Balázs Scholars

(Video interviews below with Balázs Scholars produced by SKSM grad Dakotta J.K. Alex.)

Lidia-Emese Bodor (2017-2018) Rev. Lidia-Emese Bodor was born and raised in Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár, Romania. Her parents come from a little village near the city, called Suatu/Magyarszovát. That is the place where she spent her summer holidays during childhood and it is the village that still gives her a part of the feeling called home.

She finished her high school years at the János Zsigmond Unitarian High School. After that she studied at the Protestant Theological Institute and became a Unitarian minister. At the end of her studies she returned to the János Zsigmond Unitarian High School and started work as a religious teacher and school chaplain. For the last eight years most of her work has been related to children, youth and a variety of educational issues. She believes in the importance of education and loves working with students. She occasionally does other kinds of services and worships in different congregations, but does not have a congregation of her own. In the last few years she studied philosophy.

Emese has an active life and considers herself an optimistic person. She likes to deal with people, work with them, for them and help them. She believes that each of her decisions and options in life came by the hand of providence and she is grateful for everything.

Ma. Theresa (Tet) Gallardo (2016-2017) Rev. Tet Gallardo was ordained by the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines (UUCP) in April 2013 and called to serve the only congregation in Manila, the Bicutan Congregation.

For eight years previous to this, she has served as co-leader of a chalice circle, served as consultant for the Bicutan Congregation and as resource speaker on leadership development for the congregational conventions of the UUCP.

For over twenty years, she has worked on organizing women, youth, farmers, and labor interests for political pressure that results in better legislation. Thus, she has served over thirty NGOs and has served as consultant for many government leaders and political campaign managers for strategic leadership and communications.

In 2015, she founded a company that helps Philippine startups through the stages of establishing business and developing the value chain –  Amansinaya.com. She spent March 2016 in Nepal, taking a break from church and work by volunteering in disaster relief.

László (Laci) Major (2015-2016)  Rev. Major studied sociology in 2006-2007 at the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, and after a year joined the Protestant Institute of Theology in Kolozsvár. He finished his initial theological studies there in 2011, and has been serving as assistant minister in the Unitarian Congregation of Datk, while completing a master’s degree in theology, and at the same time a master’s in pastoral care at Babes-Bolyai University. He remains parish minister in Datk, which has 350 members in a Unitarian village of 500 people.

He writes, “In my congregation I organized events and programs for different age-groups. I initiated a church choir, a women`s association, summer camp for children (we have 50 children in our congregation, between 2 and 13 years), cultural events, social gatherings. We are in the middle of renovating our community house, to have more room for all the activities.  My wife, Orsi, is an English teacher in the nearby city. We have a 3 ½ year old daughter, her name is Bori.

“During my scholarship I would like to continue my studies in the pastoral care of families and the relationship between illness-health and faith. I am particularly interested in how I could put the theories related to these subjects into practice in congregational life.”

Szabolcs (Szabi) Czire (Fall 2014). Rev. Dr. Szabolcs (Szabi) Czire graduated from the Protestant Theological Institute in 1996, then was minister for three years in Sepsikoröspatakra. He began teaching at the Seminary in 1997. He spent the 1999-2000 study year at the Meadville/Lombard Theological School in Chicago. He completed a degree in sociology at 2006. His 2007 PhD dissertation was on historical Jesus research. He teaches: Biblical studies, hermeneutics, meditation-relaxation, youth sociology and religious sociology, protocol. Since 2009 he also works for the Unitarian bishop’s office as youth/RE coordinator (counselor). He organizes four national camps for all ages and coordinates another 20 local camps. He also publishes RE material, audio books, writes youth songs, and organizes adult educational programs. . He is a contracted columnist at the local newspaper, writing every week for the Szabadsá¡g (Liberty,which has approximately 40,000 readers).

Sándor  Kovács (Spring 2015) received his PhD in early Unitarian history from Szeged University in Hungary. His PhD dissertation was on English-Transylvanian connections in the 19th Century. He is an Associate Professor at the Protestant Theological Institute, Cluj (Kolozsvar), Romania where he teaches church history and history of religion. He also  translates, edits and publishes books. Kovács was one of the first Balázs Scholars at Starr King School in 1995-96. He returns to Starr King School as Balazs Scholar for the Spring Semester 2015, donating his time to teach a class so that Unitarian Universalists can better understand their heritage and other religious leaders can learn more about the role of Unitarians in church history.

