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November 2005 November 24 – December 2 2005. Bishop V’yacheslav Horpynchuk has visited sister churches in the United States of America. Bishop has preached twice and had Bible classes in the Lutheran Churches of Saint John and Holy Scriptures in Frankenmuth and Midland in Michigan. Bishop has also participated in the meetings with the Thoughts of Faith mission society representatives. Ukrainian students at the Michigan Lutheran Seminary have also had a special opportunity to meet Bishop V’yacheslav and his wife, Angela, who brought news from Ukraine and their home churches as well as Christmas gifts from their families in Ukraine.
Pictures: During visiting the United States of America. November 26, 2005 Head of the Tavrian Eparchy pastor Oleh Stetsiuk represented the Ukrainian Lutheran Church at the ceremony to commemorate victims of the man-made famine of 1932/33 in Ukraine. Ukrainians bowed their heads and lit candles on Mykhailivska square in Kyiv. The ULC congregations conducted a morning devotion to honor the memory of victims of the famine.
Crazy atheistic soviet system tried to subdue Ukrainian nation and to force the people to be silent. Stalin, Molotov, Kaganovich and other godless people created an artificial famine on these lands that for centuries fed European countries. After the harvest season in 1931 the Communist power started implementing its evil policy: grains and cattle was taken away from the farmers. In 1932 about 25,000 people starved to death daily. During the two years of famine minimum 10 mln Ukrainians perished!!! For years the Soviets tried to hide this ghastly genocide … but in 73 years Ukrainians got together as one nation and remembered this tragedy in order to have a better future. Thousands of Ukrainians in towns and villages all over the country lit candles to revere the memory of fallen victims. The eternal glory to you… We do remember and honor you… November 16-18, 2005. Bishop V’yacheslav Horpynchuk and evangelism group from Kyiv (ULC Secretary Ihor Rudzik, brother Olekasndr Khyliuk, sister Hanna Shkuro and Deacon Serhiy Kudryk) have visited Christ the Savior Lutheran Church in Mykolaiv and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Kherson. Bishop and Kyivan visitors have participated in evangelism studies and in evangelism efforts conducted together with Pastor Oleksandr Sonne and parish members from Mykolaiv and Pastor Oleh Stetsiuk and parish members from Kherson. Above one thousand of Mykolaiv and Kherson inhabitants were invited to the Church. We express our special thanks to Mr. Thomas Medema for support of this evangelism effort. May the Lord grow sown Word of God!
November 11, 2005. General Pastoral Conference of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church took place in Puscha-Vodytsia near Kyiv. Pastor Oleh Yukhymenko was presiding at the Conference. “Is it Proper for a Woman to be Called to Administer the Lord’s Supper to Other Wmen?” was the paper written by Rev. David Webber and presented by Rev. Oleh Yukhymenko. After the paper was presented there was a lively and brotherly discussion among pastors.
Picture: At the Conference. November 9-10, 2005. Ukrainian Lutheran Church 14th Sobor (Convention) took place in Puscha-Vodytsia near Kyiv. Bishop V’yachelav Horpynchuk was presiding at the Sobor. Sister Churches from Europe and U.S.A have greeted the Sobor. The Sobor has reviewed important aspects of the Church’s life. Pastor of the ULC congregation in Ivano-Frankivsk, Rev. Serhiy Romaniuk has delievered a wonderful essay “From Augsburg Confession to the Formula of Concord: 475 years under the grace of God.” The Sobor has decided to publish this essay in the ULC Handbook for 2006. Processional Cross that was used by Ukrainian Lutherans till 1944 was presented to the ULC Office in Kyiv by members of Ivano-Frankivsk congregation. The cross was kept secretly at a home of Semen Syrotynskiy after terrible persecutions broke out when Russians came back to Ukraine in 1944. Parishes of the Kyivan Eparchy have reported of their ministry this year. Their reports were gratefully accepted and approved. The Sobor has approved new Heads of Kyivan and Tavrian Eprachies and members of the Synodical Council accordingly: pastors Vadym Zinchenko and Oleh Stetsiuk. The Sobor has reviewed a call for a new Rector of the Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saint Sophia as well as reviewed, discussed and approved the ULC Budget for 2006. Different ministries and committees of the Church presented their reports, too. Delegates of the Sobor and members of ULC parishes in Kyiv also enjoyed the Holy Liturgy (Rev. Oleh Okruhin as a preacher) on November 9 and Vespers on Martin Luther’s Day (Rev. Wayne Borgwardt as a preacher).
Pictures: At the Sobor. November 8, 2005. Ukrainian Lutheran Church Synodical Council meeting took place in Kyiv. Bishop V’yachelav Horpynchuk was presiding over the meeting. Cooperation with the Ukrainian Bible Society and preparation for the 14th Sobor was discussed among other matters at the meeting.
Picture: Professor-emeritus Roger Kovaciny presents his work to the Synodical Council meeting. November 7, 2005. Pastoral Conference of Kyivan Eparchy took place in Kyiv. Pastor Pavlo Bohmat presided over the Conference. Pastor Yuriy Fizer presented his paper “Antirationalism in the Lutheran Teaching on the Lord’s Supper.” Pastor Fizer has briefly and well showed Biblical character of the Lutheran doctrine on the Holy Communion comparing them with other teachings that more or less have rational backgrounds. Having discussed Pastor Fizer’s paper, Conference members have prayerfully and thankfully shared news from their parishes and preaching stations.
Picture: Pastor Yuriy Fizer presents his paper. November 6, 2005. Representatives of the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv headed by Pastor Vyacheslav Horpynchuk have brought flowers to 1932-1933 Famine victims monument. Pastor Horpynchuk has led parish members in prayer in which he thanked God for the gift of salvation and life eternal that we have in Christ, for faithfulness of our predecessors to the Gospel and for true freedom that we have in Christ and liberty of Ukraine. In such a way Kyivan Lutherans have remembered all the Christian martyrs that have been murdered during Communist regime when Ukraine was occupied by different powers. “Thoughts of Faith” mission society representatives have participated in the prayer as well.
Picture: Parish representatives at the monument. November 6, 2005. Resurrection Lutheran Church in Kyiv has one more communicant member and one more child of God. On this day Svitlana Solodka has communed for the first time in her life true body and blood of our Savior as well as on this day Maxym Petrenko was born of water and the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism and the Lord put on him righteousness of Christ, as it is written, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
Picture: Pastor Vyacheslav Horpynchuk congratulates Svitlana Solodka on her first Holy Communion. November 2, 2005. Velyka Berezovytsia. Galician Eparchy meeting was held in the premises of the Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary of Saint Sophia. Pastor Taras Kokovskiy was presiding over the meeting. Pastors and presidents of the congregations that are located in the western parts of Ukraine participated in the meeting. They have shared success and challenges in their congregations and asked for the Lord’s continual blessings on the Gospel work in their churches. Bishop Vyacheslav Horpynchuk attended the meeting as well.
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Eparchy Head, Rev. Kokovskiy delivers his report to the meeting. |
