Member Church News: Helping Ukraine

Members and partners of the World Communion of Reformed Churches are turning their attention to providing support to refugees even as calls for peace persist.

On Ash Wednesday over 3000 Christians from 80 countries around the globe joined in an ecumenical prayer service of lament and solidarity with all those suffering from the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Grossmünster in Zürich, Switzerland, was full on 28 February for an interreligious prayer service for Ukraine.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the Reformed Church in Hungary and Reformed congregations and organizations have all been trying to do their best to help refugees. Most of the work is being done by the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid and the congregations near the border, of course, but the whole country has been mobilized.

The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan has issued an open letter concerning the attack on Ukraine, calling for an end to the war, a laying down of weapons, and a withdrawal of Russian military.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) launched an appeal Tuesday for funds to help support the Church’s humanitarian response to the war started last week when Russia attacked Ukraine.

The Church of Scotland is taking donations to support partner churches’ work for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Donations will be forwarded to Reformed Church in Hungary Aid, which is working with the Reformed Church in Ukraine and in border areas of neighbouring countries.

The United Church of Christ is issuing an appeal for the people of Ukraine and will be working with global partners to assist vulnerable communities within Ukraine while their leaders have shared a prayer for Ukraine.

Together with its local partner organisations, HEKS (the Protestant Church in Switzerland’s relief organization) is currently providing humanitarian aid both for the civilian population staying in Ukraine and for refugees and their host families in neighboring countries such as Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. In addition, the relief organization provides funds for support measures for refugees from the Ukraine in Switzerland.

International Disaster Relief Fund launched as Ukraine crisis widens: The Evangelical Presbyterian Church has launched an international disaster relief fund to help relieve suffering when needs arise round the world that are outside the scope of the domestic EPC Emergency Relief Fund, used for situations in North America.

The United Church of Canada is raising money to assist refugees with shelter, clean water, food, and medical attention and has issued a statement, saying “We join with all who witness and work for peace and justice around the world.” Their moderator, Richard Bott, has also shared a prayer for Ukraine.

The Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy is raising funds to be allocated to actions of reception, protection, and support of refugees to be carried out primarily in Italy and Poland.

The Spanish Evangelical Church has called for prayer: “Once again we are witnessing a serious conflict that threatens world peace with an escalation of violence that can bring much human suffering. This is why we call for prayer to confront war, which, as Jesus taught us, is the way to confront this demon of senseless violence.”

Through Resonate and ReFrame Ministries, the Christian Reformed Church in North America has programs across Eastern Europe. These staff and partners are seeing ramifications of the intensifying situation across the region. As the needs of refugees and internally displaced people increase, World Renew is working with its international partners to provide humanitarian assistance.

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has curated a page of worship resources on Ukraine.

Evangelische Mission Weltweit (EMW) has created a page providing news and resources for achieving peace in Ukraine.

As needs grow in Ukraine and neighboring countries, churches offer crucial humanitarian aid: “Already over a half million people have been displaced by this conflict, and those numbers are predicted to go up to as many as five million,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary of the ACT Alliance. “There is an urgent need for humanitarian support in Ukraine and in the countries where many refugees are fleeing—Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, as well as in Russia, where thousands were already living before last week’s escalation.”

World Council of Churches (WCC) joins call for equal treatment of black and brown people stranded at Ukrainian border: The WCC signed a letter of petition from the Pan African Women’s Association calling for equal treatment of black and brown people stranded at the Ukrainian border.

_{Image: Refugees arriving in Hungary via train, courtesy of Hungarian Reformed Church Aid.}