UKRAINIAN LUTHERAN CHURCH CONVENTION

Ocotber 21 and 22, 2009. The 18th, annual Sobor (Convention) of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church took place in Kremenets. Key points of the Sobor included a wonderful essay of Pastor Serhiy Kudryk "I Believe in the Communion of Saints". Pastor Kudryk who serves Ukrainian Lutheran Church in Cerhnihiv has researched what it means to confess those words from the Apostle's Creed today. After many years of studies and negotiations the Sobor has incorporated into the ULC two Lutheran congregations from Belarus (Minsk and Zhodino) on their request. Pastor Badrusev is ministering those congregations. He has also translated the Book of Concord into Belarusian.
At the Sobor Liturgy, a Saint Sophia Seminary graduate, Dmytro Didkivskiy, has been ordained to the Holy Ministry in Malyn, Zhytomyr Oblast. Special words of thanks were given by the Sobor to Pastor Neil Schroeder from WELS for his active part in building the ULC and charitable work among our nation. Three pastors were congratulated on 10th anniversary of ordination and pastoral ministry: Rev. Taras Kokovskiy (Head of the Galician Eparchy); Rev. Yuriy Fizer (Pastor of the Nativity Lutheran Church in Kiev) and Rev. Andriy Honcharuk (Pastor of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Kam'yanets-Podiliskiy).

DIAKONIA SCHOOL

October 6 and 7, 2009.  Diakonia school evening classes took place in the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv.  Lay-people, that are getting ready to serve as deacons in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, studied topic of Evangelism. Professor John Vogt, the Rector of the Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saint Sophia, was presenting the subject. As always classes went well, with an active participation of students which were discussing ways of sharing the Gospel, so that more people in Ukraine could be saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING

October 6, 2009. ULC Budget Committee meeting took place in Kiev. The meeting, that was attended by representatives of all the three Eparchies of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, was led by Deacon Vasyl Andreychuk from Kremenets. Professor John Vogt and Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk took part in the meeting as well. Brothers have discussed principles of the budget rules of the ULC for the future and established priorities for the next year.  They have thanked the Lord for the support in the past and asked His blessings and help for the year 2010 that promises to be very difficult financially for the church because of the world economic crisis.

FRATERNAL VISIT FROM THE ELS

The official delegation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod has visited the Ukrainian Lutheran Church: Rev. Steven Petersen, the Administrator for the World Outreach of the ELS; Rev. Paul Fries, the Chairman of the Board for the World Outreach and Brother Keith Wiederhoeft, the Treasurer of the ELS. Brothers from the ELS have visited all the three Eparchies (Districts) of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, met Ukrainian Lutheran Pastors and laymen, participated in three Pastoral Conferences in Ternopil, Kyiv and Mykolaiv and at the Synodical Council meeting in Kyiv.  Pastor Petersen and Fries have preached on the Holy Cross day in the Resurrection Lutheran Church and Nativity Lutheran Church in Kyiv accordingly. The visit from the brothers from the ELS has been an encouragement for their brothers in Ukraine. May the  Lord continue to bless the fellowship founded on on the pure Gospel!