On October 27 1920, the Recognised Hungarian Baptist Union of Romania was founded at Salonta (Nagyszalonta). Its President was Vass Sándor, and General Secretary was Darabont Gyula. The headquarter was at Oradea (Nagyvárad), Str. Bunyitai Liget, nr. 10.

In this time the Unrecognized Hungarian Baptist Union of Romania was also founded in Nusfalau (Szilágynagyfalu). It included the Sãlaj (Szilágy) county and the northern part of the Bihor (Bihar) county. Its first President was Alaffi Zsigmond, who was later replaced by Szabó László.

In 1920 the Romanian and other ethnic unions (German) were also founded.

On April 20, 1922, the recognised Baptists were at Oradea (Nagyvárad), at a new organising conference. They formulated the constitution of the Hungarian Baptist Union, and chose the section committees: mission, education, Bible-school, music, literature, charity, building and executive committees. In this year they associated with the Romanian Baptist Union, and became members of the Baptist World Alliance. The American Southern Baptist Convention suggested to the Romanian Baptists to gather together in a common brotherly organisation, to fight with unified power against sin, and to assure the freedom of religion in Romania. They founded the Central Committee for defending our interests which collaborated with the representatives of the Baptist World Alliance, fighting together for a decade against the aggressive authorities and the official Orthodox Church.

The ethnic unions were still standing after the foundation of this Committee, but received new names. In this circumstances the Romanian Baptist Union’s Hungarian Section (Department) was organised. It was not subordinated but co-ordinated to the Romanian Baptist Union. In this Section, with this independent form, a mission school, typography, youth-association and other associations were included. The organisation of the territorial Baptist Associations were in a primitive status. The first was the Hungarian Association in Arad (Arad). The general organisational work of the associations took place after 1930.

According to the 76647 Law’s 51^st article of the Minister for Religions, which was published on August 4, 1933, the Romanian Baptist denomination was reorganised with a new Hungarian Baptist Union, with 10 territorial Associations. In this Union the associations united recognised and unrecognised churches together. Dr. Simonka György was the President of the Union and Szabó László was the Vice President. The Mission School from Oradea was united with the Mission School (Seminary) from Bucharest, which was built with the helps of the brothers from oversees. Dr Bíró László was one of the Seminary teachers.

After 1920 - as the products of the Hungarian Baptist literature - the following magazines appeared: Szeretet (Love), Igazság Tanuja (Witness of the Truth), Az Üdv Üzenete (Message of Salvation), Ifjúsági Élet (Youth Life) and Ébresztõ (Reveille).

There was a reorganisation of the Baptists in Romania in 1935. The two Hungarian unions have found a way to approach each other, and on December 7, 1935 the two Hungarian Baptist unions became the Hungarian Baptist Convention of Romania. Its headquarters were in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár). Szabó László was the President, and Molnár Károly the General Secretary. The central magazine of the Convention was “Az Üdv üzenete“ (The Message of Salvation). This Convention had the 10 territorial Associations from the past period. It was a period of prosperity in which the Hungarian-speaking Baptists found their best form of organisation.

A democratic regime slowly came to life after the second world war. The Hungarian Baptist Convention of Romania was founded again with its headquarters in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár). Bokor Barnabás was the President, and Dénes Ferenc was the General Secretary. Our Hungarian language Christian magazines appeared again, but only for a short time.

1948 was a decisive year. The authorities put an end to the Convention and to the Hungarian Baptist territorial Associations. Only three associations remained Hungarians between 1950 and 1960: Oradea (Nagyvárad), Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár) and Brasov (Brassó).

In 1960 they put to end these associations too, moreover they closed many Hungarian churches. We lost a lot of church buildings and especially church members. Pastors and church leaders were put into prison and tortured.

After the Revolution of December 1989, the Minister for Religions claimed, that we are allowed to organize ourselves based only upon the old Baptist Constitution from 1950. This constitution doesn’t allow us to organise a separate Hungarian Baptist Union, only as an Hungarian Association in the body of the Romanian Union. But on February 3, 1990, we had a great organising meeting in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár), and 152 delegates voted for the reorganisation of the Union of the Hungarian Baptist Churches of Romania. Beginning with this year, we started four magazines: the central magazine, Szeretet (Love), the Sunday School magazine, Harmatcseppek (Dew Drops), the Young people’s magazine, Mustármag (Mustard Seed) and the oldest Hungarian Baptist magazine, Üdvüzenet (Message of Salvation). The first three magazines appear monthly, the last quarterly.

The Union of the Hungarian Baptist Churches of Romania is a sister-union with the Union of the Romanian Baptist Churches of Romania and keeps a close relationship with Baptist organisations in the country and abroad. In 1996 the name “Union” was changed into “Convention”, to make a clear distinction of the Romanian Baptist Union. We believe, that a new page of our history has just begun to be written.

In this new time, with a new organisation, the Baptist denomination in Romania is represented before the officialities by the Romanian President and General Secretary, and by the Hungarian General Secretary. This is stated in the new statute, and will be annexed to the new Law of Religions, which is going to be discussed and voted in the Parlament this year.