Religious History

Christianity in Ukraine dates back a thousand years. Merchants from Constantinople most likely brought the gospel with them along the trade routes. Grand Duchess Olga, the first prominent convert, was baptized in 955 AD. Her grandson Vladimir I converted from paganism to Christianity 33 years later. He made Eastern Orthodoxy the state religion of Kievan-Rus, and it remains the predominant religion in Ukraine today. Ukrainian Orthodoxy has three branches-the Moscow Patriarchate, the Kiev Patriarchate, and Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox-each with its own history and distinctives. Catholicism came to Ukraine in the 16th century, along with Polish-Lithuanian rule.

Orthodox Christians suffered persecution during those years. With the Union of Brest-Litovsk in 1596 the Ukrainian Catholic Church, known as the Ukrainian Uniate Church, was born.

The Uniate Church renders allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church but practices Eastern Orthodox rites. Western Ukraine is a stronghold of Ukrainian Catholicism.

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Evangelism

While Ukraine's spiritual climate has been dominated by the Orthodox church, the Baptist Union of Evangelical Churches maintained a solid testimony throughout the Soviet era. Long years of persecution under the Communist government, coupled with a dedication to be Christ's people by life or death, have produced a vibrant, worshiping, evangelizing church.

Historically, Ukraine has been the "Bible belt" for this part of the world. Momentous spiritual and cultural changes have usually begun in Ukraine and spread eastward. This continues to be true. Dr. Peter Borisovich Konovalchik, former president of the Baptist Union of Russia, said, "Everywhere I go in Russia, I find churches started by Ukrainians." One way God's unique work in Ukraine reveals itself is in the growth of the church. In 1991, there were 906 Baptist Union churches.

A target of 2,000 churches by the year 2000 was set -- and met -- in January 1999 with 2,034 churches. Churches are being started at a rate greater than 150 per year. The Baptist Union alone baptized 12,000 new converts last year. Another sign of God's work in Ukraine is the zeal of the new believers and their willingness to study the Word. Individuals who hear the gospel are very receptive. The new converts are eager and willing to share God's Good News. They recognize the lostness of their friends and neighbors and are not shy about sharing the gospel. They may not always be effective; their friends may not always listen. But young believers have a desire to share Christ, and they do it. They may know only a little spiritual truth, but what they know, they share. In this dynamic atmosphere, abundant opportunities exist for SEND International to serve the Ukrainian churches.

God is working in Ukraine in a remarkable way. People want to know about the God their government tried so hard to hide. They are finding the truth in Jesus Christ. The harvest is remarkable. New churches are coming into being almost every day. SEND missionaries report that God is moving in ways many of us have never seen before. The growth is so rapid that there are not enough trained church leaders to handle these groups of new believers. The most significant need of the evangelical church in the former Soviet Union is the training of pastors and leaders for these new local churches.

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