World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour offered a prayer in Arabic at Ukraine’s third National Prayer Breakfast on August 23, 2026, as part of a high-level evangelical delegation visiting the war-torn country. Gathering more than 1,500 participants from 17 countries in Kyiv, the event was held under the patronage of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed world leaders, religious figures, military chaplains, and the families of fallen soldiers.
Rev. Mansour, a Palestinian Arab resident of Nazareth, Israel was part of a delegation of ten evangelical leaders visiting Ukraine, organized by Rev. Alan Donaldson, Secretary General of the European Baptist Federation. The group included Rev. Jan Wessels, General Secretary of the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA). Over two intense days, the delegation travelled to Lviv, Irpin, and Bucha — where Russian soldiers carried out a massacre early in the full-scale invasion — before arriving in Kyiv. The visit left a profound mark on all who took part.
“This was not a regular trip. It was a trip to a country at war. We visited the cities of Lviv and Irpin, witnessing the signs and impact of the war and hearing what the evangelical churches have been tirelessly doing. We then visited Bucha, where a massacre was committed by Russian soldiers,” Mansour said.
“The initial impression is a combination of deep sadness at what war produces in terms of severe suffering, and encouragement at hearing how the Lord is using the evangelical church in Ukraine during these dark years. Above all, we live in hope that peace and justice will prevail.”
The reality of war was not confined to what the delegation observed on the road. While in the center of Kyiv, air raid sirens forced the group to take shelter in a nearby metro station — a moment that brought home, with sudden force, the daily reality faced by millions of Ukrainians. The delegation had also endured a night of alerts requiring them to seek shelter.
At the National Prayer Breakfast itself, Rev. Mansour was invited to offer a prayer on behalf of the worldwide evangelical community. Praying in Arabic, he asked that all those who support Ukraine would not grow weary and that they would continue in their prayers and their efforts toward peace. He also brought greetings from the WEA, reaffirming the global evangelical community’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
President Zelenskyy spoke of the unifying power of prayer in a nation enduring 1,642 days of full-scale war, noting that across Ukraine people share the same prayer: asking God for the strength to see the morning. The President paid warm tribute to Ukrainian military chaplains who endure alongside the troops, and to the clergy who continue to stand with their communities. Churches, he noted, have become vital safe havens for people throughout the country.
Former United States Vice President Mike Pence also addressed the gathering, bringing a message of resolute solidarity. He affirmed that Ukraine would never surrender, invoking the biblical conviction that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. An occupying power may seize territory, he said, but it cannot conquer a people whose faith remains unbroken. Pence expressed his belief that most Americans are inspired by the courage of the Ukrainian people and stand firmly behind them, and he drew on the promise that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
Another special prayer was held August 24th on the occasion of the 35th independence anniversary at the St. Sophia church. The prayer event was led by President Zelenskyy and his wife, with heads of all religious communities, including Jewish and Muslim, and a few international guests, including WEA’s Secretary General, Rev. Botrus Mansour, Rev. Jan Wessels, General Secretary of the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA). and Rev. Alan Donaldson, Secretary General of the European Baptist Federation. Participating leaders had a chance to shake hands and meet with President Zelenskyy.
The event, which marks 35 years of Ukrainian independence and the end of the Soviet occupation, was also attended by President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania, Prime Minister Kristen Michal of Estonia, and representatives of the U.S. Senate and Congress.
Beyond the prayer breakfast, the delegation met with Ukrainian evangelical pastors. Rev. Mansour described the encounter as moving: “We went to encourage them, but despite the grief and the difficulty of their situation, it was we who came away encouraged — by their perseverance, their love for Christ, their faithfulness, and the work they are doing for His kingdom.” He urged Christians worldwide: “Please join us in praying for the Ukrainian people in general and for the church in particular.”
About the World Evangelical Alliance
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is a network of churches in 164 nations that have joined together in their national evangelical alliances, and over 100 international organizations, to give a worldwide identity, voice and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians. Established in 1846, the WEA is one of the oldest and largest Christian communities in the world.
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