CHARLEY AND CHERYL WARNER

Having moved in January 2018 to Irpin, Ukraine, we were displaced— along with most of the city’s 65,000 residents—by the fullscale Russian invasion of 24 February 2022. In our case, we left before the invasion, heeding warnings from the US State Department. Most Irpin residents fled after bombs started falling in the early hours of that Thursday morning. During the following days, thousands made their way to Irpin Bible Church, of which we are members. There, they were fed, housed in the church’s basement shelter, and given evacuation assistance. 

We never imagined that the war fought since 2014 in the Donbas area of southeastern Ukraine would come literally to our doorstep in this suburb northwest of Kyiv. Our rented home was under Russian occupation from shortly after the invasion until Irpin was liberated on 28 March 2022. Atrocities were committed in our street, which still bears grotesque scars. Across from our home stand the charred remains of Mission Eurasia’s headquarters. Today, people come there twice a month to receive Christian literature, free hot lunches, and general humanitarian aid. Nearby are several damaged and destroyed houses—city officials report that 70 percent of buildings were damaged in the month-long Battle of Irpin. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61667500] 

Somehow, our landlady survived occupation in a nearby basement, showing extraordinary courage and resilience. She then worked tirelessly to repair damage to our home and restore order before we returned in July 2023. There were broken windows, shrapnel damage, and fences downed by tanks. Yet— amazingly—the house still stands, and we are living in it today. Chasing out the ghosts of the occupiers and reclaiming the house for advancing the Gospel has been a gift of redemption. Today, Bible study groups meet here, and overnight guests help us forge new memories. On Wednesday afternoons our landlady visits, and we read and discuss the Gospel of John together in the sunroom.

Families torn apart 

Following last year’s invasion, Ukraine’s government declared martial law, which prohibits men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country. The aim is to maintain the pool of men eligible for military service. Those who have three or more children under 18 or certain medical conditions are exempt. 

Millions of Ukrainians—thus mostly women and children—left Ukraine and have been living as refugees, primarily in Europe and North America. Some who live closer to home—such as in Poland—sometimes visit husbands and fathers in Ukraine. Men whose families are farther away have not seen their wives and children for nearly two years. One pastor stayed to minister among churches in his region but desperately misses his wife and children, who are with relatives in Australia. Through tears, another father told us of his wife and children in the US state of Washington. He was glad for their safety, but devastated by his family being torn apart. 

All of this has been very difficult on marital and family relationships. As the war drags on, we hear reports of divorces in separated families, even among church-going families. There is no simple solution. Some families have lost their homes or job prospects and believe they have no reason to return. Others endured more separation than they could bear and have returned to Ukraine, figuring that they would rather face danger together than remain apart any longer. 

Friction 

While some men received permission to leave the country legally, others have left with false documents or through bribes. This creates tension with those who have stayed in Ukraine; sometimes angry words erupt on social media. Those who broke laws in order to leave may face fines or jail time if they return. Those who left are perceived as living a great life in the West, while the reality for them as refugees is much more difficult and nuanced than their friends back home understand. The divide between those who stayed and those who left is reminiscent of some of the judgment directed towards believers who emigrated to the US in the 1990s. These are very broad generalizations, whereas individual circumstances, in fact, vary widely. 

Debates about judgment and forgiveness also crop up online and in general conversation. Questions hang in the air. “My house is okay— God is good.” “My house was destroyed. Is God still good?” People try to be charitable towards each other, but when someone has been to a lot  of funerals lately, and they see people posting vacation pictures online, it stings. Emotions run high; sensibilities are raw.

We have also observed a lot of grace shown to people who took different decisions, where people recognize that individual circumstances vary. Some needed to leave to preserve their mental health. Some lost their homes or livelihoods. Others needed to stay for elderly parents who could not make the trip. Our pastors advised people to make decisions about whether to stay or leave prayerfully before the Lord and not to judge others.

Informing the world

There is another exception regarding the law on Ukrainian men leaving the country. We are thankful that Evangelical denominational leaders have been allowed to travel abroad in order to inform Western governments and churches of the church situation within Ukraine and about what type of assistance is needed. In the past, the voice of Ukrainian Evangelical churches was rarely heard before governments. Today, there are meetings with US government leaders at high levels. 

