LWF leaders meet Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations
(LWI) - On their visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) President Bishop Henrik Stubkjær and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Anne Burghardt, met with representatives of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO). Ten representatives of the council joined the LWF delegation in the St Catherine’s church in Kyiv for a discussion about the role of faith communities in society during times of war.
“It is important that we as churches stand together. We have something to give to society,” said LWF president Bishop Henrik Stubkjær. “We bring the message that we are together and stand in solidarity with you.”
Friends in need
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, thanked the LWF representatives for visiting a country at war, and for their support since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “You show us that friends in need are friends indeed,” he said.
He also thanked LWF member churches in Europe for their hospitality when receiving refugees from Ukraine.
“This war is a great tragedy. It’s not just a trial for individuals, but for the entire society,” he said. “When the war started, people re-evaluated everything. Relationships with society, their families, even with God.”
We thank the LWF for providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians that does not depend on faith or denomination.
Archpriest Vitaly Danchak, Orthodox Church of Ukraine
“In times of darkness, churches are shining bright with hope,” Pastor Anatoliy Raychynets, representative of the chairperson of the Ukrainian Bible Society said. Faith communities in Ukraine have used “their resources, their buildings and their connections” to help people in need, added Archpriest Vitaly Danchak, Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He expressed gratitude for the LWF’s humanitarian work in Ukraine, in the frontline city of Kharkiv: “We thank the LWF for providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians that does not depend on faith or denomination.”
“An ecumenical challenge”
While many churches have actively provided aid to people affected by the war, Ukrainian churches find themselves under increased pressure to justify their presence in society. Conscription has been introduced nationwide and clergy are in danger of being drafted into the military. This affects many of them significantly, including the protestant churches who have very few pastors.
