Brunson – whose wife is Hungarian – has recently been granted Hungarian citizenship in Washington and told about his ties with Hungary:

“I am very glad to also be a Hungarian citizen as my wife is Hungarian and my children also define themselves as Hungarians and we have many relatives in the country,” Brunson said.

He said that despite having served as a priest in Turkey for over two decades, after the coup Turkish authorities claimed his preaching amounted to spying terrorism and charged him with conspiracy against the state. He was eventually convicted with “time served”.

“We had good relations with the local population, many Turks converted to Christianity but Muslim countries are not particularly permissive in this respect, so the situation has become more difficult in the last few years in Islamic countries,” he said.

He said his work also involved preaching to Syrian refugees in Turkey and because his first-hand experience with migration he was very appreciative of Hungary’s Christian aid policy and the country’s “Hungary Helps” initiative in particular.

“I find it very wise the approach of focusing on rebuilding Christian communities in the Middle East, thereby contributing to these refugees being able to continue their lives in their home country,” Brunson said.

Sources: Remix News, Magyar Nemzet

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