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European Slavic-Ukrainian Gospel Community Holds Constituent Assembly

12.07.2008, [13:04] // Protestant //

Kyiv—On 10 July 2008, the constituent assembly of the European Slavic-Ukrainian Community of the Gospel (ESUCG) was held in Kyiv’s New Life Christian Center at the initiative and with the support of the Council of Independent Evangelical Churches (CIEC). The participants, including pastors of various Protestant churches, religious organizations and state institutions, as well as journalists, discussed how to help five million Ukrainians and Slavs in the diaspora. So reported RISU correspondent Svitlana Yaroshenko.

“We now face the fact that more than five million Ukrainians and Slavs live in European countries. They have assimilated to the cultures and languages of these countries and can support themselves, but 60% of them cannot legally return to Ukraine or their countries for lack of visas or because their visas have expired, and they are fined and deported if they try to return.” So said the assistant head of the CIEC, Pastor Volodymyr Harbar. “Of course, they are not believing people, but we had opportunities to see how much they are open to the Gospel.”

In his speech, Pastor Harbar told the audience about his recent trip to Western Europe and America to meet representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora and discuss the possibility of founding a new coordinating community.

The participants of the meeting agreed that the ground is prepared for the church and state to begin to do something concrete for Ukrainians abroad. They also determined that it should be an organization with a cultural character, carrying out not just religious but also social and legal ministry. The organization is to be a mediator between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the immigrants. However, the work in the diaspora should be carried out by specially-trained missionaries who know the foreign mentality. It is important to note that the activity of such an organization will also promote the unification of various churches around one important cause.

In September, it is planned to start the technicalities: obtain status, prepare a building, draw up documents. The ESUCG is to have its center in Saarbruken, Germany. Meetings and seminars will be held there and missionary groups will go from there to various places in Europe.

The constituent assembly of the ESUCG was attended by pastors of various Protestant churches and representatives of the following institutions and organizations: Department of Ukrainians Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukrainian Inter-Church Council, Christian bloc of political parties, Ukrainian Christian Assembly, Ukrainian Christian Missionary Society Promise of Peace, INVICTORY media group, Novomedia Association of Journalists, Ukrainian office of Ugol TV ministry, and representatives of the American diaspora.