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Wrestling the Word K2K - Theatre Ministry Facing change Redemptive windows: Christians and divorce PAGE 9 PAGE 11 PAGE 14 PAGE 20 PM# 40009999 R9375 A Reformed Biweekly | 69th Year of Publication March 9, 2015 | NO. 3004 | $2.50 News. Clues. Kingdom views. Russian pawns ‘Here I raise my Ebenezer’ The plight of Eastern Ukraine and its believers The uncommon fidelity of Richard Mouw Russia and the rest of Ukraine. Pervomaisk church are [on] the hit One such displaced family is list of separatists,” they explain. All Igor and Inna Bykadorovs and Protestants, all evangelicals, are their son Vadym, a football-play- viewed by the powerful, pro-Russia, ing 15-year-old. Originally from Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Mos- the town of Pervomaisk in east- cow Patriarchate) as the enemy. ern Ukraine, Igor and Inna never “For years,” Igor and Inna con- thought they’d have to flee. tinue, “they were preparing [for] “We were naive and careless the current war by taking away about real danger for our own pro-Ukrainian priests, who also lives. The separatists came closer are more friendly to Protestant and closer but we believed God churches, and then zombie-ing would never let it happen in our people to hate all except Russia town,” they recall. and Russian Orthodox church.” Even when heavy artillery So when violence broke out, started shelling their town over things quickly became danger- Mouw (b.1940), President emeritus of Fuller Theological Seminary, the summer, they held out hope ous for the 300 members of the calls for civility from Christians rather than combativeness. for liberation from the Ukrainian Pervomaisk church. army. But after living for weeks “We were amazed at the ease in the basement – “half-hungry” with which local people turned People worth knowing – they knew hope was gone. On against us as soon as they felt the What does today’s theological landscape look like? Who Vadym, Inna and Igor at Youth July 26, when airstrikes began, support from separatists. They were is influencing modern churches? This is the third of five in our series on for Christ Ukraine: “Pray for the salvation of our nation.” they fled to a neighbouring town the same people whom we con- contemporary Christian theologians. Each piece will introduce a major under airstrikes, eventually making stantly fed, shared humanitarian aid figure in the theological world and explore his or her sphere of influ- Judith Dinsmore their way to a Youth for Christ con- with . but now . they got guns ence, most well-known works and most helpful insight on God’s word. Igor and Inna are homeless, ference centre right outside Kyiv, and could shoot us as ‘enemies of refugees – like a hundred thousand where they now live along with 12 the people,’” they explain. James C. Schaap professor of philosophy at Calvin others – of the year-old conflict in other refugee families. Igor and Inna describe their Not long ago, Dr. Richard College, was, in my humble opin- eastern Ukraine. But they’re also church as close-knit, a family, Mouw, long-time president (now ion, stunningly good as a guest of on a “hit list” for being members Christians a target who could knock on each other’s emeritus) of Fuller Theological Krista Tippitt on National Public of an evangelical church. And they will never return home: doors in the middle of night for Seminary in California and former Continued on page 2 Last February, Russia quietly for when they fled, they were more help if needed. They built their rolled troops into Crimea on the than just refugees from violence. own building over many years – “it heels of unrest throughout Ukraine. As Christians, they were targets of became the most beautiful build- A few months later, pro-Russia separatist persecution. ing in the town! – complete with a militants began grabbing up ter- “Practically all members of our rehabilitation center, a shelter for ritory in the eastern provinces of the underprivileged and a play- Donetsk and Luhansk, sparking ground for the whole town to use.” violence with the Ukrainian army. During the shelling, they and oth- The fighting continued throughout ers prayed vigorously and not one the year, flaring up yet again in the bomb or shell hit the church build- middle of January 2015. ing. However, after the separatists As of February 12, the UN es- took control of the town, it was the timates that casualties are 5,700 locals who “set the church on fire with 13,961 wounded and hun- and rejoiced as if was Christmas! . dreds of thousands displaced into Their church after the fire. Continued on page 2 Mouw speaks of God’s faithfulness as a legacy and a promise. PAGE 2 CHRISTIAN COURIER News Russian pawns continued More information If you’re looking for