Greetings

The essence and foundation of our mission is the fulfillment of the Great Commission given to us by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. After Jesus’ public baptism in the Jordan River, he officially began his ministry of saving the world. He chose 12 disciples and instructed them on the Kingdom of God. For three years, he taught them daily, sharing with them every detail of his life. After witnessing his boundless love, the sacrifice of his life, his resurrection and ascension, he entrusted them with the task of sharing the good news of eternal life with all people. This global message reached our country through the faithful stand of generations, the heroes of faith, preachers, and evangelists empowered by the Holy Spirit, many of whom became martyrs. 

Baptists who practice biblical confessional baptism do not baptize anyone until a person testifies of their faith and voluntarily requests baptism. This means that a person who is interested in the world of God, whether in his or her family, congregation or at an institutional level, must be instructed in the basics of the faith, as was practiced in the early Christian church through catechetical instruction. 

During the Reformation, children and young people in the Anabaptist community were taught to read and write through the Bible. This was both in the family community and in the school system of the Habán courts set up on their farms. There was a Habán manor house in Sárospatak as well, established by Anabaptists settled by Prince György Rákóczi I. The internationally renowned and excellent teacher Comenius (János Szeges in Hungarian) taught in Sárospatak between 1650 and 1654, and he himself referred to the cohesiveness, steadfast faith, and exemplary behavior of the Habán Anabaptists in educating and training children. 

This noble tradition has been adopted and is still practiced by Baptists in our country as well as around the world. The Baptist revival movement, which took off with renewed momentum in the 19th century, gained strength in the Carpathian Basin through the systematic spreading and teaching of the Bible. In the multiplying churches of Hungarian and other nationalities, the teaching of the Scriptures in the mother tongue was the main focus. However, this required trained teachers, evangelists, preachers, and pastors. 

Initially, the leaders and preachers of newly established congregations received a few weeks or months of training, but there was a growing demand for systematic and regular, more in-depth theological studies. The first trained preachers received theological instruction at theological institutes abroad. Mainly in Germany, England, and America. 

In Hungary, after the legal recognition, theological education officially began in Budapest in 1906. Since then, our institution has been considered an institution of higher education unconditionally abiding by the authority of the Bible, adhering to the original teaching of the Scriptures, free from theological extremes, and professing and representing conservative principles of evangelicalism. 

The Baptist Theological Seminary is maintained by the Baptist Union of Hungary. The professors teaching at our Institute of Theology perform their work in addition to the necessary academic training, with a commitment to faith and a wealth of missionary experience and practice. 

In the technically well-equipped lecture rooms, training is offered in three areas of study: BA in Theology, MA in Theology, and Chorister BA Programs. We welcome applications for all three programs, regardless of denominational background. 

We hope that the information on our website will allow you to learn more about the educational structure and the diverse training programs offered by our Seminary. I wish all our website visitors God’s blessing! 

Dr. Kálmán Mészáros 

Rector of the Baptist Theological Seminary, Budapest