Pastors Offer View on Ukraine

As millions of Ukrainians have filled the streets in recent weeks and violence has erupted between protesters and the government, churches in Ukraine have found it necessary to consider their place in the broader society, says a Ukrainian pastor.

In doing this, churches from many denominations have realized the significance the Christian faith should play in such times of political turmoil. Among other things, they have banded together to offer prayer meetings.

"We have had to open our eyes and become engaged. During Soviet times, we had been separate and without any connection to the world,” said Rev. Mykola Romaniuk, who attended the recent 27th Worship Symposium at Calvin College.

“We realize now that we all have to be Christians who are praying around the clock and proclaiming the gospel... This has been a good time for evangelization," said Romaniuk, pastor of Irpin Bible Church, which is located near Kiev, the capital and center of the protests.

Romaniuk and a colleague, Rev. Robert Shpontak, pastor of Mukachevo Christian Reformed Church in southwestern Ukraine, were recently in Grand Rapids to attend the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship’s symposium.

Rev. George De Vuyst, a Christian Reformed World Missions missionary who works in Kiev, attended the symposium with them and asked the two Ukrainian pastors to take a few minutes to offer a first-hand account of how they are experiencing the disruptions in Ukraine.

"It is important for people in North America to pay closer attention to what is going on in Ukraine," said De Vuyst. "There are many media outlets, including The New York Times, where you can follow this and where you can have the issues explained to you.”

Ukraine is strategically located at the center of Europe, with people in the west favoring stronger ties to the European Union (EU) and many in the east seeking closer alignment to Russia.

Protests broke out last November in this country of 45 million people when President Viktor Yanukovych turned away from economic offers designed to forge closer links between Ukraine and the EU. Instead, Yanukovych signed a $15-billion package with Moscow.

Protesters flowed into the streets after that. Initially, the protests were peaceful. But that has changed as the protesters and police have clashed. Meanwhile, there have been various political moves on the part of Russia and the EU.

“We are in a bit of a troubled situation as we look to the future of Ukraine,” said Shpontak.

The two Ukrainian pastors say that the situation is complex, with various people holding various opinions. "You will talk to three people and they will tell you three different stories," said Shpontak.

Many people living in his region of southwestern Ukraine, said Shpontak, are historically connected to Europe and would like to see stronger ties to the EU.

They would also like to see, he said, an end the corruption that has been proliferating in Ukrainian society since the country broke from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

“People are saying that the corruption is enough. It is more than we can be patient about," he said.

At this point, Romaniuk said, there is no consensus among the churches about whether alignment with Europe or with Russia would be the best for the country.

But there is a general agreement that the churches must take a more active role in speaking out on behalf of justice.

Even as the government has enacted laws curtailing church activities, churches have remained committed to prayer.

"We are praying for God's intervention in this situation. It is also important for our brothers and sisters outside of Ukraine to pray for our future and for the kingdom of God to come,” he said.