One example is Igor Bandura, who is Vice President of International Affairs for the Baptist Union of Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion, Pastor Bandura has been able to visit churches throughout Western Europe and the USA. In April 2023 he also participated in a hearing of the US Helsinki Commission (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe) in Washington, DC on “Church, State, and Russia’s War on Ukraine.” [https:// www.csce.gov/hearings/church-state-and-russias-war-on-ukraine/] 

In October 2023 another Ukrainian Evangelical leader, Ivan Rusyn, participated in a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council think tank, also in Washington, DC. Rusyn, a bishop in the Ukrainian Evangelical Church denomination as well as Rector of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kyiv, visited as part of a delegation of high-level religious leaders from the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. In his comments during the panel discussion, Bishop Rusyn highlighted the persecution of Evangelical believers in Russian-occupied Ukraine. “We are not [just] talking about the seizure of churches,” he said. “We are talking about people killed simply because they have a different faith.” [www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/faith-leaders-highlight-russianreligious-persecution-in-occupied-ukraine/].

Sharing personal stories

Individuals also have their own personal stories to tell, and they need to talk. When greeting old friends or meeting new people since our return to Ukraine, initial conversation usually covers questions about what happened on 24 February 2022. “Where did you go?” “What—or whom—have you lost?” “Where is your family?” Such conversations quickly go deep. A missionary friend observed that hugs are longer and tighter. 

“It brings me such joy to see people coming back,” one Ukrainian friend told us. Another said, “Because you are here, it’s easier for us.” It is hard to comprehend this, but the power of presence means a lot to people. For us, this is the best time to be in Irpin, which is reasonably safe now. We are learning from Ukrainians about perseverance, sacrificial service, and trusting God in the worst of circumstances. Their example to us is extraordinary. It is a privilege to listen to and honor their stories. 

Olga, an older woman from occupied Mariupol, sat down next to Cheryl on a park bench one day and poured out her story of losing her home in the siege, fleeing through several countries to Switzerland, and eventually returning to Ukraine. There is nothing left for her to go back to in Mariupol. She said that she cannot believe Putin is doing this: “What is the point?” Olga is convinced that God saved her life. God continues to answer Cheryl’s prayers that she will bump into her in the park. A few weeks ago, she greeted Cheryl with a hug. 

Evangelicals’ positive reputation

Evangelical churches were one place of refuge after the invasion, and people remember who helped them during their darkest hour—and continue to help. Irpin has been named a Hero City of Ukraine and Irpin Bible Church is a well-known part of this heroic service, awarded a medal by Ukraine’s parliament for its efforts in the aftermath of the invasion. Our church has since established several volunteer centers in the local area, where people can come for general assistance or attend Bible clubs and other events. On 17 December 2023 a special Christmas event was held at our church for 450 IDPs [internally displaced persons, who seek refuge within the borders of their own state].

This demonstration of love and practical help gives credibility to the Gospel. Many people have been baptized in the period since the full-scale invasion. Pastors and volunteers report that people initially came to churches for humanitarian aid. Those who were curious stayed for Bible clubs and church services. Some have become believers. We hear of this happening throughout Ukraine: Churches that lost most of their membership because people fled the country are now filled with newcomers. At Irpin Bible Church, 17 new believers were baptized on 1 December, many of whom were older adults displaced from other cities. Many more were baptized in the preceding year and a half.

Loss of loved ones; prayers for defenders

Sunday services include moving times of prayer for peace in Ukraine. Our church’s Telegram social media channel includes a list of military personnel who are from our church or are relatives of church members. Five have been killed in Loss of loved ones; prayers for defenders Seventeen baptized at Irpin Bible Church, December 2023 (Source: C. & C. WARNER) action, in addition to a volunteer who died helping a family to evacuate Irpin after the invasion. Home groups pray for loved ones who are in combat. Prayer requests for soldiers come in real time. Cheryl’s Bible study group prayed for Pavlo, who was critically injured in battle and died a few days later, leaving behind his pregnant wife. Two women from our group went to his funeral the following week. Our group was visited by a woman whose brother is a Hero of Ukraine, meaning that he died in battle. Church members have also packed boxes of thermal wear, sweet treats, dried meats, and Scripture portions to give as Christmas gifts to local military personnel and defenders in combat  zones. 

