God is at work in Ukraine
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we join all those in Eastern Europe in praying for peace. We know that God is sovereign in all situations, and Scripture reminds us that He is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. We keep our focus on Him, asking for His protection of the innocent and trusting that His justice will prevail.
Pray with us that Jesus Christ would be glorified through the crisis in Eastern Europe, and that Southern Baptists would remain vigilant in meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those who are suffering.
— Dr. Paul Chitwood, IMB President
Send Help and Hope to Ukraine
Through Send Relief, IMB personnel and their local partners are actively ministering to Ukrainians escaping the escalating war.
100% of your gift is used to provide emergency supplies, water, shelter and clothing and show the love of Christ in practical ways.
Give today to bring help and the hope of Christ to hurting Ukrainian families.
Send Relief is the Southern Baptist compassion ministry — a collaboration between IMB and NAMB.
Current Stories
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First Person: ‘God is working’ in Ukraine
Jan. 4, 2024
In times of great need or despair, we’ve seen firsthand what the world’s greatest problem is, and it’s not war or hunger. It’s spiritual lostness. I recently watched people line up outside a church as air raid sirens sounded in Ukraine. The church was not a bomb shelter. They weren’t distributing food. It wasn’t even a Sunday. People stood in line, awaiting their turn so they could hear about the hope of Jesus Christ!
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War changes face of ministry to Deaf Ukrainians
Nov. 13, 2023
In Ukraine, Oleh and Marianna weren’t permitted to lead ministry to the Deaf because they are Deaf. Missions tugged at their hearts, but due to cultural norms, it wasn’t a possibility until recently.
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IMB using telemedicine to create gospel access
Sep. 14, 2023
Sitting in a home office in Ohio, a doctor logs onto her laptop at 3:30 a.m. Across the globe it’s mid-morning. The doctor smiles at a face that pops up on her screen. Consulting with her patient, she asks what brought him in today. Then she listens, in real time, to his heartbeat.
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House provides refuge for Ukrainians
Apr 24, 2023
Poland brought in the most Ukrainian refugees out of any country this past year. In response, IMB missionaries created a home for refugees to rest. The center is a place many have heard about God, believed and now study the Bible.
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War retreat provides ‘soul care’ for Ukrainian ministers
Mar 16, 2023
Rest. It’s a four-letter word. There’s no rest in war. There’s no rest amid the missiles and gunfire that have plagued Ukraine for the past year.
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Ukrainian believers find fellowship, purpose in church
Mar 9, 2023
To the left of the congregation of Ukrainian refugees, freshly fallen snow weighs down the fir trees outside the window. To the right, the mirror plays a cruel trick — it gives the illusion of twice as many people as there are.
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Behind the Lens: Ukrainian children hear the gospel in Poland
Mar 6, 2023
Camps create lasting memories that stretch into adulthood. This happy memory is exactly what one camp hoped to do for a group of Ukrainian children who fled their country due to war.
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Digital engagement paves way for church planting
Mar 2, 2023
IMB missionaries and Ukrainian Baptist pastors hope to plant churches in two cities in far eastern Ukraine — a region under an onslaught from Russia. Great need is coupled with great devastation in these areas, but people are coming to faith. IMB missionaries are engaging these cities through digital media.
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Join IMB missionaries in 24 hours of prayer and fasting for Ukraine
Feb 23, 2023
February 24 marks one year since the start of the war in Ukraine. It’s been one full year of loss of life, liberty and land. Our hearts grieve with Ukrainians and long for an end to the war.
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One year later: remembering Southern Baptist involvement in Ukraine relief
Feb 22, 2023
In 2021 and early 2022, International Mission Board missionaries serving in Ukraine heard rumors of war, which led to an overland evacuation. Looking today in the rearview mirror, they realize they couldn’t have guessed the trauma about to mushroom from the east.
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Ministering to Ukrainians in ‘the beyond’
Jul 5, 2022
Tensions escalated. An imminent invasion was on the horizon. The evacuation of IMB missionaries in Ukraine became imperative. Long-term missionary presence in a country now riddled with machine-gun fire wasn’t possible. So, what does gospel access in a country entrenched in a war with Russia look like?
