Baptists in Ukraine
Encyclopedia
The Baptist Church in Ukraine
is one of the oldest and most widespread Protestant Christian denominations in the country. Before the fall of the Soviet Union, over half the 1.5 million acknowledged Baptists and Pentecostals in the USSR lived in Soviet Ukraine. Prior to independence in 1991, Ukraine was home to the second largest Baptist community in the world, after the United States, and was called the “Bible Belt
” of the former Soviet Union
.
The first Baptist baptism
(or "baptism by faith" of adult people) in Ukraine took place in 1864 on the river Ingul in the Yelizavetgrad region (now Kirovohrad
region), in a German settlement
. In 1867, the first Baptist communities were organized in that area. From there, the denomination spread to the south of Ukraine and then to other regions as well. One of the first Baptist communities was registered in Kiev
in 1907, and in 1908 the First All-Russian
Convention of Baptists was held there. The All-Russian Union of Baptists was established in the town of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk
). At the end of the 19th century, estimates are that there were from 100,000 to 300,000 Baptists in Ukraine.
. In 1944, Baptists and Evangelical Christians united in the Church of Evangelical Christian Baptists (ECB). They were later joined by other smaller Baptist and Evangelical trends. At the end of the 1950s, 75% of the believers of the All-USSR Council of ECB lived in Ukraine. Baptists in Ukraine experienced a revival in the 1970s, and are now among the most active Christian denominations in the country.
Under the 1996 Constitution of Ukraine
, Ukrainians were given the right to free practice of religion. However, as a minority and non-traditional religion the Baptists have been subject to persecution and discrimination, including being arrested. The Government of Ukraine facilitates the building of houses of worship, and Baptists have difficulties with the local authorities in Kiev and other large cities while attempting to obtain land and building permits. Baptist leaders have criticized the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
for continuing to publicly referring to Baptists with the pejorative Ukrainian word "sectanty" ("sectarians"), and about the activities of the group "Dialogue," which they and human rights groups characterized as a front for the UOC-MP that promoted hostility toward non-Orthodox Christians.
, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
.
Many Baptist churches in Ukraine have sister churches in the United States or Canada, with whom they cooperate with in doing ministry and evangelism.
countries (including Russia
) combined.
Baptists organized the first International Christian Theater Festival in Rivne
, which took place in July, 2007.
The Baptist Church in Ukraine has attracted many young people, and there are now over 20,000 young people enrolled in Baptist Universities. Many of these youths are taking part in evangelism and ministry. A spokesperson for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board
has said that "[in Ukraine] the new generation is what God will have to use to evangelize, disciple and train leaders."
The Evangelical Baptists also publish a magazine called The Evangelical Field and the newspaper Resurrection. There is also a newspaper for the deaf and mute, entitled Voice in the Wilderness.
Nearly 90% of Baptists in Ukraine are united in the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian-Baptists
(AUС EСB), established in 1994 at the 22nd Convention of the ECB of Ukraine. Today, the union includes 3 seminaries
, 2 universities and 15 Bible colleges, and is estimated to have 150,000 conscious believers, and about 300,000 people that attend church services in more than 2,800 churches, with 3,160 clergy members. The union is engaged in publishing activity and has an extended mass media network. The AUС EСB is governed by a council composed of senior presbyters (bishops) of regional associations headed by the president of the council. In 1990—2006 the council was headed by Hryhorii Komendant. From May 2006 it has been headed by Vyacheslav Nesteruk. The union closely cooperates with Ukrainian Baptists in the diaspora
. The AUС EСB is a member of the European Baptist Federation
and the Baptist World Alliance
.
has existed in Ukraine. As a religious organization, its focus is towards the Korean diaspora in Ukraine. Generally the preachers are Americans of Korean descent.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
is one of the oldest and most widespread Protestant Christian denominations in the country. Before the fall of the Soviet Union, over half the 1.5 million acknowledged Baptists and Pentecostals in the USSR lived in Soviet Ukraine. Prior to independence in 1991, Ukraine was home to the second largest Baptist community in the world, after the United States, and was called the “Bible Belt
Bible Belt
Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...
” of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
History
The predecessors of today's Baptists, the Anabaptists, were in Ukraine in the sixteenth century.The first Baptist baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
(or "baptism by faith" of adult people) in Ukraine took place in 1864 on the river Ingul in the Yelizavetgrad region (now Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad
Kirovohrad , formerly Yelisavetgrad, is a city in central Ukraine. It is located on the Inhul River. It is a motorway junction. Pop. 239,400 ....
region), in a German settlement
History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union
The German minority in Russia and the Soviet Union was created from several sources and in several waves. The 1914 census puts the number of Germans living in Russian Empire at 2,416,290. In 1989, the German population of the Soviet Union was roughly 2 million. In the 2002 Russian census, 597,212...
. In 1867, the first Baptist communities were organized in that area. From there, the denomination spread to the south of Ukraine and then to other regions as well. One of the first Baptist communities was registered in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in 1907, and in 1908 the First All-Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
Convention of Baptists was held there. The All-Russian Union of Baptists was established in the town of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...
). At the end of the 19th century, estimates are that there were from 100,000 to 300,000 Baptists in Ukraine.
Persecution
During the 1920s, Evangelical Christians and Baptists were prohibited in the Soviet Ukraine; they were, to some extent, revived during and after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1944, Baptists and Evangelical Christians united in the Church of Evangelical Christian Baptists (ECB). They were later joined by other smaller Baptist and Evangelical trends. At the end of the 1950s, 75% of the believers of the All-USSR Council of ECB lived in Ukraine. Baptists in Ukraine experienced a revival in the 1970s, and are now among the most active Christian denominations in the country.
