When Russian forces moved into Ukraine in a long-denied, but long-planned invasion, the world watched in disbelief. Since then, the situation in Ukraine has constantly changed and developed. The circumstances in which many believers live now, are fraught with danger.
During an SGA team trip, staff members experienced some poignant reminders of the sacrifice paid by many. A prayer request was presented by the young man leading a Sunday morning service. With trembling voice and tears in his eyes
he shared a prayer request from a family in the church for their son Sasha, who was serving on the frontline, that he would be kept safe. The atmosphere changed as the reality of this war gripped the congregation.
Later we stood in the church grounds in Bucha, a city where mass graves were discovered, and surveyed the street which had been strewn with bodies. We saw the broken bridge which many escapees had ventured to cross from Irpin to Kyiv. It brought the gravity of the war before us. All around us was death and destruction.
Ivan, a member of Bible church in Irpin, summed it up, saying: ‘There are too many difficult memories.’ A pastor who fled from Mariupol described a little of his experience in that city which had suffered sustained attacks on its infrastructure, with thousands killed all around him.
We lived in the basement of the church for a month with 26 people. We were under constant bombings; people were dying next to us everywhere. Bodies were mutilated so much that you could not identify them as a man or woman… Now we try to put all this behind us. We are just learning how to smile once again.
People are trying to rebuild not only their homes but their lives. There is a resilience among these people that is remarkable! While speaking with a young lady, the team was deeply touched by her attitude. She was very aware of the disruption, devastation, and many deaths in her country, but she said, ‘This war is offering great opportunities to spread the Gospel’. She was busy organizing a pastors’ conference which 250 were planning to attend. It was very encouraging to hear of baptismal services in Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Odessa, Chernivtsi, Irpin, and many other churches.
In November, a new church plant was established in a large residential area where 15,000 Ukrainians live in multi-story apartment complexes. Previously it had no church of any kind. Four months later, a random barrage of missiles aimed at Irpin hit the church plant building, destroying its roof and the Sunday school classrooms on the second floor.
Already, renovations have been made, and church members who remain in Irpin are hopeful of re-commencing worship in this building.
While the Irpin Theological Seminary building was damaged by shells and fire, the resumption of theological education this autumn in all seven Baptist theological seminaries across Ukraine, is a great achievement.
One of the seminary Presidents compared Ukraine to the church in Acts 8:1–4, whose members when persecuted and scattered, gave themselves to evangelism. He went on to say: “The war is terrible, but it has been good for Ukrainian souls in a Europe that is spiritually dead. Our Bible Belt refugees are bringing spiritual blessings.”