” When maximum darkness approaches, when we see that our strength is exhausted, who can we count on?”
On February 24, 2022, Andriy Martynov, a well-known businessman-developer and pastor of the Kyiv church “Blagodat”, was welcomed home. He did not hesitate to stay in Ukraine, because he clearly knew what he had to do. Six months before the invasion, God warned the pastor about a larger war and promised to protect the Church amidst the trials that lay ahead.
The TBN UA channel team, a media project of the public organization “We Can!”, met with Andriy Mykolayovych to find out whether God’s promise of protection had come true and how the church community coped with new challenges. The interview exceeded our expectations, because much of the activity of Christian churches in Ukraine during the invasion still remained, as they say, behind the scenes. The second phase of the war turned out to be a difficult test for everyone, including believers. In the midst of danger, fear, pain, and aggression, such Christian virtues as faith and charity become vitally necessary. To stand up for ourselves and help others stand up for themselves.
“ When God warned us about the war and promised to see us through it all, I understood – we are staying here and will serve. On February 24, at about 5 am, the first Russian missiles flew over my house in the direction of Vasylkiv. What God showed in prayer came true,” recalls Andriy Mykolayovych. That day, he went to his church for a previously planned prayer and on the way he saw all those huge traffic jams: people were fleeing from Kyiv and the suburbs. When the pastor entered the church building, he saw a full hall of people. “The war, people with suitcases are running out of their apartments, throwing those suitcases into cars, running away somewhere, and our young people are going to prayer ,” Pastor Andriy says about it with the smile of a father who is proud of his children. “ Since that day, we have organized prayer every four hours every day, for almost three years now.”
In addition to prayer, the community of the Blagodat church, led by its spiritual leader, got down to work from the first days: they built checkpoints near the church and in many important areas on the approaches to Kyiv. “We were approached by the SBU, several military personnel, and said that the Russians would be here that night. There is no one to build checkpoints, if you have anything, do it ,” says Andriy Mykolayovych. “ I took the equipment I needed for construction and about 600 concrete blocks for checkpoints. I gathered local residents, we organized about 300 people, this is a terraforming organization, first of all. We built almost around the clock and in a few days built several fortifications on the outskirts of Kyiv. So, we not only prayed, but also physically helped our military.”
The active work of Martynov and his team at the checkpoints led to the fact that one day the pastor had to search the Internet for information on the use of weapons. “They brought us javelins to the checkpoint, brought a couple of assault rifles and something else. They said: you will protect us. I ask: listen, does anyone know how to shoot a javelin at all? – smiles Andriy Mykolayovych. – We started looking on the Internet, there is nothing about it. Then I told one of the SBU employees that this is not our mission after all, look for the military who understands this. Thank God that it was not necessary then. Because we prayed a lot for protection.”
Indeed, prayers were needed just as much as weapons. The Russians were already very close, in the suburbs of Kyiv. And one day, during the shelling from the Grads, there was a “fly-in” to the church. “It is clear that they were firing from afar, about 30 kilometers away ,” recalls Andriy Nikolayevich, “ and the shells from that Grad scattered and fell clearly along the perimeter of the church. It is clear that they were aiming at the House of Prayer, but not a single fragment damaged the building .” God once again proved that He keeps His word and provides the promised protection. After all, He obviously had big plans for His Church. “Our youth, some of our brothers went to the blown up Irpin bridge ,” says Pastor Andriy, “ they laid ladders in the water and, risking their lives, ran to houses, climbed into basements, pulled people out of there and transferred them to this side of the river, put them in buses and took them away. We estimated that our forces managed to save about 4,000 people.”
One story that Pastor Martynov told really impressed me. Andriy Ilchuk is one of those desperate Christians who climbed into the most dangerous areas to save people. Others were even afraid to go with him, knowing how much the guy was taking risks. Once he went to Irpin to pull out a woman with children, on the way he looked into a yard, saw a grandfather there and asked him for help to find the necessary address. “And this grandfather says: what are you, think about what you are saying, I still want to live. There is a young neighbor who lives nearby, ask him ,” says Andriy Nikolayevich, “ Well, okay, he doesn’t want to go, he doesn’t want to. About half an hour later, our Andriy returns with his wife and children, passes by this grandfather’s house, and there is a scream. Andriy looks: in the yard, a grandmother is crying over her grandfather. It turned out that there was an incoming flight and the man was hit right in the face, he died. And it was really terrible, but we all learned a certain lesson then. I thought, that grandfather said: I won’t go there, because I want to live. If he had gone, he would have helped save people, and he himself would have stayed alive. This story showed us: if you risk for someone, God preserves your life. We must go and save people, this is our mission . ”
This was not one lesson that the Church learned then and continues to learn today in the realities of war. “I saw that people manifest themselves precisely in trouble, when we can see every brother or sister who is a true servant, who is truly ready to even give his life for the Church of Jesus Christ ,” says Andriy Mykolayovych. “ The trials of war are a very serious challenge. But, you know, I “fell ill” with the people of Ukraine, I ache for Ukraine and Ukrainians. If the churches leave, who will save these people? If we leave, and later the war ends, then the Church, Christians in general, will not have the right, when they return home, to preach faith in God here, to talk about love for people, because everyone will point fingers: when was the war, where were you and why did you leave us? If the Scriptures teach about the greatest sacrifice, when a brother lays down his life for his brother, then you have not passed this exam . ”
However, about Andriy Martynov himself and his church, we can safely say – they made it, endured, did not let us down. “The church has changed significantly. Values have changed, people have changed, the war has changed our views ,” Andriy Mykolayovych shares. “ Our Christianity has changed for the better because of this war. Great trials really improve us as Christians. When maximum darkness approaches, when we see that our strength is exhausted, who can we count on? It is a big mistake when we rely on people. Victory must come from the Lord. God will give His decision. He will definitely give it . ”
According to the Bible, any war has a spiritual basis. Invisible battles are fought where the human eye cannot see. However, prayer penetrates this supernatural world. And has its driving effect. So, let us pray, let us believe, let us hope. Let us continue to help, save, and fight. Let us save people by the power of God’s love. And one day we will see a miracle: the Lord will intervene, granting His victory to Ukraine.