will be missed by everyone there also. Thank you, Rosmarie and Heinz, for all you have done for us and for your great friendship!  God bless you, your family and especially your new baby granddaughter!

Prayer for Hungary Update

At prayer meeting this evening we received word that the Hungarian National Court ruled in favor of Open Bible Churches.  One point they made is that the Ministry of Religion may not require that Open Bible Churches be in existence for 100 years before they can apply for official church status.  This ruling will most likely set a precedent that will allow other denominations who had previously been denied official church status to apply again.  So, the next step for Open Bible will be to make application for church status.  Praise the Lord for this answer to prayer!  Please keep praying for the Hungarian churches.

Pray for Hungarian Open Bible Churches

Open Bible Church in Ibrány

Please pray for Hungarian Open Bible Churches this week.  Wednesday Field Director Mihály Gulyás and his lawyer daughter Mirjam will appear before the national court to determine whether Open Bible Churches will receive recognition from the government as an official church.

Here are more details: Four years ago, the Hungarian Parliament passed a measure that allowed only 14 large denominations and religious groups to receive the special status granted to churches.  This included the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformed Church, the Baptist Church, the Pentecostal (Holiness) Church, Jewish organizations and others.  It did not include any smaller denominations such as the Church of God, the Mennonites, the Free Christian Church, Open Bible Churches and many, many others.  All those organizations that were not allowed to continue to receive recognition as churches, were allowed to file as "religious associations." This change means that small denominations no longer have the privileges of church organizations.  One important privilege is Hungary's 1% tax designation.  Instead of charitable donations being tax deductible, citizens may designate a charitable organization on their personal income tax forms to receive one percent of the taxes they pay that year.  Churches may participate in this programs while religious associations may not.

Soon after this new law was passed, there were objections to it from all quarters including from the European Union, who said that the law did not comply with the EU's religious freedom standards.  It was decided that an appeal be made to the Hungarian Constitutional Court and Open Bible Churches was chosen to be the plaintiff.  The Constitutional Court took more than two years to give a ruling, but finally decided that the law was not constitutional and that a new law had to be passed.  Last September, Parliament made revisions to the law, but the revisions still do not allow Open Bible to be a church.  So, please pray for Open Bible Churches in Hungary and for all the other churches affected by this law.  The Lord reigns and we pray that His Kingdom comes and that His Will be done in Hungary as it is in heaven.