Vista 49
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:22)
The War in Ukraine is well into its fifth year, though if you include Russia’s annexation of Crimea in February 2014, it is now more than twelve years of conflict. Vista 42 in the autumn of 2022 was dedicated to initial reflections on the missiological implications of the war and the ensuing migrant crisis. Now four years on, the editors felt it was a moment to return to Ukraine and to make a fresh effort to hear “what the Spirit has been saying to the churches” in this apocalyptic moment for the country.
The articles below were all written by Ukrainians or, in one case, by a missionary who has lived in Ukraine for nearly twenty years. For many of them this is the first time that anything they have written has been published in English.
At the end of every edition of Vista we state that the views expressed in Vista are those of the authors of each article and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editorial team. That is even more true for this edition. How could they possibly reflect our position, since we the editors are not living in a country at war.
You may find some of the articles uncompromising and/or upsetting yet we would plead with you to strain your ears to listen to what these brothers and sisters are saying to us. It is a privilege for us to offer up their unique perspective on mission from a context of war to the world church.
The lead article by Mykhailo Cherenkov is an uncompromising critique of the “Russian World” and its (Un)Holy War. He provides a historical context for this ideology which is used to justify the Russian invasion but also represents a challenge to Western Christianity.
Roman Soloviy’s article on Walls and Bridges in Times of War encourages us to reflect on how the use of these two metaphors has changed as a result of the war. “This war has shown us that walls are not always bad, and bridges are not always good: it all depends on who builds them, when, and for what purpose.”
Mykhailo Brytsyn’s article on the growth of Ukrainian Protestant churches in the midst of the full-scale war presents primary research on the factors which have contributed to the growth of many churches. The results indicated that trusted leaders, teamwork and delegation, small groups, changes in preaching practice, social ministry, and the use of Ukrainian language were all key factors in sustaining this growth.
Valentin Siniy’s reflection on the impact of migration on the country is arresting. After a statistical prologue which describes the dimensions of the Ukrainian migrant reality, he adopts an almost poetic style as he reflects on the impact of this experience for himself and for others.
Svitlana Fylypchuk urges us to reflect on the experience of families of fallen military personnel, drawing on research among Ukrainian Protestant Churches. Amongst many other observations, she notes that the families of fallen service members face a number of barriers: the stigmatisation of mental health, a lack of professional knowledge and burnout, and the necessity of “working with despair”.
Kristy Williams writes from nearly twenty years of experience of youth ministry in Ukraine. She reflects on the reality for teenagers in Ukraine right now, how they are responding to the war, but also something of the experience of teenagers in the diaspora, highlighting that this is a moment for boldness in initiating gospel-centred conversations with them.
This edition of Vista closes with two collections of book reviews. Jim Memory reviews three key theological responses to the war that were published last year. And Alex Vlasin and a colleague of his have put together a list of books that cover cross-cultural mission work and missionary pastoral care with a particular focus on Ukraine.
If you don’t have a book written by a Ukrainian on your bookshelf, now would be a great time to buy one.
As always, we welcome your feedback on this issue of Vista, but we also want to ask you to continue praying for justice and peace in Ukraine.
Jim Memory
On behalf of the Vista Editors
Read more in this issue:
The Russian World and its (un)holy war: A threat to Christian Unity
Church growth in the midst of war
Bridges and Walls in a time of war
When home becomes foreign: What Ukraine is teaching the global church about migration
Youth Ministry in Ukraine
Support groups for families of fallen Ukrainian Military Personnel
Books about cross-cultural mission in Ukrainian
Book reviews: books written in response to the war on Ukraine