Baptistic Theologies, 2009

Lajos and others who were persecuted, often took the side of the hired groups of thugs. The police might become involved, but in many cases only to increase the pressure on the Baptists. Some Baptist parents were even forced to take their babies to the Reformed Church to be baptised. The robust spirituality that characterised the Baptist congregations meant that these attacks did not cause them to give up their convictions. At the same time, however, they did not have the kind of ‘martyr complex’ which sought persecution. Taking advice from Meyer, Janos Lajos moved to Budapest where there was more freedom and where he became involved in planting several new churches. On 22 nd March 1885, however, he was ordained. 43 Previously, though he was an evangelist, he could not preside at the Lord’s Supper. In 1893 Lajos moved for the last time, this time to Korosbokeny, where he wanted to minister to Romanian-speaking people as well as Hungarians. Soon after he moved there he again opened a blacksmith’s workshop and Romanian people came to hear him preach. The impact of this last move was felt not only in the new churches that he planted, but in the formation and spiritual growth of Romanian Baptist leaders such as Todor Sida, Vasile Berbecar and Gheorgehe Branda. Later they became the most influential and successful leaders of the Romanian Baptist movement in the region. 44 Part of the success of the Baptist mission was through the way that leaders were involved in training younger leaders. Janos Lajos died on 8 th February 1900. After his death, Mihaly Kornya continued the work of pastoring the congregations. It is fair to conclude, with a Romanian Baptist minister and historian, Alexa Popovici, that ‘the Baptist movement among Romanians in Transylvania was a result of the ministry of Janos Lajos and Mihaly Kornya’. 45 It was a revivalist ministry that shaped the congregations they founded and led. Mihaly Toth - a heart for pastoral care Mihaly Toth was also from Nagyszalonta and was one of the peasant prophets. He worked alongside Janos Lajos and Mihaly Kornya. In fact it was Mihaly Toth who invited Kornya to the Bible study group in the house of Janos Lajos, to meet Antal Novak. Toth was not yet ready to be baptised with the first group of those baptised in 1875 at Bekes. He was baptised, with his wife, in May 1876, and after that Toth became the best friend and 42 Oliver Szebeni, A Bciptista Misszio kezdete a Duna-Tisza kozen [The beginnings of Baptist Mission between the rivers Duna and Tisza], Bekehimok, 1963, No. 19, p. 6. 43 Gusztav Szabadi, Az uttoro baptistak [The Baptist pioneers], Bekehimok, 1963, p. 74. 44 Laszlo Kiss, Gyiilekezetek keletkezese 1866-1930, Baptista Leveltar, Nagyvarad, Kezirat [The origins of the Churches 1866-1930] (The Baptist Archive in Nagyvarad, Manuscript). 45 Alexa Popovici, Istoria baptistilor din Romania [The History of Baptists in Romania] (Chicago: Editura Biserici