Pentecostal pastors from France visit ATO area
On April 22-26, 2015,the delegation of the National Association of Pentecostals of France visited Ukraine. Pastors Claude Huot and Gilles Heuze represented the Assemblies of God of France, uniting more than 760 churches across the country.
The purpose of their visit was to learn about the ministry of the Pentecostal Church of Ukraine during the crisis, see everything with their own eyes and contribute to the cause of service to the Ukrainian people, Religion in Ukrainereports with reference to Ukrainian Pentecostals’ website.
Pastor Claude Huot, who has over forty years of experience in pastoral ministry, heads the church department that assistspersecuted Christians and churches around the world. Pastor Gilles Heuze is the editor of the official department’s magazine. At a meeting with senior bishop Mykhailo Panochko they conveyed greetings of the national leader of the Pentecostal movement of France pastor Daniel Potter and the Churches, assuring that French people were attending to what was happening in Ukraine, would pray and stand ready to support in the hour of hardship.
During the visit, the pastors arrived in Kyiv, where they held a working meeting with the Deputy Senior Bishop Mykola Sinyuk and Chairman of the Department for Interfaith and Interchurch relations Yuri Kulakevich, discussing the issue of inter-church and inter-faith relations, missionary projects and so on. They also visited the eastern regions of Ukraine, including Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk, where they met with regional elders, familiar with social projects.
In particular, they visited one of the hostels for IDPs under the Church’s patronagein Zaporizhzhya, and handed them over humanitarian aid. While in Donbas, they visited the cities of Kramatorsk and Chervonoarmiysk, where they also took part in religious services and visited the social facilities under the auspices of the Church.
“We are very grateful to God for the chance to see at firsthand the Ukrainian reality and see how much light, goodness and mercy of God have beenrevealed to people in need through the Church of Christ in Ukraine,” Pastor Gilles Heuze says. “We are happy to have participated in this great work.”
He assured that the believers in France would continue praying for Ukraine. “On our part we will do everything we can in order to help you, dear Ukrainian brothers and sisters, in your service to the Ukrainian people. Thank you for the time allotted for us,” said Pastor Gilles at the end of the visit
