Baptists in Western Ukraine have made plans to shelter fellow believers in the case of a Russian invasion at Ukraine’s eastern border.
As talk of a russian invasion of Ukraine continues, plans are being made to keep believers safe.
“If Russia will invade, they will invade in the eastern part and northern part, and a little bit of the south,” said Yarsolav Pyzh, president of Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv.
He added, “Churches already agreed, those that are on the western part of Ukraine … told our brothers and sisters in other parts of Ukraine [that] if something happens, we will open our homes and our churches to you.”
Russia persecutes Christians through restrictions such as the 2016 Yarovaya Law criminalizing evangelism outside church walls. Russia considers any church beyond the government-influenced Russian Orthodox Church to be sectarian or a cult.
Pyzh believes a Russian victory in Ukraine would more than likely lead to Ukraine being split into two countries, with western Ukraine remaining independent. Baptist churches that would fall to Russian rule as a consequence would likely transition to spread the Gospel underground rather than abandon the faith.
About 400 of the 1,300 students enrolled in UBTS are from eastern Ukraine. UBTS has already helped Christian missionaries safely navigate the region during the current threat of violence.
If war does break out, It’s unclear how humanitarian aide would be delivered to those affected but planning continues.