ULC NEWS

September 26, 2007. Ukrainian Lutheran Church Synodical Council meeting took place in Kyiv. Officers of the ULC, Eparchy Heads and Rector of the Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saint Sophia reports were heard and approved. The ULC Synodical Council has accepted Vice-Bishop Andriy Honcharul resignation.

Picture: During the Synodical Council meeting.

September 23, 2007. Four members of the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv have communed the real body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the first time in their lives. Resurrection Lutheran Church members have heartily welcome new communicant members: Andriy Prokhorenko, Olena Boiko, Serhiy Berezin, and Vitaliy Prokopchuk. Luther's Catechism studies take place every Sunday in the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv, beginning with 9:30 a.m. at the Institute of Mathematics building in 3 Tereshchenkivska Street in Kyiv, close to Teatralna subway station.

Picture: After the first Holy Supper.

September 22, 2007. The Lord has called our bother Valeriy Lozianiy to his heavenly home. Brother Valeriy has served as the Head of the Construction Committee of the ULC and also as a member of the Resurrection Lutheran Church Council. We express our most sincere sympathy to the family of brother Valeriy and to his friends. The Lord Jesus Christ says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live" (John 5:24, 25).

September 22, 2007. Resurrection Lutheran Church Youth Group members from Kyiv have visited Radomyshl. They met local Lutherans and toured the most interesting places in the town. The Gospel is preached in Radomyshl in the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church. Reverend Pavlo Oskolov is the local pastor. There are several buildings that belonged to the Lutheran Church before the Communists took over. Nowadays the congregations has to rent unfit rooms.

Picture: During tour to Radomyshl.

September 20, 2007. Tavrian Eparchy meeting took place in Kherson. The meeting participants discussed affairs in their parishes and in the Church as well as listened to the report of Christ the Savior Lutheran Church Pastor Olexandr Sonne (Mykolaiv) about some aspects of liturgy in the ULC Hymnal. Thoughts of Faith mission society representatives, Mr. Kermit Traska, Mr. Volodymyr Cherevko and Rev. Richard Warnke have also participated in the meeting.

Picture: During the Eparchy meeting.

September 20, 2007. Kyivan Eparchy Pastoral Conference took place in Kyiv. Pastor Victor Khaustov from the All Saints Lutheran Church in Kharkiv has presented his essay, "History of Lutherans in the Context of Lutheranism History in Ukraine." Pastors have also discussed life and events in their parishes.

Picture: During Kyivan Eparchy Pastoral Conference.

September 18, 2007. A Meeting of the Galacian Eparchy congregations took place in Ternopil. Participants of the meeting have discussed ministry in their congregations and mission stations and summarized the work of the Vacation Bible School 2007. The Pastoral Conference took place the same day. The Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Holy Sophia rector John Vogt has presented his essay "Body, soul, spirit."

Picture: At the meeting of the Galician Eparchy representatives and Pastoral Conference.

September 7, 2007. St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor's day was celebrated in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. A special evening prayer, devoted to this pastor and confessor was held in the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv. Bishop Vyacheslav has used for meditations a letter of Saint Paul to Titus, who served as Bishop on Crete and died peacefully according to church history at the age of 94 years. Apostle Paul instructed Titus to preach the Gospel of Christ and lead the church life properly. St. Paul's letter to Titus is a part of the New Testament.

September 5, 2007. A graduation ceremony and beginning of the new academic year were celebrated in the Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saint Sophia. Two men received their theological diplomas this year: Oleksandr Feschenko (Ukraine) received his Master of Divinity degree and Eduard Polkovnikov (Moldova) received his Bachelor of Divinity degree. At the Divine Service that took place at St. John and James Lutheran Church in Ternopil, Vice-Rector Oleh Yukhymenko and Deacon Oleksandr Feschenko served as liturgists and Rector John Vogt delivered his sermon. Graduates were greeted by Ukrainian Lutheran Church Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk and Evangelical Lutheran Synod President John Moldstad as well as by parish members, seminarians and guests.

Picture: At the graduation ceremony.

September 3, 2007. Dr. Olexander Romanovskiy, the Rector of the Ukrainian-American Liberal Arts Institute "Wisconsin International University (USA) in Ukraine" has invited Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk to participate in the new academic year opening ceremony. Bishop Vyacheslav has wished students of the University to have all success in their studies, to seek the Kingdom of Heaven and its truth in the first place (Matthew 6:33), and pronounced blessing on the students, teachers and professors. Wisconsin International University (USA) in Ukraine trains highly-qualified international business managers. Students from many countries of the world enjoy their studies here. Picture: Bishop Vyacheslav addresses students.

August 28, 2007. Ukrainian Lutherans thanked God for the life of Virgin Mary, Theotokos on this day. Virgin Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed among the women (Luke 1:28). In the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv a traditional Evening Prayer was held. A special attention was paid to Mary's obedience to the Word of God and her faith in Jesus Christ as for her only Savior.

August 26, 2007. Traditional pastoral blessing of student took place in the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv. The Lord has richly blessed graduates of the high schools, members of the parish that practically all of them joined Universities in Ukraine and abroad. Before blessing the children and young people Pastor V’yacheslav has thanked the Lord for the blessing of education and instructed the children and young people form the Word of God to be good students of the Word and of the civic subjects God called them to study.

