Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

Generosity toward Ukrainian refugees resulting in changed lives

  • April 4, 2022
  • International Mission Board
  • Disaster Relief, International Mission Board, International News, Latest News, Missions
Paul Chitwood, IMB president, speaks with a young woman who just crossed the border into Poland. She recounts stories of working in the theater in Mariupol that was bombed. Hundreds of residents were sheltering within.
(Screengrab)

Generosity toward Ukrainian refugees resulting in changed lives

Paul Chitwood hadn’t planned on returning to Poland and Romania so soon. Just a few weeks ago, the International Mission Board’s president walked the borders of Ukraine surveying needs and seeing how Southern Baptists could help during the first weeks of the Ukraine-Russia war. At the time, he asked Southern Baptists for two things — prayer and financial support for relief efforts.

The response was immediate. Southern Baptists have given more than $5.5 million to date. Disaster Relief teams from different state conventions mobilized. Churches and small groups voiced prayers.

Due to this outpouring of love, Chitwood found himself once again on a flight to Europe and sitting in the basement of a Romanian Baptist church where he spoke with refugees displaced from the war and worked side-by-side with national partners.

“I had not planned to go back so soon,” he admitted. “But seeing the generosity that has poured out, I knew Southern Baptists needed an update. We needed to be accountable and know how these resources were being used.”

To see this generosity at work, he needed only to look in this church basement: Ukrainians and Romanians sang “Happy Birthday” to an 8-year-old girl whose home was flattened by a bomb. In another area of the church, local volunteers worked with Disaster Relief teams from the United States to sort supplies and make meals. Another team made plans for meeting refugees at the border crossing.

Lives changed forever

This Romanian Baptist congregation, like many Baptist churches in Eastern Europe, began ministering to refugees on day one of the invasion. They met people at the border and invited them back to the church where many sleep on borrowed mattresses. The mother of the 8-year-old birthday girl saw the kindness of these strangers and realized they had a message worth listening to. Her life changed forever when she made a profession of faith.

“The Lord brings people together. A couple of pastors remarked that Ukrainians and Poles have a long history of conflict. So do the Romanians and Ukrainians. But in times like these, all of that has been set aside to help the victims of this war,” Chitwood said. “The pastors say they see the Lord at work. I see it, too.”

Along the Poland-Ukraine border, support is evident in the faces and action of people. For every Polish flag flying high, a Ukrainian flag flies with it. Baptists have set up a welcome tent offering coffee, tea and a place to recharge cell phones. They help direct refugees to places to stay, connecting them to local churches. A QR code displays prominently for Ukrainians to digitally engage in gospel conversations.

“All of the resources Southern Baptists generously gave are being used on the ground to make an impact,” Chitwood said. “In fact, the investment we’ve made through the years in Eastern Europe is now allowing us to be immediate. Other organizations are looking to make connections, but we’ve had these for a long time.”

Trust, partnership

Having these connections helped get supplies and resources to areas faster. The long-time relationships through IMB missionaries meant there was already mutual trust and partnership.

While the flow of refugees through the border crossing has slowed, the need for supplies within Ukraine has not.

Through these long-term connections, food and other items purchased through Send Relief are making their way into Ukraine. Disaster relief teams work with local volunteers and missionaries to distribute the supplies onto trucks. These trucks then pass off the supplies to drivers in cars and vans which can navigate through the bomb-ridden roads to cities and towns. Once the food arrives at the destination,  local churches handle getting it to those in need.

“This latest trip is evidence that Southern Baptists are incredibly generous when they see a need and it’s clearly communicated,” said Chitwood, thanking God for the support of Southern Baptist churches. “But this need is going to be around for a long time. You can’t have 4 million exit a country and millions more displaced within and think it will be over.

“Even if the war ends tomorrow, there’s a decade of work to do,” he added. “We will be there helping churches and seminaries rebuild, helping refugees relocate and get their lives back together and sharing the gospel message.”


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Sue Sprenkle and published by the International Mission Board. 

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Kentucky church ‘looking forward’ after destructive fire
    Kentucky church ‘looking forward’ after destructive fire
    March 31, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Florida state convention preps for potential reallocation of CP funds, calls for kinder interactions
    Florida state convention preps for potential reallocation of CP funds, calls for kinder interactions
    March 31, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • 5 ways to reach out to immigrants in your community
    5 ways to reach out to immigrants in your community
    March 31, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Kentucky church ‘looking forward’ after destructive fire

Four days after a fire gutted much of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Somerset, faithful members of the Kentucky church gathered for a parking lot service

Florida state convention preps for potential reallocation of CP funds, calls for kinder interactions

The relationship Southern Baptists have with the investigative firm Guidepost Solutions continues to draw mixed reactions across the denomination. Some continue working through the issues

5 ways to reach out to immigrants in your community

Some churches are partnering with immigrant groups for ministry purposes, others are looking to reach immigrant groups within their surrounding areas. Here are some basic

person in red and black plaid long sleeve shirt using black laptop computer

Study: Should churches ‘count’ online attendance?

With the rise in online church services, many have different opinions on the acceptability or validity of online church attendance for those with the ability

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel