Antioch Community Church -- A United Methodist Congregation issued the following announcement on Mar. 24.
For United Methodists with close ties to Ukraine, the Russian invasion of that country is an ever-present, wrenching concern, keeping them tethered to news reports and social media, and costing them sleep.
It’s also an occasion to try to help, however far they may be from the war itself.
The Rev. Lydia Istomina led her church, Francis Street First United Methodist in St. Joseph, Missouri, to host a March 13 “Stand Tall with Ukraine” community rally.
“I believe prayers are wonderful and very important, but it’s not enough,” Istomina said. “God gave us our brains and our hearts, so we have to act.”
Istomina grew up in Russia and was a pioneering female United Methodist pastor there before coming to the U.S. in 1995. But her first husband’s father was Ukrainian. Thus, the two children Istomina had with her first husband are of Ukrainian ancestry, and they were baptized in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Distraught over the invasion, Istomina worked with church members to organize the community event on behalf of Ukraine. The St. Joseph mayor came, as did clergy and congregants from other local churches. The small sanctuary was packed, with more than a few people wearing yellow and blue, the Ukrainian colors.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Antioch Community Church -- A United Methodist Congregation
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