As told to Rick Perhai, Kyiv Theological Seminary academic dean
In the spring of 2014, as the conflict in southeastern Ukraine grew more intense, one member of an evangelical church in Kyiv felt led by God to serve his country and his fellow Ukrainians. He had attended a seminar led by the director of the chaplaincy program at Kyiv Theological Seminary, so he understood the possibilities of that type of ministry to the Ukrainian troops.
Sergei* went to the local army recruitment office and volunteered, asking, “What can I do? I won't carry a gun, but am willing to do whatever you need — kitchen duty, whatever you would like. Can I help with the physical and spiritual needs of our soldiers?”
The recruitment officer wasn't sure what to do with him, but eventually signed him up as a “non-physical medic and driver as needed.” In this role, Sergei, who attends a church pastored by a Kyiv Theological Seminary professor, went to the front lines, where he found ill-equipped soldiers who lacked body armor and felt very alone.
Sergei used his own funds to purchase equipment, food and other necessities. He carried letters from family members to the soldiers, returning with notes from the soldiers to their loved ones. He became a courier of sorts for those who were risking their lives on the front.
As time went on, Sergei gained a reputation for caring and for giving encouragement and spiritual counsel. Prior to a military operation, when a commanding officer would ask who was a priest, the soldiers would point to Sergei. The men shared openly with him regarding their struggles and fears, and about how they used alcohol, pornography, and other vices to escape and fill the void.
Sergei invested in the soldiers' lives, spending time with them, caring for them, listening to them, walking with them through their days and struggles. Through his serving, he built a bridge to feed them spiritually. Requests came for New Testaments, and he has been able to provide the soldiers with other spiritual materials.
“The troops fill their bodies with food and drink — good or bad,” he said. “I want to give them good food, not just physical food, but good spiritual food.”
Most of the soldiers are young, a mixed group from around Ukraine. Sergei began serving with a battalion of 100 men. Fewer than 10 are left after six months of fighting, the rest lost to either death or injury. He has been able to share Christ, as everyone can see that life is fleeting.
A cylinder from a mortar shell sits on Sergei’s desk at home as a reminder of God's hand on his life. One day he was sharing with a group when a mortar shell landed 20 meters away. It was a dud. If it had exploded, he and the others would most likely have been killed.
Sergei has gone dozens of times to the front lines, building relationships and caring for the soldiers. His worst job is going back to tell a wife or mother that her husband or son has died. He accompanies the officers who share this tragic news with immediate relatives. Many times the officers ask him, the volunteer, to speak on their behalf as they do not know what to say.
The relationships that Sergei has built with those serving will have a long-term influence; the men and women who are involved in this conflict will need help when, Lord willing, it ends. God is using individuals like Sergei, humble servants who are faithfully serving Christ in the midst of terrible circumstances.
Pray that God would raise up more people to serve in this way. Pray that the leadership of the armed forces would see the value of having chaplains as part of the armed forces. And pray that God will use the chaplaincy program at Kyiv Theological Seminary to meet the spiritual needs of Ukraine’s soldiers.
*Name changed to protect his identity
