The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary is the second largest among the protestant churches of the country. According to the latest census indicating the church-membership (1948) it has 430,000 baptised members.

One of the first Hungarian Reformers, Mátyás Dévai Bíró, had been Luther's neighbour at table, and he was and is called the "Hungarian Luther". His preaching activity extended to all of the three parts of the country (the domains of King Ferdinand of the House Hapsburg in the West, King John Szapolyai in the East and the Turkish occupation in the South), because both kings persecuted the followers of the Reformation, so he had to flee from one territory to the other. The first Hungarian translator of the complete New Testament (1541), János Silvester, should also be mentioned. At the time of the Counter-Reformation Lutheran noblemen defended our church, by weapons if necessary, and our churches and schools were also built by them. It was at that time that the post of Superintendent, was developed (in 1758).

After World War II a great number of church buildings were seriously damaged or totally destroyed. During the first 10 years after the war 190 churches and 140 personages were repaired, and 20 new churches or congregational houses and 26 parsonages were built by means of the donations of the congregations, by the help of the sister churches abroad, and by the support of the State.