István Horváth is a Missionary with OM Hungary and the Secretary General of the Hungarian Evangelical Alliance.
When did you trust Christ?
I was 19 when I met Jesus Christ. Until that time, I believed that God existed, but I thought He was very distant from me and that I couldn't know Him personally. Then, I had an experience where I felt His presence and love, so I prayed to God and received His forgiveness and His peace.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I have had many joyful experiences in my life. I have also had a lot of trouble in my Christian life, but through every experience, I have received the peace of God. After becoming a Christian, I left the Catholic church and founded a little independent church. Sometimes, our church was under pressure (mainly during communism), but God gave us His grace, and the church grew. Later, problems started among us in the church's leadership, and we had some serious controversies and divisions, but God was with me through it all.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I am very thankful for the Forum and the Forum's Bible Teachers and Preachers Network. This Network is essential because I teach in my church and other churches. Through the Forum, I received excellent, practical teaching to apply to my ministry. The Forum makes me a better Bible teacher and preacher. In addition, I have met great Christians in this place, and we can talk with each other and grow in our faith.
What is your ministry?
I lead the ministry of the Hungarian Evangelical Alliance as the General Secretary. In addition, I lead a Bus4Life ministry through Operation Mobilisation Hungary. We serve in schools with a pro-life program and among marginalised people, such as prostitutes. I also serve in M28, a group that mobilises Baptist people to foreign missions, and I serve in ministry groups that work with blind people, Roma people, and recently divorced people. Finally, I am part of the leadership in our church--I preach regularly and am part of the praise and worship team. More recently, I have been involved in humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
In 2000, I joined a local Baptist church, where I became an elder, a home group leader, and a mentor. Before that, I was a pastor in our underground church from 1982 to 1999.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
My ministry reaches hundreds nowadays, including Ukrainian refugees. Therefore, I want to be better equipped to do what God calls me.
