Supporters of the European Missionary Fellowship (EMF) in the north-west of England gathered at Chorlton Evangelical Church, Manchester on March 8 for an afternoon conference.
A report was given by EMF missionary Volodymyr Kostyshyn, who pastors a church in Ternopil, west Ukraine, both about his own ministry and also about recent political developments in Ukraine.
Many opportunities
Volodymyr said that Ukraine is proving to be a country with many gospel opportunities. He showed a photograph taken recently of people kneeling to pray on the streets of Kiev, asking God to prevent violence and stop corruption in their country. Evangelical churches had erected a prayer tent beside the main stage in Kiev’s Independence Square for Christians to pray and provide medical help, food and drinks as well as offering Christian literature, which Volodymyr said he had never seen taken so freely and eagerly.
Two students currently studying at EMF’s school in Welwyn, Philip (Nigeria) and András (Romania) spoke about how they had come to study at EMF and their future plans for ministry back in their home countries.
EMF’s director Martin Leech, stirred those present to rise to the challenge of the spiritual needs of Europe, suggesting that Europe should no longer be called the ‘forgotten mission field’ but the ‘rediscovered mission field’ as there is increasing attention being given to evangelical mission and church planting.
