Ukraine continues to suffer from the horrendous war that began with Russian aggression in 2014 and escalated into total warfare following the full-scale invasion in 2022. Most regions of Ukraine, including its largest population centers, are subjected to constant air strikes and shellings. On January 23, a Russian strike on Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, killed ten civilians and injured dozens more, while a strike on Kyiv on December 29 killed 32. Russia terrorizes the entire population of Ukraine with air raid alerts by nearly constantly operating strike aircraft close to Ukrainian airspace.
The evangelical community in Ukraine continues to selflessly serve and support people through this onslaught of pain and destruction. Local churches are the epicenters of response, and their pastors are the faithful leaders who keep the churches functioning. Pastors and church volunteers have been working tirelessly since the first days of the invasion. Many of them have not had a single day off since February 24, 2022, and many have been separated from their families, who were evacuated to safer regions of the country or left Ukraine completely. Pastors and congregations in eastern and southern Ukraine have been trapped in a war zone or under increasingly oppressive and tyrannical Russian occupation. Some donned the uniforms of military chaplains and are now providing spiritual and emotional assistance to soldiers on the front lines while also supporting civilian evacuation efforts.
In response to these needs, WEA TRUST (The Response Ukraine Special Taskforce) and the Council of Evangelical Churches of Ukraine launched a joint project to support Ukrainian pastors directly with financial assistance and opportunities for recuperation. The project reached 678 pastors from 13 church networks and enabled many of them to take a well-deserved rest and recover from the daily struggles and horrors of war. In some cases, pastors were able to see their families for the first time in as many as two years or provide food and warmth for their loved ones. For more details about the project and several stirring testimonies from pastors, read our special “Pastors Support” report.
Ukraine and its people continue to suffer. You can always support them by bringing their struggles to the Lord with prayers for blessing, protection, and mercy. You can also contribute to advocacy efforts by increasing awareness of Russian war crimes and religious persecution in your local communities. If you want to contribute to TRUST’s mission of serving Ukrainian Christians in these challenging times, please do so through our donation page.
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