LCC-SELCU Missions during the war in Ukraine

UKRAINE – As of November 24, 2022 the people of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) have raised a total of $649,317.56 for the Ukraine Relief Aid Fund. The following update is provided by Rev. Oleksiy Navrotskyy, LCC’s Missionary-at-Large in the Ukraine concerning our partner church the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU):

Russian military aggression against Ukraine has put the whole world into great shock. The horrible truth is that civilian, economic, and energy infrastructure of Ukraine are under Russian attack as well. As a result, Ukraine is quickly approaching a humanitarian catastrophe of incredible proportions with destroyed cities and villages, millions of refugees, and hundreds of thousands of families left without income. There are a huge number of widows, disabled people, and people in desperate need of medical care. This is the legacy of the modern war happening in the centre of Europe. And the longer the war goes on, the closer we approach winter, the greater the size of the catastrophe, and the more anxious and scared Ukrainians become.

The Lutheran churches of Ukraine, like the majority of Christians in the country, see clearly the personal responsibility to respond to the desperate cry of their people. Each SELCU congregation and every pastor of our brotherhood seeks and finds their own unique way of serving disadvantaged people in their local context.

As many of you know, Lutheran Church–Canada has had a longterm mission partnership with the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine. We in Ukraine recognize that our Canadian brethren are wise, faithful, and consistent servants of God who love Ukraine and respect our history and tradition. That is why it was not a surprise for us that LCC immediately responded to the crises in Ukraine and stretched out a hand of support. What has surprised us is that your support was not only expressed in hundreds of phone calls, letters, church and home prayers, and words of empathy (which are very important), but that you were also quick to establish the Ukraine Aid Fund which became a visible and measurable expression of Christian love, charity and compassion toward Ukrainians.

Thousands of Canadian Lutherans have responded to this LCC initiative, donating sincerely and generously. These funds became available to Ukrainians immediately and have empowered SELCU congregations to respond to the challenges in this time of war. In the following review, we want to share with you some current processes and the results of LCC and SELCU’s collaborative efforts in Ukraine.

With deep gratitude and in Jesus’ name, 

Rev. Oleksiy Navrotskyy

Summer through Fall of 2022

For the first few months of the war in Ukraine, the building of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary served as a transport hub for refugees from Kherson, Nikolaev, Odessa, Dnipro, and other cities in southern Ukraine. More than 500 people were evacuated and placed in Romania, Moldova, Germany, and Baltic countries. Rev. Oleg Schewtschenko and Lutherans from the area took on the main burden of accommodating, coordinating, and evacuating people from Ukraine. Our hearts are thankful to the brothers and sisters in Christ from Poland, Romania, Germany, Canada, and the United States for their hospitality and financial support for this initial evacuation.

Currently, when the flow of refugees has decreased, the seminary serves as a centre for receiving and distributing humanitarian aid. Dozens of essential products come from Germany, Poland, Romania and Ukraine; here they are packaged and prepared for transportation to frontline towns and villages.

SELCU pastor, Rev. Yuri Popel, and his wife Liyda actively help the local villagers who find themselves in desperate need due to a lack of income. Despite the military situation, the Kygarlyk region is pretty safe. So, this summer, local Lutherans were able to hold a one-week-long Bible Camp for the children of Kygarlyk. A minivan purchased with the support of LCC gives the opportunity to deliver food and goods to villages in other regions. Thanks to the support of our friends and partners from Canada, this acquisition greatly assists our work and opens up new opportunities for ministry.

The people of another local Lutheran Church and Rev. Mykola Smokvin cordially opened their hearts and doors to internally displaced families who fled from the occupied territories of the Kherson region. The needs of these people are basic, but critical: clothing, bedding, household items, medicines, and so on. Christians have joined their efforts and are actively responding to emerging needs, not neglecting the preaching of the Gospel. Even when Rev. Nikolai’s car was damaged in a fire due to a problem with electrical wiring, the church team did not stop the ministry but continued to work. With the support of friends, the car was restored, and the congregation continues to serve their community.

This summer, the same congregation hosted a Retreat for the SELCU Ministerium, preparing more than 200 cans of stew for soldiers, preparing a supply of firewood for the seminary, and distributing hundreds of food aid packages.