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Behind the Lens: Ukrainian Muslim man hears gospel in Romanian Baptist church
Jun 28, 2022
Emanuel Baptist Church in Calafindesti, Romania, is a small church, but its members have a big heart for Ukrainian refugees. The pastor, Cornelus Miron, was one of the first responders at the border with Ukraine as the war broke out and people started to flee into Romania.
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Moldovan Baptists take sheets off their beds for Ukrainian refugees
May 12, 2022
Moldova, a small and impoverished nation bordering Ukraine, has received an estimated one refugee for every 25 Moldovans. Most refugees are being housed and cared for by churches in the Moldovan Baptist Union.
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Behind the Lens: How believers respond to Ukrainian refugees
May 5, 2022
Due to the war, millions of Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have fled to neighboring countries. My latest assignment took me to Romania and Moldova to cover how Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams, Send Relief and International Mission Board missionaries are partnering with local Baptists to serve refugees pouring into the two countries.
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Young Ukrainian refugee and father met with help and hope
Apr 26, 2022
“Are you looking for help? Do you need hope?” A banner with these words printed over the Ukrainian flag hangs from tables where Romanian Christians and Send Relief teams interact with Ukrainian refugees at the border of Romania and Ukraine.
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Ukrainian Baptist finds water in wasteland, reunion in time of war
Apr 25, 2022
Yura knew reunion was on the horizon and he found an oasis on the way. Carrying three heavy bags, the Ukrainian man stopped at the station Romanian Baptists established and Southern Baptist Disaster Response (SBDR) and Send Relief teams are now manning near the border of Romania and Ukraine.
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From sirens to safety: Disaster relief volunteers comfort traumatized refugees
Apr 18, 2022
“You are safe.” These were the words a Ukrainian woman, her daughter and an elderly woman needed to hear while waiting for their train. “Breathe in. Breathe out.”
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First Person: How two Ukrainian boys personalized the war
Apr 11, 2022
Den and Dimi are the same ages as two of my nephews — two and four. They also look and act like my nephews – blond hair, blue eyes, with a childlike joy and the desire to capture the attention of adults. What made these four boys so similar made their differences much harder for my heart to handle.
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Broken for Bucha: Southern Baptist response teams overflow with compassion
Apr 5, 2022
Overcome with emotion, Iaroslav covered his face and the torrent of tears with one of his hands. His other held a piping-hot cup of coffee. At the border of Romania and Ukraine, Southern Baptist volunteers provided this Ukrainian man from the decimated city of Bucha with a listening ear, a message of love and a prayer for protection.
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Generosity pouring out for Ukrainian refugees results in changed lives
Apr 4, 2022
Paul Chitwood hadn’t planned on returning to Poland and Romania so soon. Just a few weeks ago, the president of the IMB walked the borders of Ukraine surveying needs and seeing how Southern Baptists could help during the first weeks of the Ukraine-Russia war. At the time, he asked Southern Baptists for two things — prayer and financial support for relief efforts.
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Send Relief partnership strengthens response in Eastern Europe
Mar 30, 2022
As the shared compassion ministry of the International Mission Board (IMB) and the North American Mission Board (NAMB), Send Relief is working through a vast network of IMB missionaries, field partners and local churches to care for Ukrainian refugees across Eastern Europe. The IMB’s long-term relationships in Ukraine have aided Send Relief efforts to quickly mobilize on-the-ground support and resources.
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Prayer desperately needed for Russian churches, IMB worker says
Mar 29, 2022
Lamar and Aubrey Shubert lead workers among both Ukrainian and Russian people groups. And while the world’s spotlight is, understandably, on the travesties the Ukrainian people are facing, the Shuberts’ hearts are breaking not only for them but also for the Russian people.
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Digital strategy brings hope to Ukrainians
Mar 28, 2022
Bombs are falling every 10 minutes in Mariupol, Ukraine, a Ukrainian official reported. As hearts and buildings are broken, International Mission Board missionaries are providing a digital lifeline for Ukrainians.
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Downloadable Tech Backgrounds for Ukraine
Mar 25, 2022
Remember to pray for Ukraine with these custom backgrounds for your computer and mobile devices.
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First Person: Hope before, during and after travesty in Ukraine
Mar 24, 2022
Seeing firsthand the tragedy happening in the Ukraine was sobering. So much has changed since I first visited the border less than a week after the Russian invasion, but one thing remains the same: Southern Baptists are there.