Broken relationships

Ukrainians say things that indicate a sense of betrayal: “Russia was supposedly a ‘brotherly nation.’ How could they do this to us?” One woman who was born and raised in Russia and came to Ukraine 15 years ago shared that her church friends and even her father in Russia do not believe her when she tells them what has happened here. “We’re there to liberate you from the fascists,” they say, believing Russian propaganda rather than their own family members in Ukraine. It is too painful to talk to them, so phone calls have ceased. This is a bitter pill to swallow, adding insult to injury. 

Ukrainian ministry leaders want their brothers in Russia to speak out against the war, even though they risk arrest and fines if they do so. Can these broken relationships be restored? Many are saying it will take more than a generation to overcome the rift. The wounds are too deep and too fresh for most people even to consider what reconciliation would look like right now. We have not observed an open desire for revenge—just hurt and a sense of bewilderment: “Why would they do this to us?” It makes no sense. 

There is tension among Russian Evangelicals, too. A ministry leader in Moscow reports that Russians who left to avoid being conscripted but later returned to Russia for work have been ostracized by fellow church members who considered them disloyal to their country. A pastor who does not support the war was removed from his position and told he should read his Bible and pray more. 

Russian language disappears

One noticeable change since 24 February 2022 is the almost overnight disappearance of the Russian language from the Kyiv Region. Before, both languages were used freely, often in the same conversation. About half the pastors in our church preached in Ukrainian and half in Russian. While no formal directive was issued, all prefer to use only Ukrainian now, and no Russian is heard at all in church services. Home groups and other church gatherings are now in Ukrainian. People who spoke Russian all their lives are now switching to Ukrainian, even if that is a struggle. 

For many people, hearing Russian spoken seems to rub salt in their wounds. Two teenagers from Zaporizhzhia—a Russian-speaking city—told us that the war has impacted their generation by inspiring a strong movement to retain a distinctive Ukrainian identity, which includes speaking only Ukrainian. Streets named for Russian writers are being changed to honor Ukrainian writers. Others who are lifelong speakers of Russian—especially older people— sometimes feel berated and resent having their patriotism questioned. A refugee in the US who came from Mariupol said: “Just because I speak Russian doesn’t mean I don’t love my country. I am Ukrainian.” 

This has also presented a challenge for us, since we learned Russian more than 30 years ago in Odesa [Russian: Odessa], a Russian-speaking city where we rarely heard Ukrainian. The last thing we want to do is to offend anyone with our use of language. Many friends are gracious toward us and make allowances for us as foreigners, but we still need to understand the Ukrainian being spoken around us and to try to speak the preferred language.

Lingering questions

Early on, people were asking: “Why? Did our nation commit some terrible sin and we are being punished?” A church leader said he concluded that Ukraine is no worse than many other nations living in peace. His answer now places the blame squarely on the evil being perpetrated against Ukraine by its nearest neighbor. The response of churches during wartime has been to care for people and to share Christ with the lost. They have had the joy of seeing people come to Christ and scores of new Ukrainian churches started in Europe. 

Now the question seems to have shifted to: “How long?” People have visibly aged. Pastors and volunteers who have been carrying heavy burdens in caring for people are very tired. As winter sets in and attacks on the energy sector have increased, there is a grim determination to keep going, but people are weary. With support from Western allies faltering and fears of a protracted war that could go on for years, people are wondering what the future holds for their children. People are very grateful for the support of other nations in offering both military and humanitarian aid, as well as support for refugees abroad. There is also a sense that more help is needed in order to win the war, and not just to maintain the status quo. 

Believers here are crying out to God and doing their best to keep trusting Him one day at a time, even as the end is not in sight.

Charley and Cheryl Warner are missionaries serving with Barnabas International. They are currently based in Irpin, Ukraine.