reliable . Many took smiling pictures in front of the blazing church.” in partnership with news on Ukraine . “It broke our heart,” they conclude. “We have nothing the Association for vice.com/tag/Ukraine to come back to.” Spiritual Renewal rferl.org/section/ukraine/164 (ASR), which is cur- If you’re looking for reliable Ukranians hung out to dry rently overwhelmed ways to give . The Russian propaganda that so swiftly turned the minds with social service devuysts.com of locals in Pervomaisk even separated families as parents efforts, distributing crwm.org and children, sisters and brothers, disagree on whether to humanitarian aid and russian-ministries.org support Ukraine or Russia. Scripture placement yfccanada.org/support-a- “Please read from trustworthy sources,” Igor and Inna through its network national-staff-c23.php urge. “We see that since the very year 1991, Russia has of church leaders. never ceased hoping and planning the return of the empire “The church in Ukraine is trying very hard to find its and even more . we feel that Ukraine is like a pawn, an place in a very difficult cultural situation. There’s been a lot appetizer, for Russia. If they are not stopped – more and of upheaval in the last 20 years and now especially in the more countries will suffer.” last year,” de Vuyst concludes.. “Pastors have been killed But that sort of message seems to fall Last August, the church in Pervomaisk was bombed and or disappeared, have been kidnapped or imprisoned [and] on deaf ears. burned, sustaining severe damage inside and out. church buildings have been expropriated by the militants and “Ukrainians feel like they’re being hung minent world financial aid, according toForbes magazine, turned into their bases . they need Christians in Canada out to dry,” explains Gerard de Vuyst, a Ukraine’s economy faces collapse. and in the U.S. to stand up for the church here.” Christian Reformed pastor working in Igor and Inna would agree. As they spoke with a transla- Kyiv. “The thing that we hear more than A vision for new leaders in the midst of turmoil tor for CC’s interview, Inna would every so often duck her anything else is that Ukrainians are ex- But, as de Vuyst sees it, the Ukrainian church should head and hide it under her palm. Each time, Igor reassured De Vuyst tremely frustrated by the lack of response now shine brighter: “God has placed the church here in this her: “it’s just the children playing.” Eventually, the translator from the West . Europe is already talking about lifting time in a very strategic manner – the church can be an agent realized that Inna, with reflexive fear, was ducking from the sanctions against Russia.” of reconciliation in this horrendous and horrific situation.” sound of a basketball on the floor above the office. And no wonder: much of what we know about the Organizations like Youth for Christ and Students Without And yet, without jobs, far from home and unsure of the Russia-Ukraine situation might be straight from Russia’s Walls are tireless examples of just such work (see related future, Igor and Inna hold onto both hope and love. “Pray for pen. Ukraine, whose government is riddled with corruption interview on page 3). the salvation of our nation,” they beg. “Pray for God’s protec- and lacking strong leadership, “doesn’t have the infrastruc- However, reconciliation and aid in a crisis situation takes tion over the soldiers, volunteers and chaplains who regularly ture in place to deal with the media campaign that Russia training. And that’s where de Vuyst comes in. go to very dangerous spots to share the Good News with is waging . the world isn’t hearing Ukraine’s side,” de Already a church-planter in Ukraine, de Vuyst was ap- soldiers. Pray for God’s healing in hearts and minds. Pray for Vuyst observes. proached in 2010 by the Timothy Leadership Training Insti- the repentance of Putin and authorities; may they know God’s It doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with the ex- tute, a highly practical grassroots program for the training love and turn away from their evil deeds. penses of war, either. It can’t afford much besides old, of native church leaders begun in 1997 in Kenya and now Pray, as we all do: May God frustrate the rusty, Soviet-era makeover weapons for its troops. Its spread to 57 countries, including, in nascent stages, eastern devices of the crafty, so that their hands currency dropped 50 percent in only two days last month. Europe. They wanted de Vuyst to be a trainer in Ukraine. cannot carry out their plans.” It is drafting soldiers by the tens of thousands. Without im- The Institute, now picking up momentum, operates often Judith Dinsmore is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh, Pa.

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