Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

iet Ukraine because they model a holistic approach to human need, ministering to spiritual as well as physical needs. Features and Future Trends of New Evangelical Charitable Institutions I would like to summarise a few general characteristics of evangelical chari- table ministries and institutions in Ukraine in the 1990s, and note a few directions for the future that they suggest.” 1. The primary stated motive for social service ministry among Ukrainian evangelicals is evangelism. There is no doubt, in addition to all the other motives they may state, that the most significant work that evangelicals do, in their own understanding, whether distributing humanitarian aid or caring for orphans, is serving as bearers of the Gospel to lost humanity. In a recent conversation, the coordinator of a local chapter of the Ukrainian Christian Medical Association told me that unless the gospel is proclaimed to patients in their modest clinic, or in the under- served villages visited by their travelling medical brigades, their work — useful as it is, and as carefully and responsibly as they do it - is in vain. 2. Social service ministries among evangelicals are explained biblically. No matter what the ministry, Ukrainian evangelicals readily recite a list of Bible verses to explain why they are engaged in charitable work. References to God’s commands to care for widows, orphans, and stran- gers, and especially Matthew 25, are repeatedly made. Ukrainian evan- gelicals do social service ministry out of obedience to God and a desire to fulfil the will of God as revealed in Scripture. 3. Akind of corollary to the emphasis on biblical motivation is a willing- ness on the part of Ukrainian evangelical believers to plunge into new ' endeavours or expand outreach in ways that at times appear more rash | than faithful, especially to a Western observer. Instead of conducting feasibility studies or lining up adequate financial resources ahead of time, Ukrainian evangelicals are generally prepared to move ahead with the conviction that God will provide for all their needs. 22 These are in no particular order, other than the first one. 218 Ivan Demianenko, the founding director of Hope Children’s Home [internat] in Pryazovs ke, explained: The Lord has taught us not to wait until everything is ready before we accept children in the internat. We take a few chil- dren even when we dont yet have the means to keep them. But we believe that God has the means. We hope in Him. The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame. Of course, the Lord tests us. At the moment we are undergoing serious testing because the building won't hold any more children and we cannot take in new ones. Therefore we are praying and asking all believers to join in our prayers so that the Lord would solve the problem. Maybe He will see to it that we build another building for a school. Then the [existing] classroom could be made int