In Pastor Gábor Iványi’s office, a Bible rests on the coffee table alongside a large photograph depicting a homeless man sleeping on a bench outside of Parliament—an image that reflects the government’s neglect of the impoverished. Also present is a photograph of Queen Elizabeth II, who met with the charismatic pastor during her 1993 visit to Hungary, a time when the country seemed poised to strengthen its ties to Western European liberal democracies.
Pastor Iványi is the founder of the Church of Fellowship and the Oltalom Foundation, both located in Józsefváros, a struggling district in Budapest that stands as a testament to resistance against central authority. These organizations employ approximately a thousand people and provide homeless shelters and a network of schools catering to thousands of underprivileged students in Budapest and some of Hungary’s poorest areas.
“We’re doing what the state ought to be doing; they should even compensate us for this work,” Iványi asserted. However, he revealed that his Church of Fellowship lost its official status due to a 2011 law, which cut off public funding typically provided to institutions associated with the government, especially those aligned with the Catholic Church. Iványi perceives this as an act of “personal revenge” by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose children he had baptized. Reflecting on their relationship, Iványi stated, “During his first term as prime minister, I declined to pose for a photograph with him. I believe he was deeply offended and has sought retribution ever since.”
The pastor is unafraid to engage in political discourse. A former member of the liberal SzDSz party in Hungary’s first democratic parliament in 1990, and later serving under Orbán’s initial government from 1998 to 2002, he has consistently participated in opposition rallies. He criticizes the dire conditions within hospitals and schools, the misappropriation of public resources, and assaults on democracy. Iványi condemned “a system nearing fascism, whereby everything is consolidated in the hands of a single individual.”
“I would prefer not to have to engage in all of this,” he remarked. “But who else will take action? Cowardice is prevalent; people fear losing their jobs, and businesses are reluctant to support us.” Stripped of subsidies and burdened by debts and fines from the tax authorities, his charitable initiatives rely entirely on donations. Each year, supporters can designate 1% of their taxes to a charity of their choice; in the previous year, 73,000 people contributed approximately 3.8 million euros to Pastor Iványi’s organizations.
Targeted over the years, his circumstances have become dire. Following a heavy-handed raid by around 30 agents in February 2022, the tax authority demanded exorbitant amounts from him. Just before the commencement of the school year, they ordered the closure of several of his schools, leaving hundreds of underprivileged children without a place for education. Nonetheless, Pastor Iványi remains steadfast in his mission, drawing motivation from Gandhi’s teachings on civil disobedience.