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Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary transforms into humanitarian hub, partners with IMB, Send Relief
Mar 22, 2022
Every day when air raid sirens pierced the air, Yaroslav Pyzh ran to the window to see if the airport was still there. On March 18, he saw the inevitable — columns of dark smoke. Lviv, Ukraine, was hit by Russian missile strikes near the airport for the first time since the invasion began.
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Update: Believer clings to faith as bombs fall
Mar 17, 2022
Nastya slept under a table in her hallway as missiles dropped from velvet skies and explosions shook the foundations of her home in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Huddled in her makeshift bomb shelter, God gave her a song.
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Romanian Baptists provide invaluable services to fleeing Ukrainians
Mar 16, 2022
One of the pivotal roles in working with refugees is the translator. These young women are Ukrainians who cross a northern border of Romania to work at the shelter at Califindesti Church on three-day rotations. They speak Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian and English. It’s not a cozy job.
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Thousands of Ukrainian Christians find solace in Polish Baptist church
Mar 11, 2022
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, NIV). This verse embodies Chelm Baptist Church’s response to Ukrainian refugees who have made long and arduous journeys out of their homeland and who are burdened by the loss of life as they knew it in Ukraine.
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Polish Baptists helping refugees with everything they have, literally, Chitwood says
Mar 8, 2022
Bus after bus arrived at the border, filled with women and children, separated from husbands and fathers. Most men stayed behind, now needed in cities and towns throughout the Ukrainian countryside. The grief of those who fled was palpable.
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Eternity secure for new Ukrainian believer
Mar 4, 2022
The Oct. 2021 day in Ukraine was cold, though the sun was shining brightly. Ludmila, bundled in her coat with a scarf wrapped around her head, walked to a small church in her village. She had heard from a friend that the church was hosting a medical clinic. The long conflict with Russia had left her village with no access to medical care. This would be her only hope to see a doctor. Plus, she heard that there was no cost – inconceivable to her.
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Chitwood visits refugees, relief workers on Ukraine-Poland border
Mar 3, 2022
International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood has been in Eastern Europe this week, visiting with refugees and hearing stories of the devastation wrought by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Send Relief, Southern Baptists’ compassion ministry arm, is at work providing emergency food supplies, shelter and clothing to displaced families.
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Baptists in Poland respond to support Ukrainian refugees
Mar 1, 2022
Polish Baptists and International Mission Board missionaries quickly rallied to respond to the needs of Ukrainian refugees crossing the border to seek sanctuary from the attack on their homeland.
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Send Relief responds to Ukraine crisis
Feb 28, 2022
Send Relief, the combined compassion ministry effort of the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board, is currently working with local Baptist partners in Ukraine to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis. This crisis has been created by the escalated tension mounting around the border between Ukraine and Russia and Russia’s invasion.
Past Stories of Impact
Video Updates
- Ukraine – Pray for Displaced Missionaries Download
- Thank You For Giving – Ukraine Refugees in Poland Download
- Prague Refugee Response Download
- Nastya’s Song Download
- Ukraine Crisis IMB & Send Relief Download
- Polish Baptists Aid Refugees Download
- How to Pray for the Ukraine Crisis Download
- Dr. Paul Chitwood on the Ukraine Crisis Download
Photos
See our Photo Library for more IMB photos related to the Ukraine crisis.
