lelkészi

Lelkészi is an adjective in Hungarian that relates to a lelkész, i.e., a pastor or clergyman. It denotes things connected with pastoral ministry or the office of a parish priest within Christian denominations. The term is used in formal church language and in general prose to form compounds such as lelkészi szolgálat (pastoral ministry), lelkészi gondozás (pastoral care), and lelkészi hivatás (pastoral vocation).

The word derives from lelkész, the noun for a church minister; the suffix -i creates the adjectival form. It is used across Hungarian-speaking Christian communities, including Catholic and Protestant settings, to describe activities, roles, or attributes associated with clergy. In official texts, lelkészi is often paired with nouns to specify the pastoral dimension of work, governance, or service.

In everyday use, lelkészi can describe parish life and responsibilities, and appears in phrases such as lelkészi tanács (pastoral council) or lelkészi vezetés (pastoral leadership). It is distinct from more general terms like vallási (religious) because it emphasizes the professional function of clergy rather than belief alone.

Together with related terms, lelkészi helps to specify the organizational and ministerial aspects of Christian communities in Hungary and other Hungarian-speaking areas.