“ A chaplain is a unique person who helps military personnel remain human in inhumane conditions, and the motto of a chaplain is to be there” (Larysa Kohut, chaplain of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church).
On October 10-11, 2024, the International Interdenominational Chaplain Forum “United in Service” was held, which was held at the initiative of the Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Ukraine. The media project of the NGO “We Can!” TBN UA channel covered this event and saw with its own eyes those who risk their lives on the front almost every day, armed only with the Word of God and God’s call. Andriy Martynov, the pastor of the church and chaplain, expressed this very aptly: “Chaplains are spiritual warriors. Behind every physical war there are spiritual forces. God clearly says that our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the spirits of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore, chaplains are those people who resist and fight back precisely the spirits of evil . ”
Where did the tradition of chaplaincy begin? Such people were known back in the time of Vladimir Monomakh. In the distant 1111, he enlisted the help of priests to glorify God on the battlefield against the Polovtsy. And this helped to completely defeat the enemy. During the Zaporizhian Sich, clergymen accompanied the Cossacks on land campaigns and built churches for worship. These traditions continue to this day. “Priests and pastors have been present in our armed forces since the beginning of Ukraine’s independence ,” said Oleksiy Tereshchuk, head of the military chaplaincy service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “ In the modern armed forces, chaplaincy began to develop actively since 2014, with the Russian invasion. And 2022 marked the beginning of the professionalization of such activities as a military chaplain. Chaplains wore a “pixel”, received military ranks and became officers . ”
The Law on Military Chaplaincy was adopted back in 2021. Since then, chaplains have had the status of military personnel and, like other soldiers, take a military oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people. However, military chaplains do not take up arms; their mission is primarily to provide for the spiritual needs of soldiers. “The presence of a chaplain in society is a spiritual part. It cannot be removed. I think that just as the body is dead without a spirit, so will society be without chaplains, as, by the way, without the Church ,” noted Vyacheslav Kohut, director of the Department of Social Service of the Ukrainian Catholic University of the West.
“ President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly spoken with gratitude about Ukrainian military chaplains. This shows that the state is beginning to realize the importance of chaplaincy service for the general well-being of military personnel and our people,” emphasized Yuriy Kulakevych, pastor, executive secretary of the Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Ukraine.
Chaplains monitor the morale of servicemen and support their families, conduct religious services and prepare soldiers for battle. In fact, they provide spiritual support to a person who finds himself in extremely difficult circumstances and risks his life every day. The proximity of death encourages soldiers to seek higher meanings, and chaplains are those who lead to an understanding of God and eternity with Him. This is what Vasyl Povoroznyuk, senior chaplain of the VCC EKB, says: “In the army, during combat operations, when a person looks death in the eyes every day, questions arise that do not arise in civilian life. And chaplains can answer these questions and prepare the soul, because victory depends not only on high-quality weapons, but also on the state of mind . ”
Oleksandr Chokov, a priest-chaplain who survived Russian captivity, emphasizes the importance of the presence of chaplains at the front not only as spiritual mentors: “A chaplain also faces physical strain in the field. You have to dig something, cook food, build a dugout, etc. In this way, I, the chaplain, connect with the soldier, stand shoulder to shoulder with him to support him . ”
A military chaplain often finds himself under the same threat as a soldier. The mission of a chaplain is to be nearby, so the chaplain is most often with the soldiers during combat missions, very close to the line of combat contact. This adds certain risks to the life and health of the chaplain. Vadim Geiko, a volunteer chaplain and volunteer, who with his team often reaches the most difficult hot spots of the front, shares: “There are units in the army that do not go into battle without the prayer of the chaplain. Guys, for example, who are in positions and cannot leave, but they need service. We go to them, and this is our risk. I personally was shot at about ten times. There were mines on the roads, artillery cover. But what happened later during the services that we conducted actually in the trenches outweighs all these risks. We understood that even if we died, it was worth it . ”
Chaplaincy aims to carry God’s commandments and the light of God’s love into the cruel atmosphere of war. Therefore, despite all the risks and difficulties of such service, women chaplains also join it. “A woman chaplain is, on the one hand, an exception to the rule, and on the other, a clear proof that the country is at war. And when the country is at war, then we all mobilize,” says the chaplain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant Oleksandra Andriyashyna. Before the war, she was a teacher, worked with children, and later volunteered. And when she saw the acute shortage of chaplains in the army, she became an officer of the Chaplain Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one of three women in this service. Oleksandra spoke about those Ukrainian girls who went to fight and to whom she provides spiritual support at the front: “The girls put on berets because there are not enough people, there are not enough defenders. Some left because their husbands or sons died. It happens in different ways. I want to support them, because, yes, it’s hard for them, they take on a burden that we can either share with each other to make it a little easier, or only the Lord can help those women of ours . “
The mission of chaplaincy is support and care not only at the front. Both at ground zero and beyond, chaplains conduct powerful pastoral activities in the frontline zone, work with the wounded, serve the families of fallen soldiers, search for and deliver humanitarian aid to places that are difficult for other volunteers to reach. However, the most difficult duty of a chaplain is to accompany the fallen heroes on their last journey. “This is the price of our freedom. And our duty as chaplains is to be sure that they were all with God ,” says Vadym Heiko. “There are many losses ,” adds Oleksandra Andriyashyna, “ that is why careful prayer and personal faith in the fact that God hears, that God helps, supports and protects is so important and valuable . ”
The international interfaith chaplaincy forum “United in Service” brought together a large number of chaplains, volunteers, leaders of chaplaincy services of various churches and associations, as well as representatives of international organizations. Ago Lilleorg, pastor and head of the chaplaincy service of the Estonian Defense Forces, has supported Ukraine since the very beginning of the war: “Estonia helped Ukraine even before the full-scale Russian invasion, and I am here to say – you are not alone, we support you. God said to Joshua: “Always be brave and never give up”. And I want to encourage you – do not give up, victory is yours” .
These two eventful days of fruitful communication and prayer proved that Christians are a powerful force and an important part in the spiritual struggle against evil. And God is always with those who trust in Him. The senior bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Anatoliy Kozachok, thanked the chaplains: “I sincerely thank you for responding to this call from the Lord and performing your service faithfully, patriotically, responsibly, with a deep Christian heart . ”
The ministers and chaplains came together to show that strength lies not only in weapons, but also in unity. Victory is possible where the strength of the spirit converges with the strength of faith in God. Where eternal values from philosophical categories are transformed into real actions. Where love for one’s neighbor becomes the driving force in the daily exploits of Ukrainian soldiers. And this God’s love is carried into the hell of war by their spiritual brothers – chaplains.