One of the unintended costs of war is illustrated by the following news headline: “Russia faces brain drain as thousands flee abroad”.
A similar problem has occurred in Ukraine, and this is a real concern for the evangelical church. As churches are forced to close because of the fighting and congregations scatter, pastors face financial hardship alongside safety concerns.
One tempting option is to “flee abroad” to the West. Once settled there with their families they may never return and be lost to the ministry.
Pastor Igor Bandura, of the evangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine, shared these fears with SGA to see what could be done. 120 pastors across 20 regions had been identified as key church leaders. Much time and energy had been invested in these pastors, in training and mentoring. To lose them to Gospel ministry would have a detrimental impact on Gospel work in Ukraine for many years to come. They would also be lost to the immediate need of co-ordinating humanitarian projects, and in the long-term, to rebuilding work.
SGA agreed that this was a real danger and decided to commit funds to support these pastors for at least 3 months. We see this as an important investment in the future of Gospel work in Ukraine and pray for God’s continued blessing on the ministry of these key workers.