SELCU pastor, Rev. Alexander Kostyuk, despite poor health, continues to carry out pastoral and missionary service in the area he serves, holding services and giving help to the local people. Along with this, visits to orphanages and nursing homes and the distribution of food in nearby villages are carried out. Please keep Rev. Alexander in your prayers!

Rev. Vladimir Popel, in addition to the ministry to his local congregation, is actively developing a new mission station in another village. A building for the Christian gatherings has already been purchased, repairs of a future sanctuary are underway, and confirmation classes have been held for five new parishioners of the future congregation. There was also a summer camp for children. Relations with refugees are now being established.

In one of the most shelled areas of Nikolaev, despite the fact that most of the Lutherans around this area were evacuated in the first weeks of the war, regular Divine Services have been restored. The regular distribution of food aid welcomes a huge number of people who are on the verge of starvation. More than 100 people visit the community every week. With the support of LCC, new people who come to the church receive food, clothing, and essentials every week.

After the evacuation of most of the members of another local congregation, the elders of the church turned their efforts to supporting people living in the neighbourhood. The delivery and distribution of drinking water, food, medicine, and hygiene products won the hearts of our neighbours, and now many of them have become not only faithful listeners of the Word but also church workers. The new parishioners of the congregation actively take care of the building, cook food, as well as make camouflage nets and clothing for the soldiers. A new catechism class for more than 20 students began this November.  In the summer, a well was drilled on the territory of the Lutheran church and a water purification system was installed. Every day, hundreds of people of the neighbourhood receive clean drinking water from the Lutheran church.

Since the beginning of the war, many people living in Ukrainian villages have been cut off from food, medicine, and fuel. Even when active battles were taking place in a given region, SELCU pastor, Rev. Yuri Timerkan—who takes care of two local congregations and two mission stations—refused to be evacuated himself (despite evacuating his family). He remained to help others who could not evacuate to cope with difficult conditions. The good testimony and care of the Lutheran pastor disposes to the church even those fellow villagers who were previously hostile. This fall, with cooperation between Germany’s Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church (SELK) and LCC, a vehicle for ministry in this region was purchased.

The war overtook another one of SELCU’s Lutheran churches at a period of major repairs. Even before they had time to restore the sanctuary for worship (after the collapse of the roof), the Lutherans met a new challenge. During the first months of the war, the church hall, the sanctuary, and the children’s room were covered with mattresses, on which refugees from Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions slept. Hundreds of people found shelter, food, and spiritual support in the church, as well as help in finding an evacuation route. As the wave of refugees decreased, Lutherans here began distributing food packages to hundreds of families who found themselves without income. In the middle of the summer, renovations on the sanctuary were completed and now dozens of new parishioners are getting to know the Gospel through worship services and confirmation classes.

The town of Nova Kahovka has been under Russian occupation since the second day of war. Within a few weeks of the beginning of the occupation, most of the Lutherans left the town to the free territory of Ukraine. There are only three church members left in the town checking the church building. In the first months of the war, SELCU missionary, Rev. Valera Verba, the pastor of the church located in the occupied Nova Kahovka, was sent to Dnipro in order to strengthen the work of local pastor, Rev. Sergei Bevz. Rev. Verba later served in in Odessa, while the congregation’s pastor, Rev. Oleg Schewtschenko, was away visiting his family in Germany.

With the support of Lutheran Church–Canada, a vehicle for the ministry was purchased. And now, Rev. Verba delivers tons of food, clothes, and Christian literature to the SELCU churches.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!

– 2 Corinthians 9:8-12, 15

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REMINDER: Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s Ukraine Aid Fund directly supports our partner church, the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) during this current crises. Another aid fund for Ukraine established by Concordia Lutheran Mission Society (CLMS) will contribute to rebuilding efforts and other expenses, anticipating the significant financial need that will arise in the aftermath of this current conflict. As auxiliaries of LCC, the funds raised through CLMS, and Lutheran Women’s Missionary League of Canada (LWMLC) to name another example, will be directed to our partner Church in Ukraine through LCC. This is just one of the ways that the various auxiliaries, listed service organizations, and people of our Synod are working together, as one Body under Christ in support of humanitarian works of mercy. Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is also working to provide general humanitarian relief in Ukraine through the help of their partner organizations.

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