War on the Horizon

Churches in Europe are preparing for war.

Recent intelligence suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin may be planning violence against Poland or the Baltic states, to test Western resolve and deter support for Ukraine. Rev Knut Refsdal (The Bishop of the United Methodist Nordic, Baltic & Ukraine area) has asked Pastors to have a sermon ready in case war breaks out, with churches putting plans in place for how they would assist civilians if power and water supplies are cut off in war-time.

In July, World Mission Partnership visited Latvia. As we met various Pastors and church members, discussions often turned to the threat of war - a reality that the country is facing and actively preparing for. We spoke with Pastor Anna Dobele, who leads Riga First Methodist congregation and is a Chaplain for the Latvian Army, about how the church has been part of talks with the government to determine how church resources could be used in the event of war. In the West of Latvia, Wesley Camp - which normally hosts children and teenagers for summer camps - has also been in talks about how it could be repurposed to provide of shelter and food for soldiers and civilians if necessary.

In Ukraine, where the war continues to devastate communities and upend the lives of many, there is hope in how God is working to sustain the people. In the midst of the ongoing crisis, Ukrainian believers say that they can see God moving is through human hands: they tell stories of truck loads of supplies arriving from various places without being asked.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in the Nordic, Baltic and Ukraine area. Many of them are caught up in the ongoing war with Russia, with threats to the wider region looming in their minds. We thank God for moving through human hands, for being the God that provides and who brings hope.

Thanks to the representatives of partner churches who attended the Pre-Conference Consultation and shared these updates. Read more on the MCB website.