In Pastor Gábor Iványi’s office, a Bible rests on the coffee table alongside a striking photograph of a homeless man sleeping on a bench in front of Parliament, symbolizing the government’s neglect of the poor. Also displayed is a picture of Queen Elizabeth II, who visited the pastor during a trip to Hungary in 1993, a time when the country seemed to be embracing the principles of Western European liberal democracies.
Iványi, the founder of the Church of Fellowship and the Oltalom Foundation, operates in Józsefváros, a financially struggling district of Budapest that stands as a challenge to government authority. His organizations employ around a thousand people and provide homeless shelters and educational programs for thousands of underprivileged students across Hungary.
“We’re performing the duties that the government should be handling; they ought to compensate us for this work,” Iványi stated. However, he noted that his Church of Fellowship lost its official status due to a 2011 law, which cut off public funding that had typically gone to government-aligned institutions, particularly the Catholic Church. Iványi attributed this loss of funding to what he perceives as “personal revenge” from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom he previously baptized his children. Iványi recalled, “During Orbán’s first term, I declined a photograph with him, which I believe offended him and led to ongoing retaliation.”
A politically active figure, Iványi was initially part of the liberal SzDSz party in Hungary’s first democratic parliament in 1990 and continued to be involved during Orbán’s first term. He is a prominent voice at protests against the declining conditions of public services and the erosion of democracy. He characterized the current political climate as “a system close to fascism, where everything is controlled by one person.”
“I wish I didn’t have to take on these challenges, but who will if I don’t?” he expressed. “Fear is rampant; many are worried about their livelihoods, and businesses hesitate to back us.” Struggling with a lack of subsidies and burdened by debts and fines, his charitable initiatives depend entirely on donations. Last year, individuals allocated 1% of their taxes to Iványi’s organizations, resulting in around 3.8 million euros in support from 73,000 donors.
Over the years, Iványi has faced increasing challenges. After a significant raid by tax officials in February 2022, he was confronted with hefty financial demands. Shortly before the school year commenced, the tax authority ordered the closure of several of his schools, leaving numerous children in dire circumstances. Despite these obstacles, Pastor Iványi draws strength from Gandhi’s philosophy of civil disobedience and continues his mission.