July 2-13 Vacational Bible School (VBS) for kids was held this year in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. 14 congregations hosted the VBS this year. On average 630 children attended the VBS daily. Kremenets Holy Cross Church (VBS leader – Pastor Neal Schroeder from the WELS) traditionally kept the record of children attendance – 240 children on average were coming to school every day.
Pictures: During the VBS in the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kremenets.

This past June the Ukrainian Lutheran Church’s seminary in Ternopil’ began a new program of graduate-level study for pastors. Before this, pastors who wanted to continue their education and so better equip themselves for ministry needed to travel to the United States and take courses in English. Now they can study in Ternopil’ taking courses taught by U.S. professors but translated into Ukrainian or Russian or any other language needed. The credits earned in these courses will be accepted by the other seminaries of our worldwide fellowship and can lead to a Master of Sacred Theology degree.

The new program has met an enthusiastic response. Two one-week courses were offered in June. Dr. John Brug of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary taught the first course on Archaeology which was attended by eleven, including a guest student from Norway and another from Siberia. President Paul Wendland, also of WLS, taught on Paul and Culture the second week. This course was attended by 18 including four pastors from Latvia as well as the Norwegian and Siberian.

Each professor also taught a course for our regular seminary students. Two guest students from Georgia attended Dr. Brug’s course, while five Scandinavians attended President Wendland’s. In all, a total of 32 different men took courses in June, including 12 pastors and one deacon from the ULC. Students who needed lodging stayed at the seminary and in rented apartments. A financial grant from Thoughts of Faith covered travel and living costs for those who needed such assistance.

Next year’s Summer Quarter has already been planned for June 9-20. The enthusiastic response to this first year has led to expansion next year. Three professors have agreed to come and offer courses.

Rev. John Vogt, Rector of the Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saint Sophia

May 22, 2007. ULC Synodical Council meeting took place in Kyiv. Bishop V’yhacheslav Horpynchuk led the meeting. The Synodical Council reviewed the work of the ULC, special attention was paid to the mission and evangelism work of the Church. The Synodical Council has also approved the ULC Budget for the year 2008 in general. Representatives of the “Thoughts of Faith” mission society, brothers Wayne Borgwardt and Kermit Traska, took part in the Synodical Council meeting.

April 16-18, 2007. The Founder and Executive Director of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF), Rev. Dr. Robert Rahn and Rev. James Fandrey have visited Ukraine. The LHF publishes confessional Lutheran books and distributes them to the Ukrainian Lutheran Church and other churches for free. During the meeting with Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk and Ukrainian Lutherans who work for the books to be out of the press, Dr. Rahsn has compared the Scriptures with the Divine "MapQuest®" that clearly show the only way to heaven - Jesus Christ. Books published bu the Lutheran Heritage Foundation are important charts and maps. As visit was coming to its closure the presentation of the new translation took place - a commentary of Rev. Armin Panning on the Epistle to Romans. The book was translated into Ukrainian by the Resurrection Lutheran Church member, Petro Rybalchenko. This publication is the first one of the more than 40-volume series of Bible commentaries under the title "People's Bible."

Pictures: During the visit; Commentary on Romans from the People's Bible in Ukrainian.

April 15, 2007. Wedding of Mykola and Iryna Danylov took place in the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv. The parish and web-site editors wish the young couple many and happy blessed years in their family life and most generous blessings of the Lord as they serve Him and His people, the Holy Church.

April 8, 2007. "Christ Is Risen!" "He Is Risen Indeed!" - greet each other Lutherans. Easter celebrations took place on this day in the Ukrainian Lutheran congregations. Worshippers have thanked the Lord for the forgiveness of sins, justification and life eternal that we have in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Easter day was very special for 5 youth members from the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv and for 6 adult guests of the Resurrection Lutheran Church from Cherkasy. They have received the real body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ in the Holy Communion during the Easter liturgy. We congratulate new communicant members of the ULC on this happy holiday and wish them many happy and blessed years in the service to the Lord!

Pictures: During and after Easter liturgy of the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv.

[Jesus Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:25).

Christ Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

Your Sincerely in Christ Risen,
Rev. Vyacheslav Horpynchuk,
Bishop, Ukrainian Lutheran Church

April 6, 2007. Good Friday. Parishes of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church celebrate services of God during which Gospel is read and sermons are proclaimed about sufferings, crucifixion and death of the Son of God on the Calvary for our sins. Jesus Christ is the One in Whom all the Old Testament about the Messiah are fulfilled and He is the true Lamb of God, Whose blood cleanse us from all the sins (1 John 1:7).

April 5, 2007. Ukrainian Lutherans continue to celebrate the Holy Week. On this day we remember our Lord's Introduction of the Sacrament of the Holy Supper and all the events of the Maundy Thursday. The Holy Liturgy has its special meaning today since on the Thursday like this Jesus Christ has communed His Disciples with His real body and blood in bread and wine, having said the following words before the Communion, "Take; this is my body…
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many" (Mark 14:22, 24).

April 1, 2007. Holy Week has been begun in the Ukrainian Lutheran congregations and ministries. On this Sunday Ukrainian Lutherans remember Entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. According to Ukrainian tradition we bring willow braches to churches (since palm trees do not grow on most Ukrainian lands) to symbolize our joy that we have in Christ our eternal King.