Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
The Slavic Gospel Association has launched a war relief campaign to support aid efforts in Israel led by Ukrainian and Russian Jews who follow Jesus, many of whom fled the war in Europe only to find they’re at the center of another war in the Holy Land, 2,000 miles away. Recent immigrants to Israel include Ukrainian refugees who have added to the ranks of Israel’s small-but-growing evangelical community.
“Many Ukrainian Christians of Jewish heritage who fled the war in their homeland to resettle in safety in Israel now find themselves at the center of another brutal conflict,” association President Michael Johnson said. “Their determination to help their fellow Israelis is remarkable.”
The efforts come as a ceasefire in the north is allowing some Israelis to return to their homes and the war in Gaza seemingly winds down. But while the defense situation is improving, the emotional and psychological effects on Israelis will last forever.
His group is backing the relief efforts of more than a dozen Ukrainian and Russian-speaking congregations in Israel that are helping Israelis as conflict continues across the Middle East. The 90-year-old organization supports a network of thousands of local Bible-believing churches across Israel and the former Soviet Union, helping meet people’s physical and spiritual needs.
“Many people are surprised to learn that up to 30 percent of the population of Israel consists of Ukrainian and Russian-speaking Jewish people who’ve either emigrated there or are the children of immigrants,” Johnson said.
Aid such as food and essential supplies will help Israelis who were forced to evacuate their homes in the north of the country because of relentless Hezbollah rocket attacks. Relief efforts also will help Israeli families living on the edge of war-torn Gaza and other war-affected areas.
Eric Mock, who heads the organization’s field operations, said local Ukrainian and Russian pastors and their congregations in Israel are “ports of calm in the storm.”
“They’re showing their neighbors the peace that only comes through knowing God,” he said. “These faithful pastors and their congregations are there for the long haul. SGA stands with them as they continue to minister to their communities and share the message of God’s love.”
The group’s website states the congregations are “living in so much uncertainty as Israel’s very existence continues to be threatened by Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah. They are trusting the Keeper of Israel for His protection and provision, and we continue to support and pray for these faithful servants.”
For more information, visit www.sga.org.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