Károly Vass (2013-2014) finished his initial theological studies in 2010, and has been serving as assistant minister in his home congregation in Sepsiszentgyörgy while completing a master’s degree in theology.  Before committing to ministry, he studied economics at Babes Bolyai University. “I am,” he says, “particularly interested in social ethics, but also in how Unitarian Universalist churches are organized, how religion is reflected in your daily lives, and how you welcome newcomers and share your values with them.” Rev. Vass is joined this year by his wife Gyöngyi, a former teacher in the Unitarian kindergarten in Kolozsvár who runs the Sunday School program in Sepsiszentgyörgy, and their two children, a girl, Veronika, who will be two in October, 2013 and a boy, Benedek, three years old.

Adél Nagy (2012-2013), the 18th Balázs Scholar in recent years, finished her theological studies in 2005, and served two years as an assistant minster and teacher of religious education. She is now the minister in the in the village of Recsenyéd (population 130, of whom 98% are Unitarian). She also works with Unitarian children in their camps, programs and English classes. Adél says, “I am particularly interested in the organizational life and dynamics of UU congregations, community building, conflict resolution and pastoral care. In the States I am looking for ways and methods to revive congregational life outside the church building and beyond Sunday services.”

Zoltán (Zoli) Kopándi-Benczédi (2011-2012) is the seventeenth Transylvanian Unitarian minister in recent years to study at Starr King School for the Ministry. Zoli finished his theological studies in 1991. He serves as the minister in Lupény-Vulkán, Déva and Vajdahunyad. He is joined by his wife Ildikó, a fashion and art stylist, and their son, Gusztáv. Zoli says that in addition to his studies at Starr King School, “My general interest is in the connection between church life and community development, particularly work done in multicultural environments. I am interested in everything from individual church’s missions, to how new congregations are started, to congregational growth plans. And of course, to experience life in different congregational settings as a way of learning.

Levente Lázár (2010-2011) finished his theological studies in 1995. Together with his wife Rev. Erika Demeter they serve five congregations.  They have been very involved in strengthening smaller, partnered congregations, and with renovating and building new churches.  In 2004 they dedicated a new church building in Erdoszentgyorgy, and in 2005 celebrated the renovation of the 210 year old church in Csokfalva. They are organizing the dedication of a new church building in Szovata.  Levente and Erica have a son, Levente and a daughter Réka.  He is interested in the connection between science and religion and in people’s belief systems, their relationships with God or the Transcendent, and with fulfilling spiritual needs.

Róbert Bálint (2009-2010) is the minister in the village of Mészkő, the Alabaster Village where Francis Balázs served. He also serves the small Unitarian congregation of Csegez. In addition to his theological studies, he has completed a degree in sociology at Kolozsvár Babes Bolyai University. He has been involved in the Unitarian youth movement, and worked with local social and charity organizations. With others, he has started the Balázs Ferenc Historical Preservation Project, designed to preserve and promote Francis Balázs’s spiritual and material heritage.  He edits the monthly Transylvania Unitarian newsletter. His wife, Réka is bookkeeper for the Meszko congregation and is going to library school. They have two children.

Endre Nagy (2008-2009) served as minister at the Gyergyószentmiklós fellowship in the Szélyudvarhely District of Transylvania. At present he is working at a radio station in Marosvasarhely and performs with a folk band. His wife Éva received her PhD in Theater Arts and is a theater director, now teaching theater arts, some of the classes in English.

Erika Orbán (2006-2007) has served as chaplain at the hospital in Sepsiszentgyörgy. She has been a minister of religious education and a hospital chaplain.  She served full time as youth minister and dormitory counselor at the Unitarian high school in Kolozsvár in 2005-2006.  Her fields of interest include pastoral care and building social networks in religious communities.

Zsolt Solymosi (2005-2006) is a religious educator, youth minister and dormitory counselor at the János Zsigmond Unitarian College, the 450-year old Unitarian high school in Kolozsvár. He also serves a small parish 70 miles from Kolozsvár. After returning from the States, he ran Transylvania Unitarian Radio for 3 years.  He leads annual bicycle tour pilgrimages for high school students in the summer and also supervises youth camps for Unitarian children.

