Partner Church in Iszlo, Romania
A 2006 article by Jane Greer in the UU World provides this description of the Unitarian churches in Romania: The mountainous Transylvanian section in northwest Romania has been home to Unitarian congregations since Francis Davíd preached there in 1566. By the time of his death in 1579 there were 500 Unitarian churches there—one of his converts was King John Sigismund, who proclaimed a policy of religious tolerance in 1568. Unitarianism is still a dynamic force in this area, with churches playing a leading role in village life. The structure of the church there is more hierarchical than in the United States, with a Unitarian bishop presiding over the entire Transylvanian Unitarian church.
UUFR's relationship with the church in Iszlo is under the auspices of the Partner Church Council. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . In the Unitarian church in Iszlo, a plaque commemorates our partner church relationship. The message on this plaque may be translated thus:
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Since the early 1990's, the Fellowship has had a partner church relationship with the Unitarian congregation in the small village of Iszlo (Isla), Romania. Currently the minister is Attila Molnar, who in June 2008 took over from the previous long-serving minister, Sandor Varga. Over the years, a number of UUFR members have visited Iszlo, and Sandor and his wife Edit and daughter Viola traveled to Raleigh to visit us. UUFR has also made many special donations during the years of the relationship that have helped to repair the church building and parish house, bring electricity to the church, provide bread to the impoverished elderly, and educate the children.
Transylvanians are ethnically Hungarian and a minority in Romania who have suffered persecution over the years from the combined forces of fascism, Nazism, and Communism. Transylvanian Unitarians formed their first ties with North American Unitarian churches in the 1920s. These ties were severed during the Communist regime and were reestablished in 1990 with the help of the UUA. The Partner Church Council was formed as an independent organization in 1993 to support the partnerships. 
Our XVII-century-built Unitarian Church was found in ruined condition in the year of God 1993. Then came God's blessed providence, our American Sister/ Brother Congregation. By the generous donations of the N Carolina UU Fellowship of Raleigh, God's blessed house has been reborn during the time of warden Lajos Kodok and pastor Sandor Varga. May God grant us strength. This marble plaque donated by Lajos Kodok.