Andre Murzin is the assistant director of Master’s program in Biblical Counseling at Kiev Theological Seminary, where he works alongside SEND missionaries.
Ukraine (MNN) — World leaders say Russia has amassed more than 30,000 troops along the Ukraine/Russia border. Some question the number. But all agree Russia is mobilizing a major force there, and it’s making the world nervous. Christians in Ukraine are nervous, too.
Andre Murzin, assistant director of the Masters in Biblical Counseling program at Kiev Theological Seminary, says, “The last few days, actually, the situation has been intensifying in terms of the immediate danger of further Russian invasion. We have Russian troops heavily concentrated not only on the eastern border, but all along the Russian/Ukrainian border.”
Murzin works alongside SEND International missionaries training hundreds of Ukrainians for church ministry and missions.
Are they concerned for Kiev? “The closest spot to Kiev is about 100 miles, roughly. So these couple of days may be the turning point for further development. The invasion [may be] very possible and real.”
According to Murzin, God is using this situation in a country where most Ukrainians don’t even attend church. “God uses turmoil, crisis, and sometimes war to draw people to Him.”
And He seems to be doing just that. “We can see that people are becoming more open and are turning to God because God has been putting in this narrow path where we increasingly feel helpless, realizing that He is the only hope.”
How has this affected the church? Murzin says, “Unfortunately I cannot say there has been a mass repentance, like churches have been flooded by people, but I think we can see that Christians have been more active.”
Russia outmans the Ukraine army. According to Murzin, it reminds him of the army of Israel being outnumbered. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov is a professing Christian, a preaching elder in the Baptist church. Murzin asks for prayer that Turchynov will not fear man, but that he will “just follow the fear of God and lead Ukraine in prayer publicly. So, please pray for our national repentance.”
Murzin says God is at work in Ukraine. Pray that He will protect the nation, but more importantly that the nation will come to God for salvation.
The Lord and our prayers are with you!
I pray for Ukraine and especially the believers there every time I think of you!