A Ministry Visit to War-torn Ukraine

Tania, Bob, and Dennis at Salvation Church in Rivne

In September, three staff members of Converge International Ministries traveled to Ukraine. Tania Martin, Director of Mobilization (who spent 11 years ministering there), went in late August to minister alongside the congregation of Salvation Church in Rivne and encourage them. Dennis McMains, Regional Director of the Europe and Mediterranean Region, and Bob Marsh, Impact Team Leader, arrived in the capitol city of Kyiv on August 31.  Converge has a long history of working in Ukraine. More than 30 years ago, when the nation was experiencing its first days of independence from the Soviet Union, Converge congregations from across the USA participated in Love Lift Ukraine. The bonds formed between sister churches in those days have resulted in a strong and multiplying presence of the Body of Christ that remains to this day. Converge International Ministries’ presence began in 2009, when Tania arrived as a deployed global worker. Her 11 years of faithful service have been followed by Bob’s continued work with local gospel movement leaders across the country. 

Parliament & President's residence
from Bob's balcony.

Bob & Dennis arrived in Kyiv the evening after the largest missile attack on that city in more than a year. While none of the 40+ missiles reached the city, the reality of the threat was palpable. The hotel recommended to them by Ukrainian friends was directly across the street from the Ukrainian Parliament Building and the Mariinskyi Palace, the president’s residence. (Due to its location, the hotel had the best air defenses and deepest bomb shelters!) The area immediately surrounding these buildings was on total blackout overnight, and the park facing the buildings, while open, was the site of defensive foxholes, barbed wire, bunkers, and armored personnel vehicles.  

 

Men of the church rebuilding Kateryna's home

During our brief visit Pastor Vasyli, a Pentecostal senior pastor in the Kyiv district, took us to visit people whose homes had been occupied, and in most cases destroyed by the Russian army in the opening weeks of the war. In Borodyanka, we met Kateryna. Her city was occupied by Russians for about 4 weeks in the opening days of the war. The soldiers banged on her door and told her and her husband they had 10 minutes to evacuate their house. “Get out and leave the door open when you leave.” She and her husband gathered up what they could, quickly got in their car, and left. Two elderly women lived next door. They stubbornly refused to leave or open their doors. They were murdered. Her husband suffered a heart attack and died in the following days. Her home was later destroyed by a bomb dropped from an aircraft during the battle. The Russians eventually retreated, and now the men from her church are working to rebuild her home. As we turned to leave, she grabbed a jar of tomatoes that she had preserved from her garden and gave them to Pastor Vasyl. He didn’t want to take her food, but she insisted. From her great need, she wanted to give.

Meeting with pastors and church planters in Ternopil

The days were filled visiting with the leaders of the Baptist Union of Ukraine; district leaders, local pastors, church planters, and church members from the Kyiv, Cherkassy, Rivne, and Ternopil Oblasts.  Baptist Union President Valery Antonyuk detailed how the war has impacted the church. Three hundred churches in the Russian-occupied east have been closed. Buildings have been destroyed, pastors have been detained or driven from their pulpits. In the rest of the nation, many pulpits are empty due to displaced pastors, enlistment into the military, injury, or death. At the same time, the number of people attending evangelical churches across the country has never been so high. It is estimated that 1000 new pastors and church planters need to be identified, trained, licensed, ordained, and coached. Converge is committed to helping this effort. 

In Kremenets, we met Mora. She was from Bakhmut, a city destroyed by the Wagner Group. Her husband and son were killed in the attack. She made her way west and was taken in by a local church. She was not a believer, but experienced the love of Christ, and became a follower of Him. The church runs two homes for orphans in the city, and she has recently become the “house mother” of one of the homes. She wept as she said, “I never wanted to be a Naomi!” (losing her husband and sons). Bob replied to her that Naomi didn't want it either – but God was faithful to her, and gave her a new family, and she eventually became the great-great-grandma of King David! “Who knows what one of these boys in this home might become one day?”

In Rivne, we met with a group of about 30 men whom we have been doing discipleship and leadership training for 3 years. We encouraged them to continue to strengthen and encourage one another and to reach out to other men in their community with the gospel. A young man from the group, Denys, was there – he’s a soldier who happened to be on a 10-day leave (but he had been recalled after 4 days and had to go back to the front the next day. He has had a great influence for Christ in his unit, and we were honored to pray over him. 

Destruction in Borodyanka

Approaching a checkpoint on a highway.

Fox hole in a Kyiv park

A bullet-riddled car ruin.

In the center of every city and village
there are memorials to the fallen.

Bob was presented a Ukrainian flag
by the Mayor of Kremenets

Your support of our ministry enables us to continue to serve pastors and church planters in Ukraine, Israel, Romania, Egypt, Latvia, Russia, Lebanon, Syria, and more. To give, please go to:  

converge.org/global-worker/bob-carol-marsh