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 October 2026
In September we took part in the national gypsy mission prayer day and were greatly encouraged to hear stories of how God is moving in Roma communities around the country. After great teaching, worship and encouraging testimonies, many came forward for prayer for God’s spirit to move in us and in the communities represented.
We kicked off our autumn youth work in September with ‘burgers and Bible’ night and a youth festival at a nearby congregation. As we move into the winter period, we will focus less on group meetings and more on individual one-to-one discipleship. Pray for wisdom and grace to fill these study times, and for teachable spirits and hearts rooted in the word which will strengthen them to resist temptations and pressures of peers and family.
We praise God for answers to prayer, as we have been able to progress with some of the renovation work in the Prayer house. We would like to get as much done this autumn so we can hold services there during the winter, this includes fine plastering, painting and laying floor tiles in both the meeting room and small room. We continue to gather funding for the much bigger project of roof repairs.
In October the women’s Bible study group met twice for pasta making and twice for Bible study. We will finish our studies in the Psalms and move to a new series of character studies leading us up to Christmas. We are thankful for the three new ladies have recently started to attend and pray the women’s group would deepen in their love and knowledge of the Lord.
Prayer Points
- Please pray for our 11 October evangelism service in the village hall with testimonies, drama and a local praise band. Pray that many would attend and that the spirit of God would touch hearts.
- On 18 October we will have a concert in Hajdúböszörmény with the Crossyounity group from Romania. Pray for a great time of worship together.
- In late October Ilona will spend a week in Latvia on an interdiaconal exchange, joining a local youth ministry, teaching on the dangers of social media for youth on the margins.
- Pray for our usual Friday Bible studies finishing a series in the book of Daniel, and also our by-weekly Sunday services.
Mission report archive
Download a printable PDF of this and other recent bulletins below.