31 August 2018 | Belgrade, Serbia [Julian Hibbert]
It’s not often a sturdy, home made tandem gets wheeled on stage in the middle of a worship service. It is just as rare when sixty pastors who once in dispute with each other, could stand together on the same platform in a sign of togetherness, reconciliation and unity.
It was Wednesday evening, 29 August at the 2018 European Pastors’ Council in Belgrade, Serbia. The pastors and administrators of the Hungarian Union, many with their spouses also present, trouped onto the stage to express the beautiful spirit of solidarity that the Adventist Church in the country now enjoys. Until recently, Adventists there had been divided into two groups that had been in dispute with each other for more than 40 years. [See Church Reconciliation in Hungary celebrated, for more background.]
Pastor Rafaat Kamal, Trans-European Division President, took a moment to comment on the reconciliation process and allow the Hungarian leaders to share their personal observations. From what they said, it soon became clear that this schism had come about while they were still children or young teenagers. There was hardly a dry eye as they quietly expressed their joy that the Adventist family in Hungary were united again.
The tandem bicycle was an apt symbol of the journey these brave Christians have begun. It was the largest, sturdiest home-built tandem bicycle many have ever seen. Robustly engineered for touring, it had been ridden 367 km from Hungary to the congress in Belgrade by two pastors who were once kept apart by conflict. Now they peddle together as a fitting symbol of reconciliation!
Tamás Ócsai, president of the Hungarian Union Conference, shared that this reconciliation had been achieved by careful, non-judgemental listening on both sides. His big hope and encouragement: “If this can be done in Hungary, perhaps it can set an example for other parts of our church where conflict is seen.”
General Conference President, Pastor Ted Wilson, closed the brief celebration by thanking God for this miracle of His unifying grace.
Find out more by watching the Hungarian report starting at 16’30” during the Wednesday evening worship.
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, editor; Sajitha Forde-Ralph, associate editor
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