Csaba Tódor (2004-2005) is the minister of the Unitarian congregation in Homorodszentpál. His wife Éva, is a school teacher and musician, and they have three girls.  Csaba says that with his wife and three girls, like the Virgin Mary, he is “blessed among women.” He has studied at Manchester College, England and is working on a PhD focusing on funeral practices in Transylvania as compared to Western Europe. He is especially interested in systematic theology and psychology.  He served as mentor to a Starr King student who spent a six months field placement in his village.  He recently was hired as Activities Director at a Senior Home in Lokod.

Mária Pap (2003-2004), along with Kinga-Réka (Zsigmond) Székely (1999-2000), was one of the first two women in 40 years to graduate from the Kolozsvár seminary, where all Transylvanian Unitarian ministers receive their theological education. After her return to Transylvania, Maria became the first female district dean. “It is a great moment not just for me, but for the women in the church,” she said.  Maria served two congregations for many years, one in the village of Szentivánlaborfalva , and the other in the city of Kézdivásárhely . She and husband László have a daughter.  Maria has started a French-speaking ministry on the web and has been to Africa to visit French start-up congregations.  In 2012 Maria took a position as Secretary to the Bishop and László became Media Director for the Unitarian headquarters.

Lajos Lőrinczi (2002-2003) serves as Dean of the Székelykeresztúr district’s 24 churches, and ministers to the villages of Csehétfalva and Tordátfalva, where many elderly people live. Csehétfalva was the home of Francis Balázs’ parents. Lajos’ wife, Tünde, with assistance from Lajos, translates theological texts into English. They offer a tour of Unitarian villages during the summer that consists of a week to ten day travelng by horse cart and staying at village houses.

Zsuzsa Bartha (2001-2002) is minister to the various small congregations of the northwest Diaspora, which have no full-time minister and meet in buildings belonging to other Protestant churches. She and her husband, Kari, live in Nagykároly in an area that has relatively few Unitarians. Kari works in private practice with his veterinary training. They have three sons.  Zsuzsa is actively involved with a project to build a new playground for the children of Nagykároly, getting financial support from the US, the city government and raising money from the parents. She says that her time in the US taught her valuable lessons about community organizing.  In 2012, she became the minister of the Unitarian Church in Koscord, Hungary which has its own church building.

Botond (Boti) Koppándi (2000-2001) served for a number of years in the village of Torockószentgyörgy, which is a favorite tourist area for visiting Hungarians and Americans. He now teaches homiletics at the Protestant Theological Seminary in Kolozsvar.  He is pursuing a PhD program.  He and his wife, Eva, have two boys

László Kiss (1998-1999) died of a heart attack after being seriously verbally abused by a Romanian official at a city meeting because he was Hungarian and Unitarian. He served as minister of the large Unitarian Church in Torda, and taught religious education classes to Unitarian public school students. His wife Matilda does administrative work for the church in the city of Marosvásárhely where she now lives with their two children.

Csaba Mezei (1997-1998) serves as minister in the Second Unitarian Church of Kolozsvár. He has translated American religious education materials into Hungarian. He has built up his church to over 600 members. One innovation that he has put into practice is based on his learnings from Starr King School. He now has lay people serving as “pastoral associates” who visit the people in the Church and report back to Csaba on those needing his personal attention. He and his wife Melinda, who works at the Unitarian headquarters, have three children.

Sándor Kovács (1995-96) teaches church history and history of religion at the Kolozsvár seminary. He received his PhD in early Unitarian history from the prestigious Szeged University in Hungary. He is translating, editing and publishing books. His wife Magdolna manages a Hungarian-language radio station. They have a son, Peter.

Sándor Léta (1994-95) serves as assistant minister to the Unitarian Bishop of Hungary at the Bela Bartok Unitarian Church in Budapest, a 450-member congregation of mostly former Transylvanian Unitarians. He also co-edits a newsletter for Unitarians in Hungary and has translated two theological books into English. He and his wife Erika have three daughters.

These scholars are the new religious leaders of Romania and Hungary. Using skills they enhanced at Starr King, in addition to serving as ministers of local churches, they also serve as translators for guest lecturers and meetings, participate in international conferences, work with youth, promote sustainable economic development in villages and help vitalize the Transylvanian Unitarian Church and Partner Church relationships. These Balázs Scholars bring insight and hope to their ministries and to their homeland. They’re also raising and guiding a wonderful new generation of Unitarians.