Members of a Baptist church in Cambridgeshire have just returned from a first successful twinning trip to Hungary where they discovered much more in common than they expected

 

Godmanchester has been twinned with the Hungarian town of Szentendre for a number of years - and recently the English Baptist church decided to see if there was a comparable church to link up with.

Much to their surprise, there was. 'We were amazed to find a Baptist church there much like ours,' explained senior pastor the Revd John Smith, 'facing the same challenges of a growing congregation in a beautiful town.'

The team spent time with their church leaders describing some of their church life, worshipping at the church on the Sunday morning as well as sightseeing in Szentendre and Budapest.

'Both church buildings are found in residential areas with parking problems, and with growing attendance', said John.

'However, our Hungarian friends are able to purchase a large piece of land on the edge of town for a new building. It's something we could only dream about doing here in the UK.'
During the visit the group attended a British themed evening for over a hundred young adults.

'We were asked to tell them about some British customs, so I told them about Guy Fawkes night', said Rachel Johnson, 'I even tried some of it in Hungarian.' Others explained about subjects ranging from village vegetable competitions and the British weather to what happens under the mistletoe.

The trip has strengthened the connections between the churches and plans are being drawn up for young people from Szentendre to travel to Godmanchester next year, as well as the sharing of resources, ideas and news on a regular basis.

Ann Newman, another team member, said, 'We were overwhelmed by the hospitality, gifts and love we were shown by the church. We hope we can do the same when they next visit us.'

More than 300 churches with a total of around 11,500 members belong to the Baptist Union of Hungary.