Under the 1996 Constitution of Ukraine
Constitution of Ukraine
The Constitution of Ukraine is the nation's fundamental law. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes out of 450 votes possible .Other laws and other normative legal acts of Ukraine...
, Ukrainians were given the right to free practice of religion. However, as a minority and non-traditional religion the Baptists have been subject to persecution and discrimination, including being arrested. The Government of Ukraine facilitates the building of houses of worship, and Baptists have difficulties with the local authorities in Kiev and other large cities while attempting to obtain land and building permits. Baptist leaders have criticized the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is an autonomous Church of Eastern Orthodoxy in Ukraine, under the ecclesiastic jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate...
for continuing to publicly referring to Baptists with the pejorative Ukrainian word "sectanty" ("sectarians"), and about the activities of the group "Dialogue," which they and human rights groups characterized as a front for the UOC-MP that promoted hostility toward non-Orthodox Christians.
Migration to North America
In 1960s, '70s and '80s, some Baptists (as well as other Protestant groups of Ukraine) emigrated to the USA and Canada. After the collapse of the USSR, migration and interaction with Western churches increased. At present, there are large Ukrainian baptist communities in SacramentoSacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Many Baptist churches in Ukraine have sister churches in the United States or Canada, with whom they cooperate with in doing ministry and evangelism.
Organization
Baptists in Ukraine are organized and active in building churches and seminary education. It is estimated that there are more Baptists in Ukraine than in all the CISCommonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
countries (including Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) combined.
Baptists organized the first International Christian Theater Festival in Rivne
Rivne
Rivne or Rovno is a historic city in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Rivne Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Rivne Raion within the oblast...
, which took place in July, 2007.
The Baptist Church in Ukraine has attracted many young people, and there are now over 20,000 young people enrolled in Baptist Universities. Many of these youths are taking part in evangelism and ministry. A spokesperson for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board
International Mission Board
The International Mission Board is a missionary sending agency affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention which operates in virtually every nation except the United States and Canada...
has said that "[in Ukraine] the new generation is what God will have to use to evangelize, disciple and train leaders."
The Evangelical Baptists also publish a magazine called The Evangelical Field and the newspaper Resurrection. There is also a newspaper for the deaf and mute, entitled Voice in the Wilderness.
All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian-Baptists
Nearly 90% of Baptists in Ukraine are united in the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian-Baptists
Evangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine
Evangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine aka All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists '; ; is a union of Baptists in Ukraine. It is the largest protestant union in Ukraine.-History:...
(AUС EСB), established in 1994 at the 22nd Convention of the ECB of Ukraine. Today, the union includes 3 seminaries
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, 2 universities and 15 Bible colleges, and is estimated to have 150,000 conscious believers, and about 300,000 people that attend church services in more than 2,800 churches, with 3,160 clergy members. The union is engaged in publishing activity and has an extended mass media network. The AUС EСB is governed by a council composed of senior presbyters (bishops) of regional associations headed by the president of the council. In 1990—2006 the council was headed by Hryhorii Komendant. From May 2006 it has been headed by Vyacheslav Nesteruk. The union closely cooperates with Ukrainian Baptists in the diaspora
Ukrainian diaspora
The Ukrainian diaspora is the global community of ethnic Ukrainians, especially those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Ukrainian national identity within their own local community.-1608 To 1880:After the loss...
. The AUС EСB is a member of the European Baptist Federation
European Baptist Federation
The European Baptist Federation is a federation of 51 Baptist associations and is one of six regional fellowships in the Baptist World Alliance. The EBF was founded in Ruschlikon, Switzerland, in 1949. It lays a great deal of emphasis on human rights, religious liberty and aid programs. The...
and the Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
.
Korean Baptists
Beginning in 1993, the Korean Baptist ChurchChristianity in Korea
The practice of Christianity in Korea revolves around two of its largest branches, Protestantism and Catholicism, accounting for 8.6 million and 5.1 million members respectively. Roman Catholicism was first introduced during the late Joseon Dynasty period...
has existed in Ukraine. As a religious organization, its focus is towards the Korean diaspora in Ukraine. Generally the preachers are Americans of Korean descent.
See also
- Protestants in Ukraine
- Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention of CanadaUkrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention of CanadaThe Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Convention of Canada is a Baptist organization serving the Ukrainian Baptists in the country of Canada.Ukrainian Baptists became established in Canada early in the 20th century from two independent sources. Ukrainian immigrants established the first Ukrainian...
- Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of RussiaUnion of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of RussiaThe Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Russia is part of the large family of Evangelical Christian Baptists, a Protestant evangelical movement which began in the Russian Empire, in the midst of the Orthodox establishment. It originally attracted peasants, urban artisans, the lower...
- Evangelical Baptist Union of UkraineEvangelical Baptist Union of UkraineEvangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine aka All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists '; ; is a union of Baptists in Ukraine. It is the largest protestant union in Ukraine.-History:...
- Brotherhood of Independent Baptist Churches and Ministries of UkraineBrotherhood of Independent Baptist Churches and Ministries of UkraineThe Brotherhood of Independent Baptist Churches and Ministries of Ukraine was officially founded and registered in Ukraine in 1993.-Structure:...