The Extraordinary Council was held in Kyiv on July 23, at which the bishops and clergy of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church elected Oleksandr Zaitsev as a Senior Bishop.
Rusyn Ivan Ivanovich was elected Deputy Senior Bishop, reports Slovo pro Slovo while citing the website uec.org.ua.
The Council was attended by bishops and pastors from different regions of Ukraine. The clergymen paid tribute to the memory of the deceased Senior Bishop Vasyl Fedorovych Raichynets, who served the Church for many years. After the prayer and fraternal communion, the clergy made a decision regarding senior ministers and the further development of the Ministry of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church.
The newly elected Senior Bishop noted in his address the importance of serving the Church, especially in such difficult times.
Based on the Epistle to the Church of Thyatira from the book of Revelation 2:18-29, the Senior Bishop noted that constant growth in good works, the preservation of all the things that God entrusted upon us, are fundamental principles of service. Oleksandr Zaitsev called on the ministers to perform the service with faith, patience and love. The Senior Bishop also stressed the crucial role of each local Church, its autonomy, and the importance of communication and cooperation in spreading the Word of God. Only in this way can the Church serve the purposes of God's mission in this world.
At the end of the Council, the bishops and pastors performed a prayer of blessing for the newly elected brothers and the Ministry of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church.