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The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is embarking on a new training initiative in partnership with the Hungarian Reformed Church which seeks to develop the work of deaconesses. Under the arrangement, students for deaconess training at the Teacher Training College of Károli Gáspár Reformed University will spend up to four months in Irish Presbyterian congregations gaining experience within a local context.
The first two deaconess students to arrive in Ireland this autumn will be Miss Katalin Tóth and Miss Emöke Fuley who will be working with Greystone Road, Antrim and First Antrim congregations. Funding for much of the initiative comes from the European Union Leonardo programme, which financially supports vocational training in other countries.
A preliminary visit has already been made to Northern Ireland by Miss Judit Agòcs, Co-Ordinator for Practical Training at the Hungarian university. During her recent stay, Judit took opportunity to examine the wide variety of work that deaconesses of the Presbyterian Church engage in. Judit also met with ministers and members of the two Antrim congregations as well as officials of the Presbyterian Women's Association and Home Mission at Church House. Taking opportunity to stress the importance of the new initiative, Judit said:
"For 40 years under communism there was no deaconess work done in Hungary at all. In 1993 when we started training deaconesses we had no memories of the old work at all. After my experience here, I'm certain that students will benefit from learning in a different culture and language. In Ireland I have learnt that you have a vision for your church; that is something we share in Hungary as well."
Welcoming the arrangement, PWA Executive Secretary Margaret Myers said:
"We welcome this opportunity to share with our partner church in Hungary. We hope that this will be a positive experience for Katalin and Emöke and we look forward to learning from them about deaconess work in the Hungarian Reformed Church"
(l-r) Mrs Maureen Patterson, PWA President, Miss Judit Agòcs, Co-ordinator for practical training at Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Hungary, and Mrs Margaret Myers, PWA Executive Secretary at the launch of the training initiative partnership between the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Hungarian Reformed Church.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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