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The sanctuary of the Baptist Church of Chelms has been converted into a makeshift shelter with dozens of beds. The church members and volunteers from the small town near a Ukraine border crossing have rallied to provide food, clothing, showers and beds to the thousands of refugees fleeing the war-torn nation. IMB Photo
Download
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The sanctuary of the Baptist Church of Chelms has been converted into a makeshift shelter with dozens of beds. The church members and volunteers from the small town near a Ukraine border crossing have rallied to provide food, clothing, showers and beds to the thousands of refugees fleeing the war-torn nation. IMB Photo
Download
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The sanctuary of the Baptist Church of Chelms has been converted into a makeshift shelter with dozens of beds. The church members and volunteers from the small town near a Ukraine border crossing have rallied to provide food, clothing, showers and beds to the thousands of refugees fleeing the war-torn nation. IMB Photo
Download
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Ukrainian refugees – mostly women and children – pour across the border near the Polish town of Chelms. Most families are separated as men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the war-torn country. IMB Photo
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IMB President Paul Chitwood, center, and IMB missionaries, left, talk to refugees crossing the Ukraine-Poland border. Baptists put immediate ministry plans into action to best serve those fleeing the war. IMB Photo
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Ukrainian refugees – mostly women and children – pour across the border near the Polish town of Chelms. Most families are separated as men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the war-torn country. IMB Photo
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A Ukrainian woman wipes tears from her eyes after an emotional reunion with relatives at the border crossing near the Polish town of Chelms. IMB Photo
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Ukrainian refugees – mostly women and children – pour across the border near the Polish town of Chelms. Most families are separated as men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the war-torn country. IMB Photo
Download
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Ukrainian refugees – mostly women and children – pour across the border near the Polish town of Chelms. Most families are separated as men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the war-torn country. IMB Photo
Download
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IMB president Paul Chitwood and missionaries serving in Europe pray over the pastor of Baptist Church of Chelms, Poland. The church’s sanctuary has been converted into a makeshift shelter with dozens of beds. The church’s members and volunteers from the small town near a Ukraine border crossing have rallied to provide food, clothing, showers and beds to the thousands of refugees fleeing the war-torn nation. IMB Photo
Download
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The sanctuary of the Baptist Church of Chelms has been converted into a makeshift shelter with dozens of beds. The church members and volunteers from the small town near a Ukraine border crossing have rallied to provide food, clothing, showers and beds to the thousands of refugees fleeing the war-torn nation. IMB Photo
Download
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IMB president Paul Chitwood and missionary team leaders from Eastern Europe pray with a Ukrainian Baptist pastor after a meeting discussing strategies for getting quick and effective aid from Southern Baptists to Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced peoples. IMB Photo
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IMB president Paul Chitwood listens to Ukrainian Baptist pastor Anatoliy Shmilikhovskyy as IMB and SendRelief leaders meet in Poland to coordinate relief to Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people. IMB Photo
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A Ukrainian refugee who has just escaped the war-torn country via bus struggles to manage her phone, belongings and young child. Like many other refugees, she is separated from her family and once she arrives in Poland at the border crossing she needs to find shelter, food and internet access. IMB Photo
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IMB president Paul Chitwood talks with a Ukrainian refugee at the border crossing into Poland about her tragic journey out of her homeland to safety. IMB Photo
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“It’s been amazing to see how God has used IMB workers with significant language skills and cultural understanding to minister to these refugees right now. Other groups and even local governments are struggling to come up with a plan and find people who can communicate with the refugees, and national Baptist churches and our people are already meeting them at train stations and bus stops as they arrive and jumping right into ministry. Truly God is at work. These older stories from the region highlight the time God was preparing them and the newer stories highlight how He’s using them now. It’s an awesome narrative together.”
— Russell Archer, IMB leader serving in Europe
Pray for Ukraine
After eight years of ongoing conflict, Russia has launched a wide-ranging war on Ukraine, causing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis for the Ukrainian people.
Send Relief, a cooperative ministry between the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board, is working with local Baptist partners in Ukraine to care for displaced families in desperate need of help and hope.
You can help! There is extraordinary power in prayer. Here are ten ways you can pray for the Ukraine crisis.
Pray for:
- The people of Ukraine as the war progresses. Pray for strength, courage and perseverance as their homeland is devastated by war.
- Safe passages out of war zones for displaced populations.
- Government officials to lead with wisdom in this tense time.
- The millions of displaced people who will be forcibly removed from their homes during the war. Pray that in the face of war, they find psychological, emotional and spiritual healing from this trauma.
- Pray for those involved in this war, especially those who do not know Christ.
- Local churches, missionaries and relief workers to care for the massive wave of refugees coming out of Ukraine and internally displaced populations.
- Disciples Church in L’viv, Ukraine, and its church plant in Bryukhovychi. Many of the people there are displaced from the East. Pray for peace for these believers as they had hoped conflict from 8 years ago was over, and now, they are facing it again.
- The Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary as it wrestles with how to assist its students in this time of war.
- Ukrainian believers as they seek to be a light in the darkness.
- Ukrainians who have never heard the gospel to have an opportunity to experience the hope of Jesus.
Prayer Guide Slides
Use in your church presentations and announcements.
IMB missionaries serve in difficult places. Places of civil and governmental unrest. Places with intense physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges. Yet, despite these challenges they go, and they serve, and lives are changed because of it.
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