Missionaries to Hungary find it relatively easy to get into the once-communist nation, but finding a way into the hearts of the people is a different story.
Although traditional methods of evangelism are not effective with Hungarians, Baptist workers in the eastern European nation have discovered that sports can break the ice.
While International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries say they can legally spread the gospel in Hungary, they still face suspicion from the people of Hungary. Following a millennium of Catholicism and a half-century of communism, Hungarians identify Baptists with cults, making them hard to reach with the message of the gospel.
Missionary Ron Brown of the Western Hungary Team said, “Our team is seeking to build bridges into the community — developing friendships and gaining trust to share the gospel.”
The teams look for ways to establish relationships with the people of Hungary.
Brown said, “We tend to look for anything that is creative, innovative and culturally appropriate as a means to tell people about God’s salvation through Christ.
“Traditional western methods of door-to-door visitation, street preaching and evangelism rallies do not work well among Hungarians,” Brown added.
Mark Aderholt of Team Budapest agreed. “We basically use anything that helps us gather people and allows us natural first-time contact and natural continued contact.”
One of the most effective means of reaching the Hungarian people is through sports games and clinics.
“Sports training is something we can offer professionally and meets an educational and entertainment need for certain sections of our people,” Aderholt explained.
Sports offers a way into areas normally closed to the gospel.
A team of former NCAA basketball players recently visited schools in Budapest — even parents are not allowed in the schools during the school day — and brought their message of salvation along with the instruction in basketball.
When invited to bring their parents back that night, 90 of them came back and heard a full presentation of the gospel.
Brown explained why he thinks sports is so effective as an outreach tool.
“Hungarians enjoy sporting events of any kind. If you walk by the newsstands, you’ll find daily sports newspapers. There are at least three 24-hour sports cable stations like ESPN,” he said.
The enjoyment is not limited to organized or professional sports, according to Brown. “Hungarians love to be outside. As soon as the weather warms up, you’ll find Hungarians on outings at the park, river or lake, hiking, biking, working in the garden or strolling the city center,” he said.
In June, a team of volunteers from Arapahoe Road Baptist Church in Colorado visited Hungary. They led sports clinics in volleyball, Frisbee golf and softball.
The highlight, said volunteer Jay Moyers, was softball. “We taught them how to throw, catch and bat.” As a result of the softball games, an 18-year-old girl named Ezsti accepted Christ.
Team member Larry Ewing reported, “She was excited about playing softball but couldn’t believe her ears when she realized that we also had the truth for which she had been searching.”
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