Partner Church Project

A view of Magyarzsakod, including the Unitarian Church.

UUCR's Partner Church Project is part of the Partner Church program of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) established early in 1990 to develop a support network of UU churches in North America to help the churches in Transylvania on an individual basis.  The UUCR Partner Committee coordinates its efforts with the Greater Washington Area Partner Church Council (GWA PCC) and with the National Partner Church Council.

Our partner church is in Magyarzsakod, Romania, in the Transylvanian region of that country. 
The Partner Church Project has several aims:

• To help fellow Unitarians rebuild their religious communities after years of isolation and political oppression;
• To foster the exchange of people and ideas between Magyarzsakod and UUCR;
• To assist Unitarians and others in the village in their economic development;
• To support the modern education of Unitarian students in secondary schools, seminaries and elsewhere;
• To improve our knowledge of the roots of the Unitarian movement in Transylvania; and
• To foster mutual tolerance and respect among ethnic groups in Transylvania

The UUCR Partner Church program at UUCR began in 1992 with the arrival of the Rev. Jack Young from Chattanooga, Tennessee. His congregation there had established a Partner Church relationship with the village of Magyarzsakod, Romania. With the installation of Jack Young, the Unitarian Church of Rockville inherited the partnership with Magyarzsakod.

The villagers of Magyarzsakod are ethnic Hungarians, as are the inhabitants of many other villages in this part of Transylvania. It is located southeast of the regional commercial city of Marosvasarhely/Tirgu Mures.

Of the 350 inhabitants, some 200 are Unitarian, while the rest are Catholics. The Unitarian Church of Magyarzsakod was originally built in the 14th century but was rebuilt in its present form in the mid-19th century.

Life in the village is very simple, with agriculture the principal activity on small plots of land. The main crops are wheat, corn, barley, oats, potatoes and sugar beets. The schedule is regulated by the demands of the crops and animals; by 7:00 am the livestock leave their owners' sheds in the village to go to pasture. Most transportation is by horse and wagon or bicycle. The roads are unpaved.

Some homes have running water and all have electricity. Some have television, and a few of those share a satellite dish to pick up programs from Budapest as a diversion from government-controlled programs in Romania. Also, a few homes have telephones, but they seldom work. Improvements are being made.

Some of the projects that UUCR has contributed to include a minister's stipend, student scholarships, school supplies, stove installation, widow's food program, first aid package, and repairs to the church building.

Current members of the Partner Church Committee are Jan Impara, Louise Friedenberg, Herb Neumann, Barbara Neumann, Eva Tolgyesi, Ed Kimball,  and Audrey Koch.

There is a tremendous volume of information available on the Partner Church Program  at www.uua.org/uupcc.

Belltower of the Unitarian Church in Magyarzsakod

Inside the Belltower!

Interior of the Unitarian Church of Magyarzsakod

Members of the Unitarian Church of Magyarzsakod, 2001.