Church in a war zone - a report from Ukraine

"Don't be afraid" is a principle that the church wants to convey to people living in a war zone.

On 20 September, Pastor Alexander Gross from Ukraine spoke about being church in a war zone. The pastor is also synod president of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ukraine and deputy bishop. He lives near Odessa and is responsible for five Evangelical Lutheran parishes, including one in the heavily destroyed city of Kherson. He spoke at the Hanover Church of the Resurrection at the invitation of the ELM and the Gustav-Adolf-Werk. Some interested people had accepted the invitation, others followed the lecture and the subsequent discussion on Zoom.

"Don't be afraid" is the first of four guiding principles with which Gross would like to encourage people in the war-torn region with his church programmes. The mere fact that people don't spend an hour looking at their mobile phones spellbound by the latest war news during the church service helps to reduce fear and therefore also hatred. Because when there is fear, hatred is not far away, says Alexander Gross.

"Be close" is the second basic rule for the church in a war zone. "We want to be there for everyone, even for those who disagree with us," says the pastor. At the beginning of the Russian invasion, there were still people who were backing Putin and waiting for everything to get better. But now they no longer say anything. His employee also visits people at home, around 70 people a week. The church supports those in need with food, medicine and money.

"Give hope" is the third principle for Alexander Gross. "Every crisis has an end," is his motto. On the one hand, he wants to encourage people not to give up. For example, the church has built three playgrounds despite the risk of them being destroyed again. Especially under the difficult living conditions of the war, the focus is always on the present moment, when you have to do everything possible.

"Be honest" is also a guiding principle for the church's work. It is about resisting manipulation and propaganda and training critical thinking. But Gross also says: "We don't talk much about politics. Our task is to proclaim God's word, to preach mercy and hope."

Lively questions follow his lecture. "Necessity teaches us to pray. Does war strengthen faith?" an audience member wants to know. "No," says Gross. "Those who were without faith also remained without faith during the war. But those who belonged to a congregation and were still in the country went to church more often than before." "Where do you get support for your work?" another visitor wants to know. "I work with many churches, not just in Europe, and receive money from them," says Gross. People from Ukraine also support his church financially.

In the morning, the Ukrainian had met with the two ELM co-workers Bradn Buerkle and Waldemar Rausch, ELM Director Dr Emmanuel Kileo and the Presiding Bishop of the regional church of Hannover, Ralf Meister, in Hermannsburg. The bishop expressed his openness to cooperation with the Ukrainian church, which could also include support. "You wouldn't believe how happy we are. We could help people with this," emphasised Alexander Gross. However, he also hopes that people in Germany will pray for their brothers and sisters in Ukraine and show their solidarity.