Recently an SGA team member met with a number of Ukrainian pastors to talk about how the war with Russia was impacting the Church in their country.
Among them was Valerie Antoniuk, President of the Baptist Union in Ukraine, who spoke of how, since 2014 when hostilities began, many new churches had been planted in the most affected eastern side of the country. However, following Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than a hundred of these had to be closed down when their ministers were forced to relocate.
Understandably, and perhaps inevitably, a significant number of pastors have subsequently left the country altogether, but a positive consequence of this has been the planting of over 160 new Ukrainian churches in 15 European countries by displaced people. Nonetheless, it is of greater significance, that the Church within Ukraine’s physical borders remains strong.
In the last three years, as well as new churches being set up by many of the displaced pastors who have moved to other localities within Ukraine, more than 900 additional ministers have been newly ordained and have begun sharing the Gospel within their own country. In addition to that there are 50 missionary evangelists working in Ukraine while 30 missionary families are serving in 22 countries.
Recently Pastor Igor Bandura reported that there have been more than 10,000 new converts over the past three years associated with the ministries of the Baptist Union. [The total number would be greater.]
He further commented:
‘The numbers we shared speak about the progress of the Gospel. So it's not only the Russian army slowly moving forward, it is the Gospel moving forward, reaching people, and convincing Christians to be courageous and to accept God's calling on their life to become new pastors and deacons.’
It is this sharing of the Gospel that remains at the centre of all that these missionary pastors are doing. Despite the ongoing conflict and the importance of the physical needs of people being met, those leading the churches in Ukraine know how vital the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ is, if new people are to come to faith and new churches are to be established.
SGA remains committed to supporting the indigenous Gospel workers who are serving in such difficult times, helping them to adapt to their new circumstances and providing them with the financial assistance that enables them to continue their vital ministry, unhindered by concerns about how they will care for their families.
This support is hugely appreciated by those sponsored through SGA’s Leadership Support programme. The Mission desires to expand this support to enable continued Gospel expansion across this troubled nation.
