Csaba & Ilona Veres
Csaba and Ilona have been serving as global mission workers in partnership with the Hungarian Reformed Church in Romania since 2000.
Latest mission report
Csaba and Ilona's mission work
In January 2024 they moved to Hungary to serve in the Transtibiscan district of the Hungarian Reformed church as church planters and gypsy mission workers in an Intercultural church plant in the village of Bodaszőlő, Northeast Hungary. The Bodaszőlő church plant is a ministry of the Kalvin Square Reformed Church in the town of Hajdúböszörmény.
Ilona and Csaba work together with leaders and members of the mother church (Kalvin Square Reformed church, Hajdúböszörmény) and also a small team of local Hungarian Reformed church gypsy mission workers and a part time pastor. The team aim to faithfully preach the gospel of Jesus to the Hungarian and Roma residents of Bodaszőlő, calling them to become disciples of Jesus. There has never been a church in the village of Bodaszőlő before and it is the prayer of the team that God will bless this church plant with a vibrant, living fellowship where future local leaders can be trained, and God’s name is glorified through transformed lives.
In their initial period Csaba and Ilona will focus on building relationships and exploring opportunities for introducing patterns for evangelism, Bible teaching, pastoral care and worship, helping to form the vision and strategy for missional church. Importance is placed on communicating the gospel in such a way that it is understood across cultures and organising programs where all cultures feel welcome and included. As an intercultural church plant working in an area of social deprivation, the ministry calls those who love the Lord to serve the poor and needy in the community through diaconal work.
The church plant currently run activities from a rented house in the centre of the village and Csaba and Ilona are involved in pastoral family visits, bible studies and evangelistic outreaches. Ilona leads a women’s bible study and a women’s service group who find practical ways to help struggling families.
Summer ministry is spent organising and leading Bible camps, football outreach, evangelistic youth events and programmes with children and young adults, in partnership with the youth in the mother church.
Ilona grew up in Sloan Street Presbyterian Church, Lisburn and Csaba in the Hungarian Reformed Church in his hometown of Zalău. Csaba and Ilona have two adult daughters.
Prayer points
- Give thanks for the work of God through the Kalvin square Reformed church, and for their vision for the church plant at Bodaszőlő.
- Praise God for those seeking the Lord and for the small group of 15 Hungarian and Roma who have come to faith and attend bible studies, services, women’s group and serve the disadvantaged in the community.
- Pray for Csaba and Ilona and the team at Bodaszőlő as they minister to this diverse community daily. Pray the team would walk closely with the Lord, be gospel focused, fervent in prayer, and set God honouring goals.
- Pray for the witness of the Hungarian Reformed church among Hungarians and Roma in the country.
Csaba and Ilona have recorded a short film clip which can be downloaded and used in church services, prayer meetings or events to raise awareness and prayer for what God is doing across the world, as we seek to go deep and wide in global mission involvement.
Latest report September 2026
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
During the summer months Csaba continued football training with the boys, greatly helped in July by our Exodus team from Kilbride.
They trained with the boys, improving their ball control, raising stamina and speed, and spending time on drills to improve discipline and teamwork. The highlight however was the friendships formed and opportunities for personal testimony.
At both the water breaks and our evening youth event, the boys listened well to the testimonies and engaged well with questions. Some boys opened up about personal struggles and family difficulties, and it was a great joy to hear one lad give testimony of his faith in Jesus and challenge the others that we can even play football for the glory of God, by showing an attitude of love and grace and forgiveness on the pitch.
On 15 August the REFO championship took place, where 10 teams came together from across the church district to compete and to experience football, faith and friendships in the wider church family. We were proud of the diligence and determination of the Bodaszőlő boys in practice and delighted with their results at the championship too. The older boys won the championship in their age group, and the younger boys received the silver medal in their age group.
In late August we took time to visit every family in Bodaszőlő who sent children to our Bible week, youth week or football training this summer. Although this was really tiring, often in extreme heat, it was a great blessing, and we praise God for the wonderful openness to speak about new life in Christ, to pray with each family and to invite them along to study the word together as the autumn Bible studies start up again.
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that football has opened doors to connect with young boys who would otherwise be challenging to connect with. Pray that the Spirit would continue to speak into their lives and they would respond to the good news.
- Pray as the youth group re-starts in September that many of those we connected with in the summer would come along and have a hunger for the Word.
- We will be on annual leave during the first two weeks of September, pray for a good time of rest and refreshment.
Mission report archive
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