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Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi and Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
As United Methodists in Pennsylvania, we join in prayer with those all around the world who are entreating God for peace in the Ukraine. In a Facebook post in early March, Bishop Eduard Khegay, who oversees Russia and Ukraine, urged us to pray for the community in Lugansk, Ukraine, who, as they pray, hear the “sounds of guns. Mass mobilization of men under 55 is going on. “The situation is complicated and disturbing.”
As Methodists, it has always been part of our tradition to pray and work for peace. In our most current Book of Discipline, we find these words:
We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy. We oppose unilateral first/preemptive strike actions and strategies on the part of any government. As disciples of Christ, we are called to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict…We believe that human values must outweigh military claims as governments determine their priorities; that the militarization of society must be challenged and stopped; that the manufacture, sale, and deployment of armaments must be reduced and controlled; and that the production, possession, or use of nuclear weapons be condemned. - ¶ 165(c) The Book of Discipline 2016
As his colleague and sister in Christ, I affirm Bishop Khegay’s conclusion that the situation in Ukraine is complicated. Those of you who have connections to that part of the world have a much better understanding of the situation than do I. I am grateful to Nordic-Baltic Area Bishop Christian Alsted, who issued a pastoral letter helping us to understand some of the dynamics of that region of the world.
I do understand the tension that comes in simultaneously calling for peace while supporting the Ukrainian people in their “fight” for freedom. We can do both. We can applaud Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s declaration in a recent address to the European Union Parliament that every square in Ukraine is “Freedom Square.” We can pray for the safety of soldiers on both sides of the war as we affirm Bishop Alsted’s statement that “War and violence are evil and always entail considerable human costs.” We can also pray that Ukrainian and Russian officials continue to try to negotiate a peace.
Further, we can and must pray for peace and act to combat the impact of war. Both the Western Pennsylvania and Susquehanna Annual Conferences have familial and missional connections to Ukraine. Because of our connection we have mechanisms to put our prayers into action.
First United Methodist Church in Hershey, PA, has been involved in mission projects in Ukraine for nearly 30 years. They have partnered with Raising Hope Ukraine,” the ministry of missionaries Archana and Ruslan Tkachuk, since 2007. Archie, an American, and Ruslan, a native Ukrainian, have been ministering to those on the ground by providing food, fuel, and other supplies as well as a safe place to sleep for those who are displaced by the war. You can read more about their current situation on the Raising Hope Ukraine Facebook page (facebook.com/raisinghopeukraine). You may support their efforts by donating online at raisinghopeukraine.com/partner-with-us/financial/ OR by mailing checks made out to “Raising Hope Ukraine” to 836 Appenzell Dr., Hummelstown PA 17036.
Although United Methodist Global Ministries currently does not have missionaries on the ground in Ukraine, UMCOR is communicating with partners in the region to coordinate a humanitarian response. We can support UMCOR’s international disaster response efforts by making a gift to Advance #982450. Global Ministries’ Advance #14053A supports pastors in Ukraine and Moldova.
The Western Pennsylvania Conference credit union, Common Roots, is part of a global network of credit unions whose humanitarian arm, the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, has established the Ukrainian Credit Union Displacement Fund, to directly support credit union members and employees in the short term and the credit union system in the long term. You may donate online here.
“ they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword
against nation,
neither shall they learn
war any more.”
Peace and blessings,
Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi
Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
