Ukraine and Belarus

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Benjamin Kreps:

Hey everyone. And welcome to the Mark Prater podcast where our aim is to connect our global family of churches with our Executive Director. I'm sure by now—guys will be getting this podcast in a few days from when we're recording it today on Wednesday—but I'm confident everybody has been reading and thinking about what's going on in Ukraine with the Russian invasion, praying for the people of Ukraine. But for us in Sovereign Grace this, as a global family of churches, is not just a theoretical concern. We have meaningful relationship with a pastor in Ukraine. Can you tell us about that?

Mark Prater:

We do—really because of the Arche Church in Germany. That church is a wonderful church that we've had a relationship for with for years. And at Arche Church, they have the German Pastors College. Our own Jeff Purswell has made several trips over the years, training German, Russian, and Ukrainian pastors in that Pastors College. So, there is a man who graduated from that Pastors College that Jeff knows well, who is not only a friend of Jeff's, but Jeff is impressed with him, not only as a pastor but as a leader. And Jeff's been interacting with him regarding the crisis and the war in Ukraine. And a couple of thoughts there. War seemingly brings pastoral issues that are much different than in the normal day, day life. And so, Jeff was just recounting some of those in an email that he sent to all our pastors, which they can read. These pastors in Ukraine are working nonstop to care for their people right now. And so please pray for them.

The other thing that's occurring is the Arche Church is an important part of what's happening because they are collecting supplies, food, water, first aid supplies, those kinds of things. And they're trying to get them to the Ukrainian border so they can be then transferred somehow safely to this pastor that is leading a church in the Ukraine. So, pray for our brothers and sisters in Hamburg, Germany, and their efforts to really serve our brother there in the Ukraine. Those supplies are especially needed right now.

And one other thing we decided on just this week. Jeff, Dave Taylor, and I worked to find a way to get some money to the brother in Ukraine who's leading and pastoring a church. And we were able to find one way to get money in. We hope that it's arrived to him by now.

And so, we'd want our listeners to know to the podcast that Sovereign Grace wanted to find a way to help at least financially support his work, his important work in the Ukraine right now.

Benjamin Kreps:

That's excellent. I'm sure many of us have seen the headlines of Ukrainian pastors deciding that they will stay because they have a church to care for. And I just pray that God gives us all that kind of courage if our day comes where that courage is needed. So grateful to see their example. But our relationship with that pastor in Ukraine isn't the only relationship we have a pastor is sort of in that region. We also, through the work of Kyle Huber over many years, have relationship with some pastors in Belarus. Can you talk to us about that?

Mark Prater:

Yeah. I'm so grateful for Kyle and the number of trips that he has made to Belarus. He’s been going for over probably 20 years now, developing long standing relationships with pastors there. Three or four of these pastors have desire to pursue partnership with Sovereign Grace. And so, we've been talking with them—Kyle's been talking with them—about that. But they are also facing difficulty because they border Ukraine. They're also facing new pastoral issues because of this war. And those pastors, even though not directly in harm's way at this point, are still working very hard around the clock in sort of pastoral crisis type situations to care for their people and try to find ways to care for brothers and sisters in Ukraine.

I know Kyle told me sometime in the last few days that there has been some talk of potential Marshall Law in Belarus. So if you're listening to this podcast, please pray against that. If you would pray that God would really work to avert more war at this point, not only for Ukrainian people, obviously and primarily, but also the impact that it has upon our brothers in Belarus and their churches.

Benjamin Kreps:

Yeah. I'm grateful for Kyle. Shout out to my boy, Kyle, and his pioneering work in those relationships there. And I get be on a Zoom call with these guys and Kyle next week. So, looking forward to meeting some of those brothers in Belarus.

So, thank you for the update, Mark. I'm sure we will all be praying for God's will in that part of the world. And we hope for better days ahead for Ukraine and for the pastors we are seeking to partner with and bless. Thank you all for watching or reading. We'll see you here next week, Lord willing. Bye for now.