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Julia
Gerö (1927-2010)
In October 2010, our dear sister Julia Gerö from Hungary (aged 83 years) has passed to the Lord.
She was president of the European Baptist Women's Union (EBWU) from
1987-1992 and a former vice president of the Baptist World Alliance
Women's Department.
After
marrying Sandor Gero, a Baptist pastor, in 1950, Julia Gero became
actively involved in, and eventually leader of, the Baptist women's
movement in Hungary, attending various meetings and conferences in
Europe. She was appointed Hungarian representative to the EBWU in 1982,
and became its first president from the communist bloc of nations when
she was elected in 1987.
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Julia Gerö
(EBWU president 1987-1992)
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In Memoriam: Julia
Gerö
- by Yona Pusey, EBWU president 1998-2003
In a paragraph in the History of the European Baptist Women’s Union,
Julia summed up her experience of travelling among the women of Europe:
“.. . . the best way to stimulate closer fellowship and greater
understanding is to pay personal visits to member unions.”
And visit she certainly did! Together with her vice President she
travelled widely, even to Bulgaria (no visa available!) where one small
group of believers memorably said, “You have come, and now we know that
we are not forgotten.” This story was told in a tribute to Julia
at a recent Day of Prayer celebration in West Wales – and still had the
power to move one woman to tears.
So many stories will be recounted today as we celebrate her life and
faith. She was a tower of strength to so many, and an inspiration
to many more. Along with Nell Alexander of England she was the
guiding light of my own presidency of EBWU, 15 years later, and I
treasured every opportunity of visiting her in Budapest and later in
Kiskoros.
A continuing theme of our conversations was the necessity for women in
the west to live more simply and to share whatever God had blessed us
with. She had seen at first hand so many of the
struggles for survival of women in eastern Europe. On their
behalf she continually urged her sisters in the BWA Women’s Department
to stand against the tide of western materialism, by arranging simpler
conferences and producing more basic literature, and by always having
“the poor” of every continent at the top of their agenda. In this
respect she gave EBWU a distinctive voice among the Continental Union
presidents.
Julia, as you have moved beyond the sorrows and pain of this world to
the presence of your dearly loved Lord and Saviour, I am privileged to
salute you, and to add my thanks for your rich friendship.
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”
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