Lilla Szabo is a theology lecturer at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary.
When did you trust Christ?
When I was 16, I joined a Christian scout group where the minister spoke extensively about Jesus and his calling. At that Bible study group, I decided that I would like to live with Jesus.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I could mention a lot of moments. The most striking moments were when God called me to be a pastor, gave me a family, set me up, kept me in ministry, and strengthened me again and again in shepherding souls. I experienced the presence of God through all of this, which gave me spiritual direction.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I want to meet colleagues working, researching, and teaching in similar fields. I look forward to exchanging experiences and hope we can enrich each other. At the 2024 ELF, in addition to developing in my calling, my soul was healing and being restored, too. I am in full-time ministry and a mother of three. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about my ministry field, renew my soul and relationship with God, and spend time with Christian brothers and sisters from all over the world.
What is your ministry?
I'm a senior lecturer at the University of Reformed Church in Hungary for the theological faculty in the Religious Education and Pastoral Psychology Department. I teach pastoral counselling and pastoral care. I'm also the head of the dormitory, where I do soul care in addition to organising daily life.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I studied at the same university where I'm now a teacher. As a student, I led many small groups in our church for young people. I often helped the university's chaplain organise missions to help the students practice in Christian camps. When my children went to institutes, I began the PhD program here. At that time, I wrote books for religious education and became a teacher at the university. Next, at the university, I attended a church where I could minister with my talents.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Our church needs evangelical and practical knowledge in pastoral care and spiritual guidance. I hope to enrich myself in this and put it to good use with the students in the classroom, in the dormitory, and our church.
